Minimum Income Standard for Students 2025

Rising costs are reshaping the student experience across the UK, affecting everything from housing and food to participation in campus life.

The Minimum Income Standard for Students 2025 (MISS25) report, produced in collaboration with the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) at Loughborough University, reveals what it truly costs to live and learn at university today, providing essential evidence for institutions, policymakers and sector leaders seeking to support students effectively.

This report builds on the landmark Minimum Income Standard for Students 2024 report, which focused on second and third-year students across the UK. The current MISS25 research focuses on first-year students living in purpose-built student accommodation, and the additional financial costs needed to transition into university.

At a glance

Some of the report’s key findings include:

• A first-year student has the highest minimum budget compared to second- and third-year students.
• The ‘first-year premium’ is a result of additional costs required for set up and settling in, such as cooking equipment, start-of-the-year social events, societies and clubs.
• Even with maximum support, students in England can cover only around half of their living costs, with gaps even larger for those on minimum support.
• Maintenance support, which many students receive to cover their living costs, covers just half (50%) of students’ minimum costs in England.
• To cover costs while studying, first-year students in England need to work over 19 hours per week at the minimum wage.
• The cost of living reduces students’ ability to take part in social activities, societies, and sports, affecting mental health and engagement.
• MISS25 recommends redesigning the system of maintenance support by informing students how much their living costs are likely to be, by giving more support for first-year students, and how this reform could be funded.