Part-time work helps to fund university studies

Students off to university in a few weeks' time are more likely than ever to have to work part-time to make ends meet, according to research from the Halifax.

The bank's study found that 73 per cent of students in 2009 worked to cover their university costs, up from 66 per cent last year, with one in seven fearing that money from their parents would dry up during the academic year due to the recession.

More students are also working during term time as well as holidays, with the average working week at almost 13.5 hours. Many students will have been unnerved by news that while student grants and loans will be frozen until next year, tuition fees will rise.

"Many students said they expected their parents to withdraw the financial support they had given in previous years. It's more important than ever that students make every penny count," says Mike Regnier, a current account director for the Halifax.

Students in Northern Ireland are the most likely to have a job with 86 per cent working during the holidays and 76 per cent working part-time during term time. When it comes to putting the hours in, Scottish students were on top with an average working week of 15.6 hours, compared with just 11.7 for students in the East Midlands.