A semicentennial retrospective: how have student outlooks changed due to the cost-of-living crisis?

Since the implementation of the 1969 Representation of the People Act, 18-year-olds have been eligible to vote in the UK. However, youth turnout at elections has dwindled since the ‘90s. Links have been drawn between the turnout slump and political phenomena such as conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, alongside the increasing cost of higher education. More recently, think of the war in Ukraine, the global pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

As such, many would argue that students have been handed more than enough reason to abstain from voting at the next general election.  

It’s too early to see the full extent of financial disadvantages faced by 2023’s cohort, but Warwick’s Students’ Union (SU) membership numbers already show a shift in student participation this year

The cost-of-living crisis appears to have hit students especially hard. What may have been a relishing of independence and financial freedom for students in previous years is now, more than ever, a weighty burden that may unpredictably transform political views. It’s too early to see the full extent of financial disadvantages faced by 2023’s cohort, but Warwick’s Students’ Union (SU) membership numbers already show a shift in student participation this year. Especially in the next general election, how young people will vote is more uncertain than ever – assuming they choose to at all.  

In 1973, the year of The Boar’s launch, the outlook of students was dramatically different. With a two-year-long recession beginning in 1973, the UK was veering towards a Labour government – just as it is right now. Harold Wilson was elected back to power at general elections in February and October 1974. However, whilst political attitudes may have favoured Labour at this time, the lifestyle and outlook of students were dramatically different. According to History and Policy, higher education was “essentially free” between 1962 and the 1990s. Even despite this, only 1/7 of 18-year-olds participated in higher education in 1972. 

Seeking opinions on how recent political developments have affected young people, The Boar approached every party-political society at Warwick. Unfortunately, the University of Warwick Liberal Democrats and the University of Warwick Conservative Association declined to comment, with only the University of Warwick Labour Society responding to our queries. 

We see this at university, with some students having to work whilst studying to get by, or many not being able to afford the overpriced food and drink on campus

John Challenger, University of Warwick Labour Society Chair

When asked how students of today have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis, the Society’s Chair, John Challenger, commented: “I think for a large number of students the cost-of-living crisis has highlighted the inequalities in society, it affects those who have the least and are the poorest the most. We see this at university, with some students having to work whilst studying to get by, or many not being able to afford the overpriced food and drink on campus, so I think it has brought home to people just how bad things have gotten.”  

HomeLet found that, during the year leading up to September 2023, the average monthly rent in the UK increased by £117

Recent SU figures demonstrate the pressures Challenger references. Students are now less engaged in a well-rounded university life than in previous years. At the end of the 2022/23 academic year, the Societies Federation had just over 9000 members, 500 less than the year before. According to the most recent data, there are now only 8308 current members. The drop between the 21/22 and 22/23 academic years could have been due to the increase in the standard single-year Societies Federation fee from £19 to £23 during that time period but could also reflect student’s financial struggles amidst the cost-of-living crisis. For this year, the fee has been reduced to £20, providing some respite for an already-overburdened student body. 

The increase in rent and food prices may hugely affect how students vote. Studies have shown that in years of lower student wealth, Labour’s vote share amongst young people has increased. According to Hamptons Real Estate, rents have been reported as rising more rapidly in the past year than “over the four years to 2019”. Varbes, a company that provides housing-related data showed that in the two years between 2019 and 2022, rental prices rose by 3.2% in the West Midlands, and by 8.7% in Warwickshire. HomeLet found that, during the year leading up to September 2023, the average monthly rent in the UK increased by £117.  

Forbes reported that 9/10 of first-year students are worried about their finances

However, the struggle isn’t only for those living off campus – rents for on-campus student accommodation have also risen. In 2019, the most expensive on-campus accommodation, Bluebell, had a weekly rent cost of £189. It’s now at £233. Whitefields, the cheapest on-campus accommodation, has seen weekly rents rise from £75 in 2019 to £91 in 2023. For both accommodations, lets are 40-weeks-long. Overall, finding affordable housing for students is becoming increasingly difficult. 

 In 1973, students also struggled with student accommodation. The responsibility of universities to provide proper on-campus accommodation was broached by students in the West Midlands and reported on by The Boar in our first ever edition. Kasper de Graaf reported that the “accommodation crisis had clearly reached crisis point, and despite effort by the National Union of Students … no solution [had] yet been found.”  

Accommodation for the freshers of the ‘70s was greatly underprovided by universities. Similarly, many students across the UK currently are disappointed to find that, whilst accommodation is provided, this means little if it is out of the realm of affordability. Forbes reported that 9/10 of first-year students are worried about their finances.  

I think one of the biggest things that highlights this to me is the fact that the only grocery store on campus is Rootes, which charges extortionate prices that many students can’t afford

 John Challenger, University of Warwick Labour Society Chair

The Boar asked Challenger: have you noticed an influx in fresher members this year, and how do you think the cost-of-living crisis will affect voting patterns? 

 “We always see that the majority of our members are freshers and this year has been another great year for the society in terms of the number of freshers who have joined. I hope that the cost of living will make people consider how politics can change things and the solutions that can be found there, and even if they don’t find themselves enthused by any political party, I hope that they will take the opportunity to engage in democracy and vote.” 

The need for students to find work to make up for rapid price increases was studied in a survey of 10000 students by the Higher Education Policy Institute. It found that over 1/2 of the students surveyed did paid work during term time. So, the question is, how will the financial strain affect voting choices and turnout?  

Many students feel universities, including Warwick, simply aren’t doing enough to provide cost-of-living support. Challenger commented: “I think one of the biggest things that highlights this to me is the fact that the only grocery store on campus is Rootes, which charges extortionate prices that many students can’t afford. Some people may point out that the university doesn’t own or run Rootes, which is true, but to them I’d say, if the university was that bothered about how much Rootes was ripping us all off, they’d do something about it.” 

To student voters, I would say get informed and vote. Read the party’s manifestos or at least see what each party stands for … At the moment parties don’t see the need to engage well with young people, because they think we won’t turnout enough to make a difference

John Challenger,  Chair

Apathy amongst young people is becoming an increasingly pressing problem. In 2022, the UK Parliament noted that 60% of 18–25-year-olds think politicians don’t care, and that only 54% of young people turned out to vote in the 2019 general election. 

The Boar asked Challenger: To what level should we be concerned about student turnout in the next election? 

“I think we should be very concerned about student turnout in the next election and the university should be doing everything it can to encourage students to vote. Despite the state of the country and the issues it faces, there will still be students who don’t see the point in voting, as a society we will be running campaigns to encourage people to register to vote and to remember ID on polling days, and the university should join us in doing this so as many students as possible get out and vote.” 

 To wrap things up, The Boar asked: Is there anything you would like to specifically comment on about student voting, outlook, or impacts of the cost-of-living crisis that hasn’t been touched on?  

“To student voters, I would say get informed and vote. Read the party’s manifestos or at least see what each party stands for … At the moment parties don’t see the need to engage well with young people, because they think we won’t turnout enough to make a difference. This next election offers us an opportunity to change that, and to all young people I’d say we have to take it.” 

Students of the ‘70s grappled with the beginnings of a modernized university system. Today, the students of 2023 are dealing with the fallout of the cost-of-living crisis, trying their best to prevent their anxieties from affecting their academic and social aspirations.