Image by Maria Caires
By Chiara Brett, Maria Caires, and Ashir Matadi
Local small businesses are doing what they can to help offset the high cost of living for students in Holloway, but it’s tough going.
Manager of The Bagel Place, Rasel Ahmed, worries about the cost of living affecting his business profit margins, but nonetheless tries to help students whenever possible.
“Everywhere the prices go up day, by, day,” he says.
“In the businesses we used to buy cheaper, but [now] it’s more expensive”, he adds, saying how that affects the number of customers coming in, due to low stock.
The cost-of-living crisis has affected everyone – however, it has impacted students more than most.
Ahmed tries to accommodate students by giving them 10 percent off. “Our price is quite reasonable, on top we do the student discount”, which is advertised outside the shop.
“I went to uni…, I know what it means to get that discount, it means a lot.”
Image by Maria Caires
Nafissah the receptionist of Unite Students, the closest university accommodation to London Metropolitan University, says that not many students from the UK choose Unite.
She says that the bulk of students living there are mostly international students, which can be due to the cost of living affecting those who are from the UK the most.
Students have to cope not only with high food and rents, but also the high cost of tuition fees, which they eventually will have to pay back.
Some students also are supporting family members, which can add to their responsibilities. “It’s very difficult… they give you the student finance but it’s not enough,” said London Metropolitan University digital media student Elisabeth Aguilar. She adds that the University provides students with work opportunities, which helps alleviate the burden.
Justin Wood a director at Apply Board, said that: “In Q1 2025, UK student visa applications increased by 32%, with over 48,000 visas issued.”
However, Unite Students “offer payment plans to accommodate students” to which Nafissah receptionist at Unite students says that “we’re very understanding when it comes to paying,”
“The average student’s living costs are about £1,142 a month, but our findings reveal that Maintenance Loans often fall far short of covering students’ living expenses,” a a study by Save the Student said.
Image by Maria Caires
Leave a Reply