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University students in U.K. are having such hard time making ends meet that they are resorting to desperate measures. Many have turned to gambling, taking out high-interest loans and even selling their body to cover their living costs. financial website Save the Student (StS) questioned 1,900 students about their finances. It discovered that average student received $750 month from the government in form of a student loan. However, average living expenses amounted to $1,170 a month. This leaves monthly shortfall of $420. Students have made up difference in variety of ways, some of which would cause parents considerable amount of concern.

The StS poll found that 71 per cent of students relied on parents for extra income, while 65 per cent had part-time job. Around 46 per cent turned to banks for overdraft. Seven per cent of students who took part in survey said that they had "sold their body" to earn additional cash. Others reported taking part in medical trials for money. Twelve per cent of students said that they had tried gambling to supplement their income, while three per cent took out loans with extortionate interest rates. One student said: "It's frustrating when you're already paying off multiple credit cards at 19." Save Student said government loans were "out of touch with individual circumstances and student needs".