MORE than half of parents are paying at least £200 a month to support their children at university, with many saying the cost is putting serious strain on their finances.

A survey by the National Union of Students (NUS) found that 56 per cent of parents contribute £200 or more each month, while one in 10 pay over £1,000. 

Overall, 86 per cent said they provide some financial support, and 84 per cent said university costs are affecting their household finances.

The poll of 1,012 parents, carried out by Survation, also found over a third pay rent directly to landlords or cover food costs, and nearly half expect their child to work while studying.

NUS vice-president for higher education Alex Stanley said: “Decades of neglect” mean the maintenance system is failing, leaving parents to fill funding gaps, “regardless of their own income.”

The NUS is calling for reform of household income thresholds, which determine student maintenance support and have been frozen since 2008.