It says rising debt and increasing living costs are shutting out a growing number of young people.
The organisation has proposed reforms including removing interest from student loans or scrapping tuition fees for UK students.
The firm says soaring rents and the wider cost-of-living crisis, combined with long-term loan repayments, are leaving students feeling penalised.
It has urged the government to urgently overhaul higher-education funding, warning that university is becoming unaffordable for many and it says rising debt and increasing living costs are shutting out a growing number of young people.
The lettings firm has proposed reforms including removing interest from student loans or scrapping tuition fees for UK students and says soaring rents and the wider cost-of-living crisis, combined with long-term loan repayments, are leaving students feeling penalised.
Average weekly rents for shared student homes have surged by 17.4% in two years, climbing from £137.44 in 2023 to £161.37 in 2025, according to the organisation. Purpose-built student accommodation has seen a 12.2% rise, with weekly rents now at £197.81.
It warns that these persistent, above-inflation increases are tightening the squeeze on student budgets.
Fresh data from the Student Loans Company highlights the wider financial strain.
Students in England now enter higher education with an average loan balance of just over £53,000—part of a broader trend of rising debt across the UK.
Students in England now face a monthly funding gap of around £500, according to the latest Save the Student survey.
The average maintenance loan for 2024/25 is roughly £640, while typical living costs reach £1,142.
The deficit has grown sharply in recent years: in 2020, the average shortfall was just £223 a month meaning it has more than doubled in four years.
“Higher education should be a positive investment in the country’s future” says the lettings firm spokesperson.
“If government does not act now, we risk creating a system where university is seen as a financial gamble rather than a route to opportunity.”