University: ‘Dealing drugs was the only way I could afford degree’

A college student says he felt compelled to break the law to earn enough money to pay for his degree.

Tyler worked multiple jobs alongside his studies at Swansea University and realized that if things didn’t change, he couldn’t get the degree he wanted.

Without family support, the 24-year-old says those from poorer backgrounds who want to go to university should get more support, says the 24-year-old.

A Swansea University spokesman said students would have access to financial aid.

With both parents in prison, Tyler, whose name was changed to protect his identity, and his younger brother were cared for by their grandparents to ensure they stayed together.

However, this relationship turned sour as the boys got older.

“When I was about 16, I made a mental decision that the only way to really be myself and a person of my own was to go to college. So I did that,” Tyler said.

He found it difficult to balance his studies while working enough hours to pay for his rent and groceries.

During his first summer at university, Tyler returned to his grandparents’ house, but was silenced after a fight over money for a train ticket.

“I’ve been told if you leave the house, never come back. So this is what happened. I left home when I was 18,” he explained.

“It was literally the worst night of my life. I have never felt so mentally and physically tired from the events of a day.”

He returned to the university as a “self-employed student” and applied for assistance.

Students are classified as independent for a number of reasons, even if they are permanently separated from their parents.

This means they have no financial or emotional support.

Those in the care system receive more support than those who are independent, said Becca Bland, executive director and founder of the charity Stand Alone, which provides support services to prevent alienated adults from becoming vulnerable.

Many universities offer support for the self-employed.

Tyler said, “I got hardship funds, which helped a lot. But I think at the age of 18, 19, 20 a grand without a lot of financial planning is only good in the short term.”

While Swansea University was offering him financial management sessions, he said he didn’t feel like he had time to take them as he had to juggle so many jobs and a degree.

But even with the extra support, Tyler found it “stressful” to deal with.

With no guarantor for his student accommodation, Tyler had to pay double the deposit of other students, which set him back around £800 before the start of each year.

“I had to have a job. Otherwise I couldn’t afford food or rent. That was the reality,” he said.

“I remember thinking when I was doing these garbage jobs that if I graduate and sit behind a desk in a shirt and tie, I’ll never complain.

In his third year, he had to pay back a bank loan he took out when he first became an independent student.

“I realized the best way for me to make £800 a week was to sell drugs,” he said.

“The drug deal was the only way I could afford my degree.”

When asked if he considered the consequences of his actions for others, he justified it to himself as a temporary means to an end.

“I didn’t really think about the implications as I was only selling weed to college students. I can imagine that some people didn’t prioritize their studies, but I never found it a moral conflict.

“If it had been coke, I’m sure I would have felt different.”

With two parents in prison, Tyler said he’s always wondered what that meant to him.

“You hear when you’re younger that you’re more likely to go to jail if you’re the child of someone who goes to jail,” he explained.

“The odds weren’t in my favor. If you look at the stats, every stat says I should be dead or in jail or on the street.

“I think a lot of the children of people who go to prison go to prison themselves because there is no infrastructure when they need it.

“I had no mother, father, uncle, nobody when I was 18.”

Tyler woke up at 7 a.m. to finish his college work by 3 p.m. and spent the next nine hours dealing cannabis.

“At the time I was like, ‘If I go to jail or something, that’s what it is,’ which is a harsh reality.”

When he decided to start dealing, Tyler said he always planned to quit after graduation.

“It saddens me that I had to jeopardize my degree to sell drugs,” he added.

Miraculously, Tyler was never caught.

After graduating, Tyler almost immediately found a job in technology marketing and is now making around £40,000 a year.

“It was always my plan. I never saw it as a big criminal enterprise, I’m not an idiot. I just wanted to get my money and move on.

“I’m in bed by 10:30pm, which is lucky compared to what I did at uni. I’m as happy as I can be,” he said.

“I came out on the other side. Most people either stick around selling and end up in jail, or become like coke addicts and get into debt. I was neither one nor the other.

“My job now is to make sure that if I have a child or know a child … they never have to go through that situation. That would make me feel like I couldn’t get away with it.”

Stand Alone’s Ms Bland said: “The crippling cost of overpriced student accommodation and the meager amounts of statutory student assistance mean such students depend heavily on scholarships and the generosity of the university to survive.”

Students who have been neglected by the care system and are alienated from family are the poorest and most vulnerable students in the system, according to Ms. Bland.

“Research shows that family support has become increasingly important for young people who want to succeed in higher education in Wales today,” she said.

“I would never say that drug dealing is an answer to financial hardship, and students who think it’s a way to close the financial loop need to think very carefully about the consequences of engaging in criminal activity.

“This could well have a major impact on their future lives and will not go away if they are caught. There is a lot at stake.”

Students who are struggling should contact their university and find out what support is available, she said, and if there was no support, students could reschedule the course to do more work.

“Prolonging your studies may not seem like a desirable option, but it is far more desirable than drug trafficking consequences and the arrest and indictment.”

With the cost of living crisis, more people in society are taking “enormous risks” by selling drugs to “purely survive,” according to Rob Barker of Barod Cymru, an organization that deals with drug and alcohol problems.

“There is also a significant risk that more people will use a range of substances to try and help them with increased stress and anxiety related to the current crisis,” he said.

“While we would not advise people to engage in such behavior and wish to emphasize the risks involved, we identify with the reasons some people take such action and that desperate situations can sometimes lead to desperate action.

“We would like to encourage anyone struggling with the current livelihood crisis to contact the appropriate services.”

A Swansea University spokesman said it provides tailored advice, opportunities and information for students who have become estranged from their parents.

This service can also refer and refer alienated students to support services and employment opportunities.

Financially struggling students can also access the alienated student bursary, hardship funds, and money management and budgeting sessions, the university added.