My parents didn't want us working - they wanted us to prioritise studies. Both had left school at 15 to support family - one in heavy industry and one in nursing. My mother had to give up a scholarship and place at art college to help pay for her younger siblings while living in dorms. My Dad did a 7 year apprenticeship in a dying industry including stints in H&S at an ironworks before doing his first degree and then his MBA as a mature student supporting himself, a wife and 2 children under 5 by any job he could find as not eligible for income support. That opened up project management roles for him.

I was fortunate to be among some of the last to get free tertiary education and my parents paid my hall fees. I also got a small sum towards furnishing house when bought it. My parents though were pretty self-supporting - both had good jobs (Mum did her further education so a midwife, then a health visitor and then a nurse practioner funded by the NHS, Dad had a silly number of degrees - 2 paid for by his work). We could have been in a mess when he got ill but due to circumstances, all care funded by NHS.

I don't think that situation was that uncommon. In fact, I know more people who got their house deposits paid. I did pay for tertiary health insurace and a few subscriptions for my parents but that's about it. And when I did work P/T at uni, money was mainly for a fund for moving out though it got raided if my mother needed cash and rarely repaid which was annoying but not end of world.