One in five university students opt to live at home instead of halls
One in five university freshers will live at home during term time instead of student halls, research finds
- One in five freshers will eschew digs to live at home in term time, one study says
Living in halls is a rite of passage for university students across the country.
But one in five freshmen will eschew student digs to live at home during term time, a report suggests.
An additional 14 per cent of students say they are undecided about whether they will live in student digs, the Cosmo (Covid Social Mobility and Opportunities) study reveals.
The study has been tracking the lives of a cohort of thousands of young people in England who took A-level exams and equivalent qualifications this summer.
In total, 11,523 students in Year 13 were surveyed between October 2022 and April 2023 as part of the research.
(Stock Photo) One in five freshers will eschew digs to live at home in term time, a report suggests
Among those who plan to live at home, only 19 per cent said the main reason was because their preferred university was near their home, according to the study by the UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, the UCL Centre for Longitudinal Studies, and the Sutton Trust.
Nearly a fifth (18 per cent) said the main reason was because they could not afford to live away from home, while 46 per cent said they wanted to be near their families.
The study suggests that young people who plan to live at home are disproportionately more likely to be those from families facing financial challenges amid the rising cost of living.
Researchers have called on the Government to reintroduce maintenance grants for disadvantaged young people who want to study at university.
They added that ‘improved financial support’ for students’ living costs is needed due to the rising cost of living.
Jake Anders, associate professor and deputy director of the UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, said: ‘For some planning on going to university, living at home will be the right choice for them, for a whole host of reasons. But it should be exactly that – a choice – not something they feel they must do because of the financial challenges of living away from home during term time.
‘Student support has not kept up with the rising cost of living, this should be urgently addressed so we do not close down opportunities, especially to those who are already likely to have fewer first place.’
A Universities UK (UUK) spokesman said: ‘No student should have to make a decision about their future due to financial pressures – including whether to study away from home.
‘While the entry rate gap between the least and most advantaged students narrowed to a record low last year, universities are aware that there is a long way still to go.’
A Department for Education spokesman said: ‘Our student finance system ensures that the highest levels of support are targeted at students from the lowest income families.’
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