Cash-strapped UK university students forced to live at home miss out on opportunities
Rising rents and living costs are driving a growing number of UK students to live with parents, affecting their social life and career prospects, according to a new report.
Many UK university students who live at home due to financial constraints are missing out on social and career opportunities. Mariam, a 19-year-old University College London student (not her real name), often spends hours waiting on campus between lectures and evening events because a three-hour round trip home is impractical. She says she suffers from a lack of social life and misses out on spontaneous career-building interactions like after-work coffees and introductions.
A report from the Resolution Foundation reveals that 52% of prospective students from England's poorest neighbourhoods expect to live at home while studying, compared with 18% from the least deprived areas. David Willetts, the foundation's president, said living with parents emerges from financial constraints, not free choice.
However, not all students see it as a disadvantage. James Davies, an undergraduate at the University of Leicester, believes living at home benefits him because he doesn't need to work to pay rent, allowing more time for study, unlike friends who moved away and had to take paid jobs.
Financial worries also affect university choices: only 37% of students planning to live at home expressed a preference for a Russell Group university, compared with 56% of those planning to move away, according to research from the Centre for Longitudinal Studies. Carl Cullinane of the Sutton Trust said that while attending a local university is better than not going at all, it is not optimal if the only reason is cost.
Alex Stanley of the National Union of Students stressed that everyone should have the option to move out to study, as geography can limit course availability.
Rose Stephenson of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) criticised the funding system, which allows students living away from home outside London to borrow £10,830 a year for living costs, compared with £9,118 for those living with parents, despite average rents exceeding £7,500. She said the system assumes family support is available while the housing market makes moving out unaffordable.
Lucy Haire of the UPP Foundation, who is due to publish a report on the issue, warned against losing sight of the transformative benefits of residential university life for many students.
Nick Hillman of Hepi cautioned against assuming living at home is always a disadvantage, noting it can mean lower debt, stronger family support, and more study time. He argued that if staying home enables access to high-quality education and success, it may not be a problem that needs fixing.
