More students planning to live at home for university over 'insane' living costs
Students like Jessica say they worry about missing out on student life, but feel they have no choice but to stay at home.
More than 81,000 UK 18-year-olds have reported in their university applications that they intend to live at home this year, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas). This represents an increase from previous years, with Scotland and Wales showing higher rates of students planning to live at home compared to other regions.
The rising cost of living appears to be a significant factor in students' decisions, with some students like Beatrice and Amelia from St Helens, Merseyside, opting to commute to university instead of moving into student accommodation. Both will be attending university in September, but neither will be living on campus due to the high cost of accommodation.
The BBC spoke to Jessica, another student also planning to study at Liverpool John Moores University, who expressed disappointment at the high price of renting, describing it as "insane." Despite the challenges, some students like Beatrice and Amelia are still considering the financial benefits of living at home, such as saving over £7,000 compared to the price of halls.
However, there is debate over the role of accommodation in the university experience, with some arguing that it contributes to personal development and the wider university community. The government has acknowledged the financial difficulties students face and plans to increase maintenance loans and grants to help alleviate the burden.
Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
