The credit crunch hits students - will more live at home?

The credit crunch is being felt everywhere, and prospective students aren't immune. A new survey from the careers advisory service, Inspiring Futures, suggests that nearly half (46 per cent) of 16-18 year olds feel that the current economic downturn is affecting their choice of higher education or university course. Almost a quarter (24 percent) said that the credit crunch "is likely" to put them off going to university, and 35 per cent said finances and living expenses were now a bigger concern.

Fears about living expenses definitely seem to be rising, and more students are apparently considering living at home while studying. According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, first-year students living at home are steadily on the increase, from 66945 in 2002/3 to 72780 in 2006/7.

Jamie O'Connell from the Student Room says that the credit crunch and its attendant knock-on effects are strong topics on the site's forums. Topics up for discussion are the issue of guilt - for putting a burden on parents at this time, fears about the cost of student loans, and whether those living at home should pay their parents rent. Whether students should consider living at home is another category up for discussion - with suggestions that it can be good (it saves money) or bad (you miss out on the fun and the independence of staying away from your family).

Jenny Vass, a final year student at Oxford agrees that living away from home is something she wouldn't have wanted to miss.

"It's part of being a student," she says. "You get that freedom, not just to have fun and party, but also to run a house, cook, clean and live with others. Now I think that's going to change."

Following her graduation next year, Jenny says she's looking at coming back to London, and knows that moving in with her parents would be "sensible."

"But it won't be the same sort of life," she says sadly. "It's nice to have your parents visit when you're a student, but I'm not sure about living back there full-time."

Living at home is more common at Scottish universities, and seems to have little stigma there. At Glasgow University, around 6,000 undergraduates are living in their own or the parental home this year. Around 9,000 are in university halls or private accommodation.

"Glasgow University attracts a high percentage of students from the West of Scotland area," a university spokesman told School Gate. "There is also a proud tradition of generations of families choosing to study here. So it is not surprising that many students take advantage of that proximity to stay at home and commute to studies."

"I can't recall many people who weren't at home," says Gregory Murray, who studied at another Glasgow University, Strathclyde. "We still had a great time, and managed not to have such huge debts. People shouldn't worry about it so much."

Perhaps in future, the student world will change so that those worries will disappear, and living at home will become increasingly usual. Or it may be that the worries will still exist but that living at home becomes a necessary concession. The Student Room's Jamie O'Connell suggests a shift may be on its way: "When choosing a university, we're finding that students may be compromising on their course, or even the quality of the university to be nearer home," he says.

Whether it means students "miss out" or not is another issue.

Read School Gate on:

Should prospective students take any notice of research ratings?

The 20 most popular universities

Learning to cook when you're away from home.

Comments

[Ruth Halstead]

Being away from home at university is great. trouble is, few return - after university students go where the jobs are. Families disintegrate. You notice this later on in life. Young couples struggle to bring up children without the help of grandparents who grow old alone in a far off place. Youth independence is not the be-all and end-all

[Chris]

It would be silly for the current economic climate to put people of University.

Loans will remain the same... Inflation will be very low... Rent's will be constant if not lower.

Anyone with parents who are struggling is entitled to a student grant anyway and I can say from personal experience with a loan + a grant its very comfortable.

[MN]

HOL: saying "The ones that have parental help are extremely lucky" infers they're in the minority if they're "extremely lucky", that was all. Which makes the other the majority. Well, glad there are some who are 100% self sufficient then and receive not a single penny from their parents for any aspect of their entire university life, I've never met a single one like I said, but I accept they must exist then. As for those who "match the contribution of their parents", er... sorry, that's still sponging off them isn't it!

[Joseph]

MN I am currently in a flat of 8 at university, none of use recieve any financial help from our parents, I even had to pay for my parents petrol when they drove me and my belongings to uni!

[Hol]

MN - I never claimed they were in the majority, I wouldn't be so foolish as to assume who's in the majority (not having done any mass polls of uni students as of late!). I just said I personally knew plenty of people who were self supporting or who contributed along with their parents, as opposed to Henry's suggestion that it's difficult to find students who aren't spongers!

[David]

For the undergraduate degree I finished last year, I had the choice of going to Manchester/Salford University and living at home with a borderline alcoholic, depressed, workaholic, heavy smoking mother or I could move away from home and have to be (almost) self sufficient (£10 per week from grandparents). Needless to say I chose the latter. Maybe I could claim some human rights infringements for the passive smoking?!

Let's not forget that sometimes the struggle to get by at University - rent, food, clothes, books, nightlife, job, interests and activities - is sometimes beneficial not just in terms flying the nest and becoming independent but regarding the home situation. Holiday periods are spent working and trying to find friends to rent rooms from; mostly unsuccessfully.

With a best friend who lived at home and went to Manchester, I think he lost out immensely in terms of fending for himself and social networking. He is however, far better off financially and could afford a year in industry in the US where he now lives.

My advice ... definitely, definitely, definitely do the first year away from home, regardless of anything! Then see how finances or personal preference dictates. Also, the course you want may not be available at your local university.

Happy New Year

[Emily]

In Ireland the norm is to stay at home if you can and it does indeed influence the choice of college and course for many students even when it is considered that we have free fees (although it still must be supplemented by a registration fee of €1,500, which I paid out of my own pocket). The majority of people that I went to college with lived at home across the city of Dublin. Of those who were from outside Dublin mammy and daddy supplemented them and often paid the registration fees, rent in Dublin is around €500 per month.

I stayed at home and worked to put myself through college and am still doing the same for post graduate study. With the cost of living here many of us do not really do not have any other option.

[Charlotte]

I have stayed at home during the first year of my studies at university. To be honest, it has been a God send, as it is easier financially. I did insist upon paying my parents some rent. They were more than happy to have me at home.

As for the social side, I feel as if I haven't missed out as such. I still regularly see my friends and have a good time. I would like to experience living away from home, but as I am studying to become a nurse, I feel as though other "housemates" may not respect the fact that I would have to do all sorts of shifts on placement.

[VB]

MN. I must reply to your message. I am a student in my final year at University at the moment and I know many people who are not funded by their parents, work a ridiculous number of hours a week on both coursework and paid work, pay rent and living costs for themselves. I for one have to pay every bit of my costs at Uni, and am suffering for it. Trying to fit in working, coursework and some semblance of a social life is not easy.

The answer would be to stop the Universities ripping students off by charging ridiculous amounts for rent at University accommodation (and tuition fees - but let's not get into that debate).

[ben]

Debt is clearly a big problem for most students, however I would recommend wherever possible to move away for university.

You meet a diverse range of cultures and meet people from areas in the world you could only hope to visit.

Bieng a Glasgow boy myself, i moved away to that evil city in the east and while im not going to say i loved every minute of it, it has been a great experience. More weegies need to bite the bullet and move out of the insular society!

[Tom Franklin]

Staying out of debt is not worth it if you drop from a first to a 2:1!

POSTED BY: LOUISE | JANUARY 01, 2009 AT 11:17 PM

I've recruited graduates for major corporations. I couldn't give a damn about whether they got a First or a 2:1.

I do care what kind of people they are, and what they did through university to pay their way. Scroungers and wimpy Mummy and Daddy pay for it all (and yes, that includes you Kate Middleton at St. Andrews who hasn't seemed to have done a single day's work in her whole life, who was funded through university, and still is in her shameful mid-20's, by her parents everything being given everything from a house and car to her clothes and food and cocktail funds) parasites need not apply.

[MN]

HOL, hmm, funny but I don't know of a single full time university student who is 100% self sufficient. Maybe they exist as you say, maybe they are in the majority as you claim, but I find it rather statistically odd then that of all the university students I know socially and have worked with, of all social classes and backgrounds, not one of them worked to cover all their costs, they were all given homes/rent/cars/spending money whilst at uni, and any that did work said it was to pay for clothes and "drinking money".

[Hol]

Henry G - plenty of students are in exactly the same position that you were and have no other income source other than student loans and what they can earn in the summer or at nights during term time etc. The ones that have parental help are extremely lucky of course, but that doesn't mean everyone's in that position. Apparently you assume they are, given the "you try telling any student today to be self sufficient and stop sponging off their parents" comment. You shouldn't do so - it's unjust to those who work just as hard as you did. Of course I'd also say it's unfair to assume that parental help means lazy students who don't also contribute to their education. Maybe in some cases it does, but I knew many a student who still worked part time during the term and full time over the summer to match their parents' contributions. Not to mention that in many cases students may be taking unpaid work experience places in order to gain necessary additions to their CV for their post graduate career - in some of the more competitive fields the demand for such experience is such that employers know they don't need to pay. That's hardly an unworthy pursuit if your parents are willing and able to help you cover costs.

[Louise]

I think most parents would rather their child had a degree, even if it means they have to live at home for longer.Also, research shows that anything over 15 hours of work a week will decrease your degree classification. Staying out of debt is not worth it if you drop from a first to a 2:1!

[Jess]

Looby Lu I have been to the OU upon attending I discovered that the score needed to pass is not 40%, but actually 20%. Though yes I must admit, that is probably the worst thing I have ever written for typo's!

[Toni S Hargis]

Should college students still live at home? One person in the article even mentions going back home after university to save money. Anyone thought about asking the parents what they think?

[looby lu]

Jess: Maybe if you had been to open university you would have learned how to spell?

Maybe you need to stop being such a snob and appreciate the motivation and sacrifice required to take a course alongside a normal working life.

No, I didn't take Open University. But your attitude stinks.

[Jess]

Open Univeristy

Two works

Absolute joke.

[Daniel Rae]

Two words,

Open University

[Carol]

I had a great time at University and living away from home was a very positive aspect of that experience. It was expensive, but I managed to pay my rent by working while I was studying. I also paid rent to my parents when I went home in the holidays - £50 per week was a lot of money in those days (early 1980s), but I took the view that I was an adult and should pay my way.

[Paul]

I lived away from home for uni and absolutely loved every minute of it. I would recommend it to anyone. Yes it is more expensive than living at home but what you gain from it personally is worth the debt in the future. I was grateful that my parents paid for my rent and was in the last year to get Student Grants but that wouldn't have altered my decision not to live away. So long as students gain work and don't go mental on the booze living away from home is the number one choice.

[Laura Roberts]

Natasha: if you are a full time university student, pray tell us all how you have - through your own earned funds only - managed to buy a house?

[Henry G.]

I paid for uni myself. All the fees, rent, food, clothing, books the lot. Not a penny from my parents, only "assistance" was credit via a Student Loan. Rent had to include every month for 3 years, no break during the summertime, during which I worked every day to pay for myself. When studying, I worked every evening and Saturday to do it.

You try telling any student today to be self sufficient and stop sponging off their parents. Their "hardship" is nothing!

[Hol]

I see the email scammers have now discovered blogs!

As for uni... I very much valued the experience of being away from home because it gave me some much needed independence. I tend to be nervy and resistant to change and was far more so at that age, so to be plonked in an unfamiliar city to look after myself while terrifying was the best thing for me!! It toughened me up, helped me relax and trust that I could fend for myself and I wound up having a great time and opening my world up. That was invaluable for me, but it's not for everyone - if you live close enough, you can still enjoy a good deal of traditional uni activities and socialising without the financial strain. Many of my classmates did

[Tom]

Well said Fred!

Some “students” get away without going to university at all these days, especially for the old Technical College subjects. For a fraction of the cost of university, try, for example,
http://www.uptospeedjournalism.com for journalism, or
http://www.shillingtoncollege.co.uk for graphic design.

There are loads of other good courses about. Get surfing.

These students get out in three to six months, and have been working for years by the time their uni-educated contemporaries face life. You grow up fast in the work-place.

[Fred]

The whole uiversity experience is a con to get young people into debt and feed profits to the slum landlords. I have watched all three of my kids end up with unnecessary debt and living in unfit conditions. Stay with mum and dad if you possibly can. First choice of university for any young person should be the Open University. You'll get help rather than being lumbered with debt. OK, the choice of course is narrow so it is not for everyone but, if it offer the degree you want, it's got be first choice. Check it out, I'm not wrong.

[Carrie]

No, they should stay at Uni, wherever possible.
Otherwise, they never grow up, and learn to fend for themselves. They also appreciate you as parents far more, when they do pop home.

[Katie]

I moved away to university and had a fantastic time and felt it really helped me to grow up. However I found I was working practically full time to be able to survive (at the time a grant was £1700pa and loan was the same). I ended up dropping out after my second year.

My younger sister stayed at home and finished her degree, but feels she missed out on the social life, and the "growing up" stage of living away from home. She didn't end up moving out of home until she was 25.

There are pros and cons of both, its a shame that students have to choose.

[Emma]

There are fundamental difficulties with living at home whilst studying for some people. What if you don't live near a university? What if the university you do live near doesn't do the course you're interested in? Staying at home wasn't an option for me, my commute would be 4 hours each way, everyday.

On the otherhand i've lived with many students over the years and have to honestly say that some of them need to live away from home to be allowed to learn the simple things of growing up such as how to change a light bulb, or how to turn on an oven (examples i have come across).

Jessicae - should we stay at home all our lives to prevent homesickness? Because neither of my sisters would have jobs now if that was the case (neither live in the country due to lack of jobs in their professions)

[Matt]

After four years of university, I remain largely unconvinced as to how useful a use of time and money it has been.

On the one hand, I've devel by living away from home and dealing with things autonomously. I've also secured a great job for when I graduate and for this position - as with many others - a degree was a prerequisite. I do feel that I've sharpened my mental faculties, simply through practising essay writing and thinking about/debating ideas so often.

On the other hand, I don't feel I've accomplished much in the four years that I couldn't have done in two (perhaps even outside a university campus). The last two years have been largely superfluous: I'm increasing my subject-specific knowledge but not probably not much else. I would also question the value of many non traditional degrees. IMHO, many courses would be better served by a more practical 'college' education.

Should people go to a university close to home? In many countries this is the de facto way of doing things but I think it's problematic. I'd contend that the main purpose of universities (post grad research aside) should be to attract the country's best minds and push them. What about a bright student that doesn't live close to a good university? Should choice be the preserve of the rich? Perhaps we could cut down on the number of universities and have the government subsidise accommodation at the best ones.

[Vicki]

i could live at home and go to a london university and the rail travel each year would cost around £4000, however i moved 300 miles to liverpool and pay £2500 in rent each year, moving out is the best way to grow up and i dont care what anyone says home students get a fraction out of their education that students who moved out do.

[Farstad]

Dear Not Impressed, your grasp of syntax, grammar and punctuation *is* appalling.

[Giorgia]

In Italy many new universities have been recently create to allow students to live at their parents'. Many students would not be able to afford to live elsewhere and parents are happy to keep their children at home. Student job is not an option (due to the general lack of jobs and this would mean to finish your studies too late). The problem is that many of this new universities are not very good, the quality of teaching and examination is quite poor. This is not a good solution, better to cap rent prices in order to allow more students to afford a decent accomodation and to attend good universities.

[jane]

Has anyone here considered the fact that parents may well want their grown up children to live an independant life of their own after a certain age (say, 18). Parents might want freedom from constant nurturing of very old children; and some time and space to lead their own lives too.

[not impressed]

Natasha - your grasp of syntax, grammar and punctuation are appalling. What have you learnt in all your years of education? Certainly not the English language.

[ShyGirl]

Jim Wills, you remind me very strongly of the Dad in Matilda, by Roald Dahl. He said pretty much what you did, and look what happened to him...

[Valorie]

So Jim, I take it you have never needed the care of a doctor, the use of a car created by those who spend years at university, the help of a legal team, or god forbid, a teacher. Yes doctors, very unworkable in modern times, I mean, who needs medical treatment in this day and age!

[Hol]

University is a waste of time and money?

I don't think so. The doctor who has been helping me through various medical problems is university educated, as was the surgeon who operated on my grandmother's cancer. The vet who treated my much loved dog for a serious leg injury was. God forbid I should ever get into any legal trouble, I'll be relying on a university educated solicitor to help me. Many of our most key professions require university education.

[John]

I think moving away from home is an integral part of of the whole university experience. Moving into halls of residence with people you don't know teaches you so much about life in general, meeting people from differnet backgrounds, tolerence, managing money , cooking for yourself etc. I am aware the costs do impact on people decisions but if students remain at home they will have a very different experience. Studying is only part of going to university.

[Jim Wills]

University is a waste of time and money. The books, and words of wisdom from the professors, are rubbish for those who study money matters. Just look at the mess we are in economically. The theories do not work and students are being taught to accept these doctrines and theories which are outdated and unworkable in this modern world.

[paul]

Hi Sarah

Thats a great article I'm sure it will give future students something to think about, it could also force many to go later I know lots of students that started when they were in their 20's. It is becoming more common to work for a couple of years before going to university more so now. Good luck with the writing you seem very cool.

Regards

Paul

[natasha]

I am in my final year and live in blackpool. my univeristy is in preston so I commute everyday. I have been living out of home for 3 years and have bought a house in june this year. I had a gap year to move out of my parents in order to learn how to budget and to give myself time to choose the course I wanted. So I don't think that these worries can really be placed on the 'credit crunch'. If you really want to go to uni you just need to be prepared.

[Jessicae]

I think you're right. I think people should stay at home while they are at university - it saves any homesickness!