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Cost rather than course is increasingly the deciding factor when 6th-form students decide which university to attend. With soaring student debt, many more school-leavers are choosing universities in cheaper towns rather than picking top courses in more expensive areas.
Susan Hayday, higher education manager at the Association of Colleges, which represents further education colleges, says students are becoming more aware of differing living costs. ‘6th-form students are still choosing universities based on the course, but we’re seeing many reject preferred degrees at London colleges because of the expense,’ she says. The North/South financial divide is reflected in the gap between the cost of living in cities such as Bristol and London and less pricey locations such as Liverpool and Bradford. Over the course of a degree, students can make huge savings on rent, transport and entertainment by living and studying in a cheaper area. But these students often forget to factor into their calculations the greater opportunities for part-time work in expensive cities, which can compensate for the higher living costs.
Last year, London came top of Royal Bank of Scotland’s students’ living index, which assesses the most cost effective university locations. The real problem, according to Paul Jeffrey, head of student banking at RBS, is that students often fail to carry out sufficient research. ‘Information on housing and transport costs as well as student jobs is readily available. With planning and careful budgeting, there’s no reason why students can’t study in the more expensive locations, such as London.’
Melanie Knowles (photo), 20, from Doxhill, near Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, is in the 2nd year of a psychology course at the University of Liverpool. She chose it because she pays only £50 a week in rent and can have a night out for £15. ‘The course I chose was standard at most universities,’ says Melanie. ‘But had there been a better course in London, I would still have chosen the cheaper option because I don’t want to end up with huge debts.’
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