The cost of living crisis has sparked a reappraisal of the benefits of a university education among 18 and 19-year-olds, with many seeking to live at home or earn a wage alongside their studies, according a survey by the Open University. Nearly one in two school leavers have reconsidered whether they can afford to go to university in the last 12 months as the escalating cost of living prompt drastic rethinking among students.
A study for the Open University found that 49 per cent of 18 and 19-year-olds have re-examined whether a university degree is the right option for them, with nearly a third concluding that being an undergraduate is unaffordable. According to the data, as many as one in five of those receiving theirThe findings follow evidence of a sharp increase in the numbers ofdropping out of university.
The record number of drop-outs, which one education think-tank has warned is likely to increase further during the coming year, was being attributed to a range of factors including housing and living costs as well as the potential knock-on effects to pastoral care caused by ongoing industrial action on campuses.
A demographic shift which means that there is a higher population of 18 and 19-year-olds has led to near-record numbers of school leavers applying for