Record number of UK freshmen opt to stay home amid soaring accommodation costs
Over 81,000 newly accepted 18-year-olds plan to live with their families this year, the highest level in nine years, as rent and living expenses surge.
New figures released by UCAS reveal that 81,000 UK 18-year-olds have indicated on their university applications that they will live at home, the largest proportion recorded in the past nine years. This represents just over one-third of all accepted students, a rise from roughly one-fifth in 2017, and the trend appears across the United Kingdom, with 48% of Scottish applicants and 20% of Welsh applicants opting to stay.
Rising rents - often quoted at several thousand pounds annually - and broader cost-of-living pressures are prompting students like Beatrice and Amelia from Merseyside to commute to Manchester and Liverpool respectively, while peers such as Jessica worry about losing the social benefits of campus life. The Higher Education Policy Institute estimates that a three-year degree now requires about £61,000 for a basic standard of living, excluding tuition, and notes that accommodation costs are climbing faster than maintenance loans. The Open University reports a surge in younger enrolments, reflecting a shift toward distance learning as a way to avoid high housing expenses.
Why it matters
The surge in home-based study highlights growing financial strain on students and could reshape university housing demand.
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