Research by The Sutton Trust charity based on data from all students in the UK shows around a quarter of all undergraduates are commuter students.
The cost of going to university further away is identified as one of the main reasons for choosing to be a commuter student.
Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “In the modern economy it is often those who are most mobile who are most likely to find success.
“Moving away to university can be an important first step. Moving to London, or other large cities in the UK, can be an ‘escalator’ for social mobility.
“But too often, the opportunity to move away to attend university is restricted to those from better-off homes.”
Education Secretary Damian Hinds has suggested that increasing the number of commuter degrees could help cut the cost of going to university.
A review of post-18 education in England, announced last week, will look at how different ways of studying for a degree could be encouraged.
A Department for Education spokesperson – “The government’s review of post-18 education and funding will consider how we can encourage and support learning that is more flexible for students – for example, part-time, distance learning and commuter study options.”
In response to the article Ray Brogden (COO of Qualifi Awarding Organisation) points out that access to locally delivered, value for money honours and masters degrees are available. Rather than studying via the traditional three-year undergraduate programme at a university, there is an alternative. Students who choose to stay and study locally, for example at their Qualifi approved FE college can utilise Student Loan Company, Advanced Learner Loans to study Qualifi’s Level 4 and Level 5 qualifications before progressing on the final year of one of our partner universities degree programmes. Similarly, students with a degree and Qualifi level 7 can progress on to MBA. MSc and MA qualifications offered by our university partners. These alternative models of access to HE provide flexibility, local delivery and value for money pathways that include online/blended learning final year top up or the option of spending the final year living away from home to attend one of our partner universities.
Full article here – http://www.bbc.com/news/education-43204653