More students planning to live at home for university over 'insane' living costs
A record number of UK students are choosing to live at home while attending university to avoid high accommodation costs. Data from Ucas shows that over 81,000 applicants plan to commute, highlighting the financial strain of the current cost-of-living crisis.
Why it matters
This trend reflects a significant shift in the traditional university experience and highlights how economic pressures are forcing students to prioritize affordability over campus life.
Image source, Emily Doughty / BBC Image caption, Friends Amelia (left) and Beatrice (right) are living at home when they start university this September
Senior education reporter Published 13 minutes ago More new students are choosing to live at home for university this year than at any point in the last nine years, new data shows.
Over 81,000 UK 18-year-olds said in their accepted university application that they intended to live at home this year, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) - just over one in three students in that category.
The figures vary across the UK - with 48% of applicants in Scotland intending to live at home, compared with 20% in Wales - but the trend is rising across the board.
Students told the BBC the rising cost of living was a major influence in deciding what to do after school or college.
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