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September 2023 - Education

More than three-quarters of students believe the cost of living crisis has affected their studies: The annual Student Academic Experience Survey by HEPI and Advance HE has revealed that 76% of students believe that the cost of living crisis has affected their studies. In terms of the extent to which the crisis has affected students, half the students polled said it has affected them 'a little', while just over a quarter said that their studies were affected "a lot".

The highly respected annual survey polled 10,000 full-time undergraduates at UK institutions, collecting information about their experiences and perceptions.

The research also found that there has been a leap of 10 percentage points in the number of students who have paid jobs alongside their studies, from 45% to 55%.

Asking students about their perceptions around value for money with their course and institution, just over a third said they believe they received 'good' or 'very good' value for money, which was a slight improvement from last year, with fewer students also reporting 'poor' or 'very poor' value. The research also found that there was an increase in the proportion of students whose experience exceeded expectations from 17% in 2022, to 19% in the latest survey.

In terms of the proportion of students who would choose to study at the same institution or course again, figures are comparable to last year's findings - 58% compared to 59% in the 2022 survey. However, it's interesting to note that this rises to 65% of students who are not in paid employment alongside their studies.

Students were asked about whether their course and institution met their expectations, with 16% saying it has been 'exactly what I expected', an improvement from last year, with students from Wales being found to be the most positive -- a quarter of whom said their experience was 'better than expected'. The HEPI analysis found that some of the factors that influence the experience of students such as 'the course is well organised' or the 'right level of challenge' are coming back in line with the responses and experiences seen before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI said:

“There are many positives in this year’s results, which show the post-pandemic recovery is well under way in higher education. But the survey also shows the cost-of-living crisis is not just shorthand for rising prices – most students are being affected in adverse ways.

"The increase in the proportion of students who feel compelled to do so many hours of paid employment that their studies may suffer seems a particularly acute challenge."

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