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October 2024 - Education

Two in five higher education applicants agree that financial issues are affecting their mental health: A recent survey on behalf of student accommodation provider, Unite Students, has found that 40% of higher education applicants ‘moderately’ or ‘strongly’ agree that financial issues are having a negative impact on their mental well-being - a 3% increase year on year.

The data comes from Unite Students’ Applicant Index Report, which delves into multiple aspects of university life including student finances, employment and learning. Personal and social impacts are also explored including resilience, wellbeing independence and sustainability. The 2024 Applicant Index is based on a survey of 2,190 higher education applicants planning to start an undergraduate degree or degree apprenticeship in the 2024/25 academic year.

The survey also highlighted that the greatest concern when going to university is the cost of living, with 42% of respondents citing this as their biggest worry. Additionally, 1 in 5 are concerned about the range of costs which are specifically linked to university education including tuition fees and learning resources. Gender differences emerged in the data, with male applicants generally less concerned about financial issues; 9% of male respondents indicated they were not worried about any costs, compared to just 5% of female respondents.

When asked questions about the social aspect of university, almost half (49%) of the HE applicants respondents expressed concern about fitting in at university. However, a positive finding was the high number of people (67%) who agreed that they had someone they could turn to in a time of crisis, suggesting applicants would be going to university with a strong support network in place.

The research shows how the community aspect of university life remains important with 69% of respondents expressing a desire to be an active member of their student community. However, only 51% said they have an interest in the social side of university, suggesting many are there for purely academic reasons. International students, particularly Chinese students, revealed they were significantly less interested in the social side of things.

On the topic of learning, it was found that nearly 1 in 5 (18%) applicants were unsure whether they would complete the course they were entering onto, reflecting a level of doubt or anxiety for some. Additionally, 43% of all higher education applicants agree that they think they will struggle to keep up with others on their course.

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