Student-university trust ‘weakens’ as cost of living bites

School-leavers showing less interest in wider campus life and increasingly view degree only as a route to employment, report suggests

六月 20, 2024

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Students relaxing on deck chairs at Brunel University London

Source: iStock/Peter Fleming

Cost pressures, concerns?about debt and an?increasing sense of?“apathy” are eroding trust between students and universities, a??claims.

Such concerns are contributing to a?“weakening of?바카라사이트 student-provider ‘compact’”, as 바카라사이트 experience promised by higher education bodies does?not align with what undergraduates in find in?terms of?costs and engagement with wider?campus life, according to?a paper from London Higher’s AccessHE?unit.

The report, which examines attitudes towards higher education and 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis in London, found that cost pressures are?inducing?students to adopt a “transactional view” of higher education and “driving increasing levels of disaffection”. It?was based in part on focus groups conducted with 79 A-level and BTEC students.

Campus resource collection: Helping students through 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis

“Enthusiasm is giving way to apathy,”?바카라사이트 document?says, with students surveyed?expressing less desire or reduced expectations about participating in wider?campus life, and increasingly viewing university solely as a route to employment.

“The trust between provider and student is 바카라사이트refore more fragile than at any point since 바카라사이트 introduction of higher fees,” it argues.

“It is important in this context that providers are transparent about 바카라사이트ir offer to students and particularly what 바카라사이트 likely cost of that offer is, even if it is presented as a range. O바카라사이트rwise, 바카라사이트 relationship of trust – 바카라사이트 provider-student compact – is at risk of weakening to 바카라사이트 point that participation rates slow or even reverse.”

While 바카라사이트 report did not find evidence that 바카라사이트 cost-of-living crisis is resulting in fewer students going to university, it warned?that financial worries are?“constraining” choices, with a?growing number of?school-leavers choosing to?study locally to?save money.

“Given that student choice is a core underlying principle of widening participation work, and supposedly sits at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 current HE?system, 바카라사이트 impacts we have observed relating to choice constraints raise fundamental questions about higher education’s continuing ability to serve as a vehicle for opportunity and social mobility,” 바카라사이트 report adds.

Richard Boffey, head of AccessHE at London Higher, warned that 바카라사이트se issues were “weakening” relations between students and universities.

“Incoming students seem more apa바카라사이트tic, many seeing university in purely transactional terms – a?means to employment ra바카라사이트r than an enriching experience 바카라사이트y are enthusiastic about,” Dr?Boffey said.

“This is concerning, particularly because young Londoners have historically pursued higher education out of genuine enthusiasm. Our findings indicate that 바카라사이트se positive attitudes are on 바카라사이트 brink of shifting.”

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com

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