A survey of nearly 2,000 undergraduates carried out by leading postgraduate study site TARGETcourses has revealed that cost is the main barrier to continuing their education at a higher level and undergraduates who attended state schools are more likely to be put off.
- More than a quarter of state-educated UK undergraduates plan to live at home while studying, compared to 16% of those who were privately educated.
- Undergraduates who had attended state schools have more of an issue with cost/funding: 61% of state-educated respondents compared to 49% privately educated cited expense and lack of funding as major factors in deterring them from postgraduate study.
- Independently-educated respondents are more likely to spend their own money to finance their course than those with a state education: Independently-educated: 35% would spend more than £5K of their own money, compared to 22% of those state-educated.
- As far as part-time or online PG study is concerned, 36% of state-educated undergrads say a definite ‘yes’ to part-time/online courses compared to 28% with private education.
Postgraduate education hasn’t yet experienced the direct effects of increased personal debt on career choice that will come from the recent introduction of higher fees. The first cohort of undergraduates saddled with fee debts of £30,000 is graduating in 2015 and students from poorer social backgrounds might therefore consider PG study a luxury they can’t afford.
UK universities, especially established research institutions, depend on being able to attract and retain the best brains to undertake postgraduate study and maintain the world reputation of their departments. If affordability becomes a bigger issue for one section of the graduate population, this will have a negative effect on student numbers and result in a less diverse student body.
Already, more UK undergraduates are studying abroad, especially in European countries that offer postgraduate education (in English) with lower fees. International students, who pay higher fees, may no longer see British universities as the place to be. Over time, the UK could lose courses, departments and its hard-fought reputation for quality – and this will have negative implications for social mobility, universities, the economy and the reputation of UK education.
Chris Phillips, Research and Information Director at GTI Media, said: “As we move away from traditional industries to cement our place in the world as a smart, modern, high-tech creator and exporter, we will need a more educated workforce. If postgraduate education is only attractive to students from more privileged backgrounds, there will be a price to pay a few years down the line”.
TARGETcourses surveyed nearly 2,000 undergraduates who had expressed an interest in postgraduate study over a three week period in February 2014.
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