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. With fees rising and public funding uncertain, more and more undergraduates are planning to borrow money from their parents, delay starting their courses, work part-time during the course, live at home and turn to the banks for help.
Many survey responses were coloured by a tangible concern with costs and funding, which, if they were to affect students’ ability to undertake PG study in the UK, could create a crisis in postgraduate education. The sector 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 is graduating soon and this survey shows that funding and finance issues are front of mind. This is what they said:
- A significant percentage of UK students plan to wait a few years before starting PG study, influenced by the need to accumulate funds first.
- Nearly 60% had been encouraged by their department to stay at their university to continue their studies and this is a growing trend. Universities need to retain their students.
- The top two reasons for not enrolling on a PG course were the cost and the lack of funding available.
- Just over 60% expect to work part-time during their PG course to keep their heads above water.
- Nearly half say that they would borrow money from their family to pay for the course.
- More than a quarter of state-educated UK undergraduates plan to live at home while studying.
- 40% said that they would seriously consider taking a postgraduate course abroad, many to places like Germany and Scandinavia where fees are lower (and sometimes free) and the medium of education is English.
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. And the fees, especially from international students, help to meet the growing costs of running a university where government money is no longer underpinning finances.
Already, more UK undergraduates are studying abroad, especially in European countries that offer postgraduate education (in English) with lower fees, and sometimes no fees. International students, too, 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 universities, the economy and the reputation of UK education.
Chris Phillips, Research and Information Director at GTI Media, said: “This could be a real problem for the UK economy. 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 becomes less of an attractive option for our brightest undergrads, there will be consequences 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 and the findings were launched to an audience of university admissions officers at the third annual TARGETcourses Course Providers Forum at the University of Birmingham on 19 February, as part of the TARGETcourses Midlands Postgraduate Study and Funding Fair.
The full Report is here
