Financial concerns have a significant impact on students’ choice of university, especially those from poorer backgrounds.

Financial concerns have a significant impact on students’ choice of university, especially those from poorer backgrounds.

According to research carried out by the National Union of Stuents (NUS), one in three students chose their university for being close to home, and one in five live with their parents.

While only 22 per cent of students who felt the need to stay close to home were of an upper middle-class background, this figure rises to 53 per cent among students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

This distribution indicates that the majority of students studying close to home are forced to do so due to the prohibitively high costs of moving out.

There have been claims that poorest students could therefore be the first to suffer should tuition fees rise.

Michael Tait, a second-year Law student at the University of Edinburgh living at home, said “I definitely made my choice of university for financial reasons, given that I cannot rely on my parents to support me and don’t make enough working to move out.”

“However, had I been living in a city where all universities were sub-standard, I would have seriously considered going into greater debt, because you need to push yourself, and that extra effort would most likely weigh up in the future.”

Only 19 per cent of students choosing their universities for being close to home were at Russell group institutions, compared to 41 per cent at post 1992 institutions.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, which represents academic staff, said: “We have concerns that students from poorer backgrounds are more likely to choose a university closer to home.”

“There is not the same range of choices of courses throughout the country and we do not see the benefit for the student, institution or the country of students forced to settle for second best because of prohibitive costs.”

Wes Streeting, NUS President, said: “Fees and spiralling living costs are forcing those from poorer backgrounds to choose a university close to home.”

“This has to be taken into account in the review of higher education funding. We cannot allow fees to continue to exacerbate this problem.”