Higher Education: The Pressure to Stay Afloat

Recently, I have found myself in what I can only describe as a quarter-lifecrisis. I am currently on a study abroad programme in Amsterdam – which I took primarily to add an extra year onto my studies in order to procrastinate actually figuring out what happens next. A couple weeks ago, I signed a lease for my final-year student house. And that’s when it clicked – this would be my final student house.

This may seem like a trivial concern. Logically, I know I am only 20 and I have an abundance of time to figure it all out. But as so many of my friends have graduate jobs lined up, are in long-term relationships, or even just have an idea of what they are going to do post-university, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m falling behind.  

Recently, however, I was talking to a Dutch student, who was also 20, and she said she was retaking her first year for the third time. Clearly, she had read the confusion on my face, and she stated that this was a common phenomenon in The Netherlands. In a 2008 report by the Open University, it was found that UK graduates were generally significantly younger than the rest of Europe, with 72% of UK graduates being aged 20-24, compared to only 40% of graduates in the rest of Europe falling into this category. By contrast, 44% of European’s graduated aged 25-29, whereas only 7% of Brit’s graduated in this age category[1].

Immediately, I had a preconception of the cause of this discrepancy. In the Netherlands, standard tuition fees for Dutch and EU students were €2,168 per annum, and half that for the first year of any degree[2]. Across the rest of Europe, many countries such as Norway, Denmark and Finland offer free tuition[3]. Yet, in the UK, a bachelor’s degree will typically set you back £9250 per year. On top of this, the current cost of living crisis has not left our headlines in months, and as we are rumoured to be entering a two-year recession at the end of the year, it is no surprise that current students want to be out of education and into steady employment as soon as possible as the cost of living will continue to rise.

As I am writing this, I am unable to find the words surrounding how this makes me feel. I feel angry: angry at older generations who seem to, so nonchalantly, utter how they had a job, two kids and a semi-detached house when they were my age; when the cost of a mortgage in 1950 rivalled the current price of a Tesco meal deal. I’m angry at the politicians who benefitted from free tuition, but had no hesitation in raising fees when they were no longer in the system. More than anything, however, I feel disheartened – and somewhat guilty. Sitting here, I am typing on a laptop that was paid for by my parents, in an accommodation which they are also paying for. My student finance comes under the Scottish system, which has low interest, a high salary threshold for repayment, and, most importantly, may be fully wiped after 30 years. I feel guilty because I know many students are not as fortunate. For students in England (outside of London) the maximum maintenance loan afforded is £9706 for the 2022-2023 academic year[4]. Over a 12-month period, this results in them having around £800 per month. With the cost-of-living crisis, as well as student housing crises across many University towns – resulting in increasing rent prices – students will be looking at around £700 per month going towards rent and bills alone*. With a measly £100 left for other expenses, students have to factor in food, drinks, textbooks, clothes, hobbies, travel, and whatever other expenses may crop up. This is why I feel disheartened, as these students are often forced into part-time or even full-time work alongside their studies. This, no doubt, is why drop-out rates amongst working-class students** are almost twice that of all other students. In addition, students from higher deprivation areas were found to have lower result outcomes in their studies[5].

I feel as though a shift is going to occur in the UK university system in the coming years. A General Election is due in just over 2 years, if not before. And with the current state of the Conservative party, hopefully the UK public realises that it is time for change. I hope students remember which parties raised tuition fees, and more importantly – I hope that (whatever their bias) they actually show up to vote. I hope that political action can lead to the UK no longer being the ‘political embarrassment’*** of Europe. And I hope that UK students will continue to fight for their education, and live their 20’s without the pressure of ‘adulting’ as fast as possible.

* Coming from my circumstantial knowledge of rent prices in Exeter, the current rent for my last student house stands at around £700 without bills. For 2023-24, our rent will be around £700pm with some bills included

** I have classified ‘working-class’ students as those eligible for free meals when they attended school

*** quote from a fellow student

[1]Little, Brenda and Tang, Win-Yee (2008). Age differences in graduate employment across Europe. Higher Education Funding Coucil for England, Bristol, UK.

[2] Study In Holland (2021) Dutch university tuition fees, Study In Holland. A Star Future Ltd. Available at: https://www.studyinholland.co.uk/tuition_fees.html

[3] Taylor, B. (2022) Study abroad, for free? 11 European countries where masters tuition is free (or almost free) in 2022-23, www.FindAMasters.com. FindAMasters. Available at: https://www.findamasters.com/blog/1598/study-abroad-for-free-11-european-countries-where-masters-tuition-is-free-or-almost-free-in-2022-23  

[4] Gov.UK (2014) Student Finance for Undergraduates, GOV.UK. GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/student-finance/new-fulltime-students  

[5] Research Briefings Publications - House of Commons Library. Available at: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/