A Ucas chief has warned that potential uni students are considering part-time work in the face of the growing cost of living crisis sweeping across the country.
Clare Marchant, Ucas chief executive officer noted that the rising cost of living is affecting how future uni students are considering their prospects. She added that many are considering looking for universities closer to home while noting that Ucas intends to track accommodation, grocery and course material costs as the academic year progresses.
During a webinar on Monday hosted by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), Ms Marchant said that Ucas expects either a record or near-record level of students getting their first choice of university. However, she also warned that the experience will not be easy for many students and stressed that support will need to be provided.
It comes following the return of post-pandemic exam arrangements which Ms Marchant will not be a "pain-free experience". It is expected that around 40 per cent of students are thought to use the clearing system to get a place on a course while universities are taking a cautious approach to make offers to students this year.
Ms Marchant said: “A return to either an intermediary position or, as Ofqual has said, a midpoint, was never going to be pain-free and I think we would kid ourselves to say that that is going to be pain-free, although necessary to do.
“So I think there is lots of positive news in terms of potentially looking at record or near-record students getting into their first choice. But similarly, we all know that a return to the midpoint is something that potentially needed to be done, but is not easy.”
A report published over the weekend noted that there could be 80,000 fewer top grades (A* or A) awarded than in 2021. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, noted that some 40,000 students could miss out on their course or university of choice.
Meanwhile, Ms Marchant said that government departments and regulators are "working to make sure that, through all of our social media messaging, that support is around" for students on Thursday. A Ucas survey conducted in late June of 941 students with university offers revealed that the proportionate amount who intend to stay at home for university has reduced slightly after rising during the pandemic.
Ms Marchant said: “We’ve specifically asked students around cost of living and that is something, whether it’s accommodation costs or grocery costs or course material costs, that we are going to track as those students start university or college in the autumn.
“We know 70% of them are already thinking about a part-time job. We know that we’re tracking travel time that they’re looking for, and whilst that increased slightly during the years of the pandemic, it has slightly dropped off and so whilst they’re not necessarily looking to stay at home in greater numbers, they are potentially looking to stay closer to home.”
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