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www.universitybusiness.co.uk | T: @UB_UK
SODEXO RECORDS SHIFTING ATTITUDES
Sodexo, the world’s largest services company, has announced the findings of its 10-year anniversary University Lifestyle Survey, the first since the introduction of the new university fee structure
Since the sharp rise in university fees in 2012, the decision to atend university has become an increasingly complex choice. This is due to mounting financial pressures, changing atitudes towards university life and the value of education received, according to the results of the 2014 Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey – a representative survey of over 140 universities and 2,000 students throughout the UK. As a result of the change in fee
structures, expected student debt levels have increased substantially since the last Sodexo report in 2012. Almost one in five students in the UK (17%) expects to take on debts in excess of £40,000, compared to 2% previously, while 58% expect at least £20,000 of debt. More strikingly, higher debt
expectations have caused a sharp increase in the level of student dissatisfaction with the value of their
education, with over a quarter of students (28%) saying they did not think accruing so much debt was acceptable as a career investment, up by 10% in just two years. Debt is also linked to 23% of students changing their original choice of course. Jane Longmore, Deputy Vice-
Chancellor at Southampton Solent University and co-author and validator of the survey, noted: “This year’s survey results suggest that a time bomb may be ticking: the percentage of students who think of higher education as ‘the next obvious step’ diminished from 42% among second and third years to 35% among the most recent cohort. This finding prompts an interesting question: would nearly two-thirds of students be drawn to a plausible alternative to higher education if their return on investment could be beter justified elsewhere? The Australian experience would seem to suggest otherwise; since the cap went
Top three reasons students choose to go to university
in 2008, student numbers have risen by a national average of more than 20%. Universities will have to work harder to demonstrate the value of higher education to students.” The higher investment has led today’s
students to focus more on the end-game – with a rising amount choosing to go to university to improve their future employment opportunities (76%) and to increase their earning power (62%). In light of this, the need to achieve a
‘good degree’ is more pressing than ever. Some 84% of students said they worried about securing their desired degree classification in 2014, far higher than the 72% troubled by academic concerns two years ago and a notable increase from the 61% citing this as a concern in 2004, when the survey was first undertaken. Such added pressures have contributed
TO IMPROVE FUTURE EMPLOYMENT
76%
OPPORTUNITIES (74% IN 2012)
63% TO IMPROVE
KNOWLEDGE IN AN AREA OF INTEREST
TO INCREASE THEIR EARNING POWER (36% IN 2004)
62% For an in-depth report, visit
www.universitybusiness.co.uk
to the observed trend over the past six years of students focusing more firmly than ever on their studies, rather than enjoying active social lives. More students than ever were worried about balancing their academic, social and work commitments. In fact, some 52% of students cited saving as the main reason to socialise less. Half of all students choose to stay in when hanging out with friends, with a third of students saying they do not drink at all when socialising. As a result, most students view
studying hard as their priority while in university. Hiting the books is the main activity of the day, with nearly three quarters (74%) spending two to five hours a day in lectures, seminars or in the lab. UB
Images: Social kitchen and student eating - Sodexo
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