More students flying far from the nest in their university choices

More students are opting to attend university outside their local area, according to research involving sixth form students.

The introduction of higher fees does not seem to have persuaded more young people to save on rent by studying locally.

Results suggest that students facing higher fees are looking more carefully at their university choices and are more willing to travel outside their local area.

Across the UK, the number of students planning to study within their local area has fallen from 15 percent in 2004 to seven percent in 2013.

The highest proportion choosing to study near their parental home is in Scotland, where students do not pay tuition fees. In London, ten percent of young people plan to stay near their parental home, a relatively high proportion in England.

Warwick students gave their opinions on attending university close to their parental home.

Alice Trew, a final-year English Literature undergraduate from Coventry, initially disregarded Warwick as a choice. She told the Boar: “I only added it after having a UCAS space and finding out it actually suited me the best.

“I think the fact [that] it was so close has meant my whole university experience has been very different.

“I haven’t had to learn my way around a new city, a new transport system, or had to do any travelling to get home.”

Ms Trew added: “This year, I love being close to home.

“I’ve been having some struggles this term and being so close is really reassuring.

“I don’t think going to a close university means you should live at home. I think half of [the university experience] is learning to live by yourself. I love being in charge of my life on campus.”

Oshin Menon, a third-year Economics student from Birmingham, said: “I wanted somewhere close to home, in case I missed home cooked food too much, but still far enough to gain a bit of independence.”

The research also revealed that competition between universities to recruit students has been tougher.

Joyce Lane, the career group’s joint managing director, said: “It is more important than ever for prospective students to look into the finer details of the courses suggested to them.”

Applications appear to have recovered after the increase in fees hit student recruitment.

Figures published by UCAS showed that record numbers of UK students began full-time undergraduate university courses this autumn.

The proportion of young people attending university is set to rise even further, with the government proposing to scrap the cap on student numbers.