Fear of debt fuels drop-out rate among students from disadvantaged homes
“I didn’t find the learning curve for learning as hard as the learning curve for money.” Fergus, a 20-year-old degree student interviewed for the research
Money problems and fear of running into debt are among the chief reasons that young people from disadvantaged families are more likely to drop out of university than other students and to achieve less academic success, according to research for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
A study following the progress in higher education of more than 300 students from deprived neighbourhoods found they were more likely to leave prematurely, either by failing to finish their qualification or foregoing the chance to progress to a more advanced course. Their college careers were also more complicated in the sense that they were more likely to defer taking up their place and to switch courses or repeat a year for non-academic reasons.
The research, by Alasdair Forsyth and Prof. Andy Furlong of the University of Glasgow, was carried out in Scotland. But the authors argue that its insights into the disproportionate drop-out rate among students from disadvantaged backgrounds are equally relevant to higher education in other parts of the UK. The main factors identified behind their difficulties were:
- Unfamiliarity with higher education, which often led young people from deprived neighbourhoods to enrol for inappropriate courses. Many of the students interviewed were the first in their families to enter university and felt they had been poorly advised by school teachers, guidance staff and the careers service.
- A lack of money and financial security that limited their choice of course and the length of time they were prepared to stay in higher education before they found a full-time job.
- Worries about incurring debt through student loans and other borrowing. The fear of debt appeared to be a much greater deterrent to students staying in higher education than sums they had actually borrowed. Concern about debt was often compounded by lack of confidence about academic success and the chances of finding a sufficiently well-paid job.
- Isolation and low morale among students who felt a culture clash between university life and their home backgrounds. Some disadvantaged students who had enrolled in prestigious universities said they had trouble ‘fitting in’. Others had deliberately chosen less prestigious courses where they thought they would feel less out of place.
The researchers conclude that measures to raise aspirations and achievement in schools serving deprived neighbourhoods should be coupled with better advice and information for students who are thinking about going on to higher education. They also recommend increases in financial support for disadvantaged students.
Alasdair Forsyth said: “Our work confirms that disadvantaged young people are not enjoying as great a level of success in higher education as their peers. They are often deterred by economic hardship and fear of debt from entering full-time education in the first place. But those who do make it to university or equivalent degree courses are more likely to quit before reaching their academic potential. Better financial help, especially non-repayable bursaries, would enable more of them to complete their degrees, especially those who enrol for longer, more prestigious courses.”
