In response the UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission Report – Two Years On, Dr Richard Boffey, Head of AccessHE at London Higher said:
“This latest polling by the UPP Foundation attests to the hard work of the sector in delivering a quality experience for the large majority of students in spite of very challenging external circumstances and in the context of increasing financial constraints.
At the same time, it presents troubling evidence of an emerging gulf between the ‘student experience’ as it is billed and the actual experiences of students in higher education. Most concerning of all is the finding in this report that the disconnect between students’ expectations and experiences may now be hardening into an apathetic and transactional attitude towards university, as first the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis have impacted students’ ability to fully engage with university life.
London Higher identified a similar disconnect in 2021 through our Best Laid Plans report looking at the HE transition of London’s ‘Covid cohort’. And the research we are currently undertaking through our AccessHE division, into the impact of the cost of living on attitudes to HE in London, will add further, important nuance to the national picture presented in this report.”
