The in-depth report, which was funded and conducted in association with HSBC, was launched at the NUS Annual Reception in the House of Commons on November 25.
Insight into student life
NUS President Wes Streeting said: “This report gives us an unprecedented insight into the experiences and concerns of students. We look forward to working with tutors, institutions and the government to address the issues raised by students through this survey.”
The report covers everything from choosing a course and university and accommodation and welfare services to student employment and bullying.
In the category of choosing a university and course, 31 per cent of students were motivated to choose their university because it was close to home; however, in the lowest socio-economic groups (D and E), this figure rose to 53 per cent. In regards to coursework and feedback, however, 25 per cent of students had to wait more than five weeks for feedback on their coursework. Only 25 per cent of students received verbal feedback on their assessments.
Accommodation and welfare
When it comes to accommodation, 84 per cent of students are happy with their accommodation, with 55 per cent happy with the choice of accommodation offered by their institution. This figure was significantly affected by type of university, though.
In the category of bullying, sexual harassment and safety, 7 per cent of students said that they had experienced bullying, but 71% of these students said that they did not report it to their institution. 12% of students had experienced crime whilst at university.
Wes says it's very encouraging that the vast majority of students are pleased they decided to university. "It can only be beneficial to our society and economy for more people to fulfil their potential through higher education, and we hope that the experience of current students will encourage more people to apply in future.
“However, we are concerned that opportunities for poorer students remain restricted. Fees and spiralling living costs are forcing those from poorer backgrounds to choose a university close to home – this has to be taken into account in the forthcoming review of higher education funding. We cannot allow fees to continue to exacerbate this problem.”
Read the report in full.