A TRADITIONAL rite of teenage passage, living away from home, is being denied an increasing number of undergraduates because of the rising cost of university education.

Twenty-two per cent of new undergraduates will live at home this year, up from 16 per cent in 2005, according to a survey published yesterday. The introduction of tuition fees of up to £3,000 is blamed for the rise.

Figures from the 2006 NatWest Student Money Matters survey show that 19 per cent of students picked their course because it was close to home, compared with 15 per cent the year before. As a result, growing numbers of young adults are missing out on the experience of leaving home.

The survey of 3,133 sixth-formers, current students and graduates also shows that most are focusing increasingly on their career after graduation rather than enjoying the experience of being a student.

Mark Worthington, head of NatWest student and graduate banking, said: “Concern over the cost of going to university could be one of the reasons prompting more young people to study and stay at home rather than move away.

“This, coupled with a greater focus on careers after graduation, is a significant and growing influence on both the location of the university chosen and the course selected.

“It could mean a very different student experience for this generation compared with their parents, for whom student life was, perhaps, about exploring new things and freedom from parental influence.”

The study shows that financial matters are the biggest cause of concern for students starting university, with 71 per cent worried about making ends meet. Researchers also found that an increasing number of students are choosing university to boost their job prospects, rather than simply to enjoy student life.

For the new university students this autumn, the majority (79 per cent) are going in order to improve their job prospects up from 71 per cent the previous year.

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