Commuter students: locked out, left out and growing in number

With soaring debt, and no maintenance grants, more than 50% of students at some universities now live at home. They are locked out of lectures or reprimanded by staff for being late when public transport lets them down. They are excluded from freshers’ week functions ticketed in halls and, if they do go on a night out, they are constantly checking their phones for the last train. Commuter students, living with their families, are not having an easy time in a system geared to the residential experience. But given the soaring costs of halls, staying at home can seem an attractive option. There is mounting evidence, however, that these students are missing out. READ MORE