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      • > Survey of HE students' attitudes to debt

Survey of higher education students' attitudes to debt and term-time working and their impact on attainment

Summary

This study aimed to investigate full-time higher education students' attitudes to debt and term-time working and their impact on academic studies and attainment. It was commissioned by Universities UK and HEFCE. The study was undertaken in 2002 by John Brennan, Alejandro Duaso and Brenda Little of the Open University's Centre for Higher Education Research and Information (CHERI), and Claire Callender and Ruth Van Dyke of London South Bank University.

The findings are based on a postal survey of final year, full-time home undergraduates in seven universities across the UK and on focus groups with students and university staff.

Questions explored students' attitudes to debt, their actual financial situation, paid work and reasons for not working during term-time, and the actual and perceived impact of working during term-time on academic studies and academic attainment.

It should be recognised that the policy context in Scotland and in England and Wales was markedly different and has diverged further since this study was undertaken.

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