4849NorthAs with the East and the Midlands, the North of England appears not to hold much allure for students as a region, with fewer respondents saying they had been lured by the geographic location than in any other part of the UK (just 37% had). Instead, these undergraduates had often been wowed by the impression garnered during open days, which for over half (59%) had played a part in their choice of where to study. Living up to its reputation for being a particularly welcoming part of the country, universities in the North also scored well for their friendly atmosphere, a factor for 45% of respondents. More students here also looked for an active social life (32% did) than in any of the other regions assessed, which may be reflected in the fact that over a quarter (26%) said they drank more than 10 units of alcohol in an average week (around five pints of beer), more than in any other region except the South West and Wales (where the figure was also 26%).Looking at financial matters, students in the North were more likely than most to receive a bursary or scholarship (over one in three, or 37%, did), while they were also more likely to rely on less sustainable lending such as bank loans (which were taken out by a quarter, or 25%). However the proportion who worked part-time during term-time (21%) or full-time during the holidays (8%) was below average, perhaps reflecting the scarcity of jobs in some parts of the North of England at present. One saving grace for students here was that rent was relatively low, with the proportion who paid over £300 a month (43%) among the lowest in the country. In terms of anxieties, students in the North were the most likely to worry about getting a job after graduation (58% did), but were relatively sanguine about debt, with fewer than one in three (29%) listing this as a concern, compared to 33% in London and the South East and the South West and Wales.9% of students were wowed by open days

4849ScotlandAs in the last survey, a key difference between students in Scotland and those elsewhere is their financial arrangements, with Scottish students being spared the tuition fees charged at English universities. The result is that far fewer undergraduates in Scotland have student loans (just 48% have maintenance loans and 46% tuition fee loans) compared to the national average of 70% and 69%, respectively. The result, as in 2010, is that the level of debt that students in Scotland expect to incur is much lower than in other regions, with 36% saying they will leave with no debt at all and fewer than one in 10 (9%) expecting to owe over £20,000 (30% nationally).It is perhaps surprising, then, that the proportion who said the level of debt they would incur was acceptable as an investment in their future career (81% said it was) was not higher (the national average was just six percentage points lower at 75%). Despite the fact that most were not paying tuition fees, students in Scotland were still significantly more likely to be relying on their parents for financial assistance, with over half (57%) doing so. However, they were less likely than others to receive bursaries (20% did, compared to a national average of 33%) and more often held down part-time jobs alongside their studies (something done by 35% of students here, compared to a national baseline of 25%). Looking at their principal reasons for choosing to go into higher education, students in Scotland were particularly motivated by a desire to improve their knowledge in an area of interest (which mattered to 70%, more than in any other region). As in 2010, those studying here were more likely than most others to be living with their parents (22% were, up from 21% in the last survey),which may partly account for the fact that the proportion who said they were socialising more than they had been a year earlier (33%) was lower than in several other regions. Academic grades appear to be of less concern here than elsewhere, with just 67% saying they were worried about achieving the class of degree they were aiming for, fewer than in any other region.36% expect to graduate with no debt