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

5051Northern IrelandA key concern for many students in Northern Ireland was being able to live at home during their studies, with more than one in three (35%) saying this was a factor in their choice of university and an even greater proportion (43%) saying they had been swayed by being close enough for support when required. These figures compare with national averages of 22% and 29% respectively. As in 2010, this means that students here are the most likely to spend nothing on rent (25% lived rent-free), while low rents for those who do move out mean that half (50%) pay less than £300 a month, a much better deal than that enjoyed in other parts of the UK. Looking at the reasons these students cited for their decision to go into higher education at all, more than three quarters said that improving their job prospects was their main concern (79% did so, compared to a UK average of 74%), while far fewer were seeking to improve their knowledge in an area of interest (this mattered to just 58%, the lowest proportion in the UK). Although many students here saved money by staying in their family home, the number who received direct financial support from their parents was lower than elsewhere (just 34% said they did), with a greater proportion than average taking part-time jobs during term-time to help pay their way (35% did, compared to a UK baseline of 25%).While one in five students (22%) said they expected to leave university debt-free, the largest number anticipated owing a sum of between £10,000 and £20,000 (48% did), while the proportion who expected to owe over £20,000 (23%) was well below the national average of 30%. For the majority, the main concern experienced during their university lives was achieving their desired degree classification, something that preoccupied over three quarters of students in Northern Ireland (78%), more than anywhere else. However, on a positive note, these students were among the least likely to worry about securing a job after graduation - just 43% said this was a worry, compared to a national average of 56%. Students here where were also much less likely than others to feel lonely, something that affected fewer than one in four students (24% said they had experienced feelings of isolation). But like students in Scotland, students in this area were more likely to worry about balancing their academic, social and work commitments (76%) compared to the national average of 68%.Students in Northern Ireland more worried about degree class than students elsewhere expect to graduate with no debt