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Is undergraduate debt an impediment to postgraduate enrolment in England?

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 07:08 authored by Paul Wakeling, Gillian Hampden-Thompson, Sally Hancock
Changes to undergraduate student funding arrangements in England have prompted concerns that increased indebtedness will deter graduates from postgraduate study. While it is clear that student debt has increased substantially in recent years, international evidence is equivocal on whether such debt is a deterrent to further study and there is hardly any prior research on this topic in the UK context. Using a large-scale survey of 2009 and 2012 graduates from six selective English universities, we investigate the association between undergraduate debt, other graduate characteristics and progression to postgraduate study. We find some association of higher debt levels with lower rates of progression to postgraduate study, although this reduces when controlling for other factors, such as degree-level attainment and subject discipline. Within a multivariate logistic regression model predicting progression to postgraduate study we find that debt is not a statistically significant predictor, although other characteristics are important. This indicates, we suggest, that underlying financial resources, rather than debt per se are critical in enabling access to postgraduate study. We consider the implications of recently-announced loans for postgraduate study in England given these findings.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

British Educational Research Journal

ISSN

0141-1926

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Issue

6

Volume

43

Page range

1149-1167

Department affiliated with

  • Education Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2017-07-12

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2019-10-16

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2017-07-12

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