Is the cost of travel limiting your uni options?

Just seen this on the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-48711619

Have you been put off or are unable to go to an open day because of the cost....?

Would you risk going to a uni without visiting first? :s-smilie:

I've been to three universities and I never visited any of them beforehand - to be honest I woldn't recommend this approach as I didn't enjoy my first university and ended up transferring. I think if I had gone to an open day I would have realised it wasn't right for me at that point.

What do you think universities can do to help mitigate the cost?

(edited 4 years ago)

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Reply 1

Afterlife?

When I went to Bristol offer holder day this year there was this thing which was like if you hold a contextual offer they would pay for your fuel cost or train ticket cost

Reply 2

Sandtrooper

Volunteer Team

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

If universities gauged interest and sent out coaches which students could apply to get on for free (e.g. if Durham sent buses to Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and other cities etc), then this could attract more students across the country. I realise this has its flaws but a kind of pick up system for disadvantaged students would be a start.

I was lucky enough that I only had 3 universities to visit but this still wasn't cheap, and I certainly needed the open days to decide if I wanted to go there or not.

Reply 3

HappyMedic2001

i was always interested in applying and studying at Edinburgh but it’s s 10hr drive from home, so that was a definite no.

Reply 4

S1elyak1

When I was applying for university I was supposed to go to a university open day but actually started looking around a different university. Once I had chosen my choices I then looked around one of them once I had my offer changed to an unconditional which was probably the worst thing I could have done. Weirdly enough though, I am now studying at the ''accidental'' visit university.

I think universities could do more to help disadvantaged students attend open days but at the same time, these students often attend local universities (from my diss research) so to some extent it would help the minority that chose not to study locally.

Reply 5

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by HappyMedic2001

i was always interested in applying and studying at Edinburgh but it’s s 10hr drive from home, so that was a definite no.

This is a good point - I guess it's not only about open days but the cost of travel between terms, too. :beard:

Reply 6

ashestostardust

Oh. My. God. Trains prices are the bane of my existence. It cost me £55 for Cardiff and £110 on advance singles for half a day in Newcastle (I live in a town near Oxford) and if it wasn't for my bursary money there would be no way in hell I could've afforded to visit my choices. That being said, I'm so glad I did. I hope universities/train operators offer something like discounts or reimbursements in the future because it can really limit your options especially if you want to live further from home.

Reply 7

Puddles the Monkey

Original post by ashestostardust

Do you have a 16 - 25 railcard? They are worth it and can help cut the cost a bit.

Reply 8

ashestostardust

I would've gotten one but I can't afford ID. Applying with a paper application with a birth certificate is a bit too complex for my parents to get their heads around. :// getting a passport is hopefully my next endeavour

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Do you have a 16 - 25 railcard? They are worth it and can help cut the cost a bit.

Reply 9

Yasuda

I'm unable to go to ANY open days because I can't afford it. I'm really worried but there's not much I can do.

Reply 10

S1elyak1

Original post by YasudaSayo

I'm unable to go to ANY open days because I can't afford it. I'm really worried but there's not much I can do.

Which universities are you applying to? I know it's not the same but hopefully someone on here can give you a brief overview of what they found from the open day.

Reply 11

UniversityOfSunderland

Official Rep

This is something we at the University of Sunderland feel especially passionate about, and as a result, have offered travel bursaries for Open Days to ensure prospective students who want to attend, have the opportunity to do so.

This bursary refunds eligible travel expenses for prospective students who attend Open Day events and covers standard coach or rail fare, or a mileage allowance for car travel.

In the past we have also provided free return coach travel from cities across the UK to Sunderland for prospective students to visit the university.

Our Open Day Travel Bursary will be running at our next open day on Saturday 17 August for those interested.

What else do you think Universities should be doing to make Open Days more accessible?

Original post by Puddles the Monkey

Reply 12

SarcAndSpark

Original post by YasudaSayo

I'm unable to go to ANY open days because I can't afford it. I'm really worried but there's not much I can do.

Do look into the help offered for this. A lot of unis now offer help with travel costs and many schools/colleges are also able to offer some help with costs.

Anyway, do have a look at what's out there and hopefully you'll be able to organise something!

Reply 13

Guru Jason

I think 6th form schools and colleges should have gov funded open days where they provide transport for any students that sign up. So that way, anyone who want to go see, can. That way poorer students who can't afford car or trains constantly can at least see some unis

Reply 14

claireestelle

Original post by ashestostardust

it's really easy if you take your birth certificate and the form to a train station

Reply 15

Gwil

I chose to fly to Scotland to visit three universities in one go and the round trip cost me about 100 pounds (I stayed the night with a family friend). It was expensive, but I think I managed to get the most out of the trip by visiting three of my main options at the same time. Even if their open days aren't on consecutive days, you can often arrange to have a campus tour and a meeting with an academic in your subject, which is what I did at Aberdeen. If you choose not to necessarily visit on the open day itself, it also gives you more options of doing a car-share with friends or relatives - I know that my parents are going to Chester at some point in the next few months, for example, so I'm putting off visiting Bangor until then.

Reply 16

shirleycarter

I ended up driving to my open days because the cost of train tickets would have gone into the hundreds. But it definitely put me off looking at places further north than what I did.

Reply 17

stabilo20619

Not an open day, but I couldn't attend a postgrad interview because it would've cost me over £100 train fare and they didn't offer any bursary for travel costs. I had 2 other interviews that reimbursed travel costs and those are the ones I put my time and effort into.

Reply 18

Ðeggs

I went to Durham university and they offer travel grants of up to £100 for prospective students of low income families / « contextual » students and that sort of thing. More and more universities give travel grants or bursaries for those who would struggle financially to attend the open day.

Reply 19

Kinyonga

The cost was definitely a massive pain in the neck (visited Sussex last year and then Exeter and Aberdeen this, and I live in France), but there was no way I was going to make a decision without visiting first.