Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (OPCS) carried out a survey in 1974/75 on behalf of the Department of Education and Science (DES) and Scottish Education Department (SED). The stated purpose of the survey was to `obtain information about students income and expenditure....which could help to provide the factual basis needed for reviewing the system of mandatory grants....This information could be used in the annual updating of awards to ensure that the levels of grant were more directly related to students actual income and expenditure patterns'. The full report was not published until 1979 and coincided with a change of Government. There is no evidence that the findings of the survey were ever acted upon. The National Union of Students considered that a review of the mandatory award system was necessary, based on students actual needs, but bearing in mind the changes in Education and the erosion of the value of the grant in recent years, realised that the figures and findings of the OPCS report were out of date. In November 1982, the NUS commissioned this survey. The main purpose of the survey was to replicate the earlier OPCS survey, so far as resources would allow, and the methods used by OPCS were therefore broadly adapted, particularly in sample design.

Main Topics:

Variables Demographic and course characteristics; income from grants and other awards; parental contribution and money received from parents; income from other sources; course books and equipment; everyday living expenditure during term time; miscellaneous financial matters.

The students come from a representative sample of Universities, Polytechnics and other Higher Education Colleges. 60 institutions were involved, selected from regional lists, on a random scientific basis to represent Higher Education as a whole

Face-to-face interview

Diaries

expenditure diaries