Demand for online degrees with UK universities is up 38% on 2011 – and the average age of students has dropped significantly, from 30 to just 24.
A key factor in the increase in popularity – reported by leading distance learning provider RDI – is the recent hike in tuition fees married with growing concerns over the economy, employment and debt.
With traditional campus university tuition fees rising up to £27,000 for a three-year course, UK distance learning degrees – with tuition fees of as low as £9,500 in total – are an increasingly attractive option. RDI has seen UK applications for online degrees rise by 38% in the last year.
And it’s an option most popular with young working people; 90% of RDI’s students for 2012 are in full time jobs.
The group, dubbed TWISTAs (Twenty-somethings With Income Studying to Advance) are using online degrees or distance learning as a route to learn while they earn to advance in their careers without the burden of years of university debt.
Dr Phil Hallam, CEO of RDI, said: “The state of the economy means that young people are increasingly opting to get money in their pockets and seize employment opportunities when they can, before embarking on further education programmes. Coupled with the tuition fee price hike for ‘traditional’ campus degree courses – it’s little surprise that such a shift has taken place.”
Another key reason for the shift is the very new change to student loan entitlement. Since September 2012, students opting to study for a degree via distance learning have, for the first time, the same entitlement to student loans as those studying for a full-time degree at any other UK university. It’s big news for those on a budget.
Dr Hallam continued: “Young people in their twenties have rent or mortgages to pay - some have family commitments - and while they may be employed, they won’t yet be high earners and are likely to hit barriers in their career without qualifications. Returning to full-time education isn’t an option – they can’t afford it. But all the ingredients are now coming together to really make distance learning an attractive solution. At RDI, we offer the lowest cost university degree in the UK at a total of £9,500, the smart financial route to a degree to boost career growth.”
Meet a TWISTA
Andy Cain from Blackpool is a typical TWISTA. Keen to start earning at 16, it wasn’t until his twenties that Andy began considering further study.
He explained: “I left school at 16 and initially got a job as a chef but it wasn’t for me. I got an admin job with Fylde Borough Council when I was 23 but soon realised I’d need more qualifications if I was to climb the career ladder. I really wanted to do a degree but with a mortgage to pay, full time study was not really an option.
“Distance learning with RDI meant I could earn and learn. Also, being that much older, I was more dedicated to my study – I graduated this year with a first class honours degree in BSc Business Computing. The degree helped me gain a promotion at work and meant I wasn’t saddled with debt. With a baby on the way in November – the money I’ve saved on study and extra income from the promotion will certainly come in handy!”
To find out more about distance learning and about the range of courses available from RDI, visit www.rdi.co.uk.
