Most days, 19-year-old University College London student Mariam (not her real name) spends hours waiting between lectures. A three-hour round trip to her family home makes commuting impractical, so she waits on campus. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.

Mariam lives at home because she cannot afford London's rents. She says she is "definitely suffering from not having the best social life" and that "living at home will affect my future because I'm missing out on career opportunities – the spontaneous, after-work coffees, introductions and events – that those who live out take for granted."

A report by the Resolution Foundation found that 52% of prospective undergraduates from England's poorest neighborhoods expect to live at home while studying, compared with 18% from the least deprived areas. David Willetts, the foundation's president, said that "where students chose to live could shape not just their university experience but the opportunities and networks that influenced the rest of their lives."

James Davies, an undergraduate at the University of Leicester, sees advantages: "I don't have to work to pay rent, so I have more time to study." However, research from the Sutton Trust shows that only 37% of students planning to live at home express a preference for a Russell Group university, compared with 56% of those planning to move away.

Alex Stanley, vice-president of the National Union of Students, said that "while moving away from home is not a prerequisite for having a valuable university experience, everyone must have the option to move out." Rose Stephenson, director of policy and strategy at the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi), criticized the funding system: "Students living away from home can borrow £10,830 a year for living costs, compared with £9,118 for those living with their parents, despite average annual student rents exceeding £7,500."

Lucy Haire, director of sector engagement at the UPP Foundation, warned against losing sight of the benefits of residential university life. But Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, cautioned that "living at home can mean lower debt, stronger family support and more time to focus on studies."

Experts agree that the key question is whether students can access high-quality education. If living at home helps make that possible, it may not be a problem that needs fixing.