Students in Scotland could have saved almost £8000 by staying at home with their parents this year, new data has found.
In September students travelled across the country to take their place in accommodation, only to find that most teaching was to be delivered online due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Now, research has revealed that those attending universities and colleges across Scotland could have saved around £7775 by staying at home.
READ MORE: Explaining how the west of Scotland ended up back in lockdown
The amount lost was calculated by adding the average cost of rent, bills, transport and insurance together, taking data from Save the Student.
Those studying and living in Edinburgh could have saved the most, averaging on £724 a month and more than £8500 a year, according to research conducted by Studee.
Laura Rettie, vice president of Global Communications at education consultancy, Studee comments: “Students have had an incredibly difficult year, and it's easy to understand why they feel so aggrieved - they’ve been told to come to campus, only to be kept in quarantine and taught online.
"They could have easily studied at home without spending additional money on top of tuition fees to live close to or on campus.
“It will be interesting to see how many students actually decide to return to campus rather than staying at home after Christmas - I wouldn’t blame them if they opted for the cheaper option of staying with Mum and Dad.
READ MORE: SNP doesn't know if all students will return after Christmas
"I can’t help but feel really sad for the students of 2020 - they’ve been dealt a really bad hand. It’s crucial universities take this additional cost for students into account when the decision is made to move to fully online lectures.
"Transparency is vital and decisions need to be communicated early to leave time for students to make arrangements. It’s not fair to leave things to the last minute.
"Equally, this is a really difficult time for universities who rely on the income from students to stay afloat and the balancing act is becoming increasingly precarious.”
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