The impact of increased tuition fees on student mental health: a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background and Aim: Previous research has shown that worry about debt is related to mental health in students. In 2012 annual tuition fees increased from £3.5k to as much as £9k a year. This study used a prospective cohort design to examine the impact of this increase in fees on student mental health.

Method: A national sample of first year undergraduate students who started university in 2011 or in 2012 when fees increased. 681 participants completed an initial survey and 411 re-did the survey at time 2. Participants completed measures of global mental health, depression, anxiety, stress, alcohol dependence, eating disorder symptoms and psychotic symptoms.

Results: At time 1, those paying £3-5k had higher scores on depression and global mental health than those paying £8-9k. However at time 2, there was a significant time*fees interaction for depression, global mental health, anxiety and stress. Specifically, those paying £0-3k or £3-5k improved over time, whilst those paying £8-9k stayed the same. Multiple regression analyses demonstrated a number of other financial variables predicted symptoms of poor mental health.

Conclusion: The increase in tuition fees had no immediate impact, but it appears that those paying more may develop poorer mental health with time.

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