The impact of the cost-of-living crisis on online student engagement and future study plans.

The UK cost-of-living increases from 2022 to 2023, referred to as the cost-of-living crisis, has had a sudden and unprecedented impact on students' ability to cope financially, leading many higher education students to take on work or increase their working or caring hours to make ends meet. Any increase in working commitments may impact on their ability to fulfil their study commitments. A survey of over 800 students enrolled on psychology online courses indicated that their studies were suffering as a result. Students reported on lower levels of engagement with study materials, an in-course reduction of the study commitments (withdrawing from a module), and potentially studying less modules than planned in the subsequent year. The impact of this unforeseen time-poverty was increased stress and study strategies which may compromise their achievement overall. The impacts to their current study plans may have longer term detrimental effects on the poorer students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]