Student income and expenditure survey 2004/05

Abstract

The 2004/05 Student Income and Expenditure Survey (SIES), commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the National Assembly of Wales (NAW) was conducted jointly by a research team from the National Centre for Social Research and the Institute for Employment Studies (NatCen/IES). The survey covered a random sample of a little over 3,700 full-time and part-time (including Open University, OU) students in higher education (HE) in England and Wales at 88 institutions and was conducted between January and April 2005, using face-to-face interviews and expenditure diaries (telephone interviews for OU students). It was the first comprehensive assessment since 1998/99 and designed to set a baseline against which future changes, following the 2004 Higher Education Act, could be monitored. The survey collected data on students income, expenditure, debt, savings and financial hardship and a range of personal information.