This paper draws on an investigation of the social characteristics and experiences of commuter students at an elite Scottish university which traditionally has had a relatively low proportion of commuting students, but is now experiencing a significant increase in this group (Donnelly & Gamsu, 2018). The 'boarding school' model characterises elite higher education institutions in the UK and the US, but many European countries have a stronger tradition of local universities, where students live at home for the duration of their undergraduate education.

The central research question addressed in this paper is the following: In the context of an elite Scottish university, what are the social justice implications of commuting to university from home rather than living in university accommodation? Some recent literature on the lives of commuting students has argued the need for a more positive focus on students’ experience of mobility, focusing on the positives as well as the negatives aspects of liminality and mobility (Christie, 2007; Holton & Finn, 2020). These researchers argue that much work on university commuting tends to normalise the ‘boarding school’ aspects of traditional and elite higher education, instead of recognising and valuing the more local aspects of undergraduate higher education in newer universities where students are likely to live at home but still experience a range of mobilities. This paper argues that there is also a need to understand the experiences of commuting students at elite universities, where living in university accommodation continues to be a normative expectation, reflected in timetabling, emphasis on face to face teaching and access to university social events and support services. At our case study university, the decision to commute was not random but reflected and reinforced existing social divisions. In terms of these disproportionalities, we argue that it is important to understand the negative as well as the positive aspects of commuting students’ lives, as well as considering the mitigating actions which the university could take in order to improve commuters’ lives.  Commuting students' suggestions for change included timetabling that reduced large gaps between lectures; more choice of tutorial groups; and the expectation that all lectures would be recorded and available on-line. Daytime social events that did not involve a drinking culture would help to engage this group of students and enable them to form stronger ties to the university. Additional questions arise in relation to the need for a more redistributive and progressive student funding system in Scotland, which would reduce the financial imperative to live at home for students from less affluent backgrounds (Riddell & Weedon, 2018).

Data were collected through an analysis of university administrative data, an online questionnaire and recorded interviews with a purposive sample of 20 students, selected in relation to social class, disability, ethnicity, age, commuting distance and subjects studied. In the interviews, students were asked about the nature of their commute, their feelings about their journey, the reasons underpinning their decisions to commute and the social and academic consequences of commuting.

The administrative data and questionnaire highlighted the social characteristics of commuting students, who, compared with the general university population, were more likely to be older students from socially deprived backgrounds. Students who were disabled and those from minority ethnic groups were also more likely to commute than others. Family expectations and finances played a major part in students’ decision to commute, reflecting other research in this field (Minty, 2021). In Scotland, students are entitled to the same level of maintenance loan irrespective of place of residence. Students from socially deprived backgrounds said that they were able to live much more cheaply in the family home rather than in a university hall of residence or student flat. They often made a small contribution to household expenses, but this was much less than student rent. Disabled students, older students and those from minority ethnic groups were particularly likely to refer to family support and the desire to maintain existing social networks as positive reason for commuting. At the same time, negatives were also reported: commuting was tiring, took time away from studying and was isolating, leading to some feeling they were not ‘proper’ students due to disengagement from their peers. Many students felt that their experience of university was limited due to difficulties in accessing support services and social activities which generally happened in the evening. Respondents were also aware that commuting was an option more likely to be chosen by less affluent students and those from minority ethnic backgrounds, deepening social divisions. Our respondents were also aware of the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which had enforced the social isolation of commuter students, leading to mental health problems for many (Couper Kenney & Riddell, 2021).

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