King's College London

The social research project, funded by the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy (SSPP) Education Fund, explored the hidden costs of higher education to students, depicted through art. Students presented their work at an exhibition in Elephant Park in November. Artwork delved into barriers such as financial hardship, mental health and wellbeing, loneliness, time and disability, which come with pursuing a degree at University. The exhibition provided students with a voice to both share their challenges, and their hopes for the future of higher education.

The ‘Cost of Learning’ is a cross-institutional project led by Becky Hart (Student Engagement Manager, Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy), Maddison Murphy (Senior Student Experience Manager, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences) and practitioners from the University of Sussex and University of Derby.

Students from each institution were invited to an all day ‘craft-a-thon’, where they were asked to create pieces of artwork, inspired by the everyday challenges and barriers they face in higher education. Alongside this, students took part in interviews, where they addressed the topics that had inspired their work. The artwork and reflections were presented at a two-day exhibition at Elephant Park, which was opened to King’s College London students, staff, local state schools and members of the public.

The project will conclude with the creation of an interactive web-based toolkit. The toolkit will showcase students’ artwork and commentary, alongside a report and practical tips for practitioners. This will be shared with student experience practitioners and personal tutors from across institutions, and prospective students from local state schools, with the goal of informing and supporting students.