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You may have heard your older siblings, parents or grandparents talk about university, known sometimes as "uni".

But what is it? What do people do there? How much does it cost?

And why do some people choose to go to university whilst others know it's not for them?

Read on to find out.

Why do some people go to uni?

For some people, finishing school means getting out to work and earning money.

Others want to continue education in order to get more qualifications or learn skills for a particular job.

There are different ways of doing this, including training courses, higher education qualifications, apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships, university degrees, and more.

Some people go to university to study specific skills such as engineering or medicine, to help them get a certain kind of job.

Or they might choose to study subjects they enjoyed or were particularly good at during school - for example English, art or a foreign language - all of which might help them in lots of different types of jobs.

Another motivation of going to university is money. Some of the highest paid jobs in areas like business or finance require you to have a degree.

For others, going to uni is also way to experience living away from your parents, being in charge of your own work and learning, socialising, making friends and gaining new life skills.

How do you go to university?

In the UK, university places are limited so some institutions ask for top grades, or for applicants to have studied particular subjects at A-level, usually in year 12 and 13, or at college.

Most uni courses take three of four years to complete, but some, like medicine or architecture, are longer.

Students are sometimes taught in classrooms or in large lecture theatres. They are also encouraged to continue their learning themselves through self-directed study.

Some courses give you the opportunity to study abroad or do a work placement, giving students real-life experience of a job with added support from teachers.

But university is different to other types of education, like school or college, as it is is not free to attend.

How much does university cost and how do you pay for it?

The UK government has recently announced they were going to raise the cost of tuition fees for students in England.

From September 2025, the cost of an undergraduate degree (usually someone's first degree) in England will go up from £9,250 to £9,535 a year.

The current annual cost for students outside England depends on where they live and study:

Most students receive a student loan from the government to pay for their course up front.

They also can apply for a maintenance loan which can help towards personal equipment like laptops, essential course materials, living costs and transport.

These loans have to be paid back, with interest (a fee for borrowing the money), once the students have got a job and are earning over a certain amount.

This is usually it is taken straight out of your monthly pay.

Where do you live whilst at university?

Where students live will depend on where they are studying and how much it costs.

Some students will have a room in student accommodation for their first year of uni, which are often basic apartments with shared kitchens and living spaces - but full of other students.

It is often people's first experience of living away from parents, cooking for themselves and an opportunity to gain valuable experience managing their own finances.

Some students rent private accommodation and, to save money, others will live at home and go to a university nearby.