Housing condition
Generally, Italian students live with their parents. Although this phenomenon is common in many other southern European countries, in Italy this situation is much more evident. 73% of Italian students live with their parents – only Malta has a higher percentage, 76%. In the Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) only around 8% of students remain living with their families (Table. 3).
Why? If, doubtless, the cultural component plays an important role, there are a number of other elements contributing to this choice:
- the young age of the student population. Generally, students aged more than thirty years do not live with their parents.
- The economic factor. Students whose Universities are far from home have extra expenses to afford, such as the cost of accommodation, which has a considerable implication on the family budget.
- The creation of new Universities throughout the country that generates commuting.
- The lack of appropriate housing policies, in other words, the very few places available in university residences (or the lack of financial support given to all students). In Italy only 3% of students live in University residences while, in most of the “Eurostudent” countries, these percentages range from 20% to 30% (Table 4).
However, it is necessary to underline that students’ satisfaction level for their housing condition is one of the highest in Europe (84%). This value increases even more for those who remain living with their parents (90%). There may be several explanations for that: a general familiar harmony, a particular attention paid by parents to children even when they are adults, etc.
Finally, compared with other European students, the Italian students living in University residences are much more satisfied (73%).
International mobility
The number of students undertaking a period of study abroad is quite low in every “Eurostudent” country with a range varying from 15%, in northern European countries, to less than 5% in the Mediterranean area. In Italy 6% of students decide to spend a period of study abroad, especially thanks to Erasmus projects.
Spending a period of study abroad depends especially on students’ family background. In almost every country those having parents with a high education level tend more than the others to participate in mobility projects. Then, considering that the main reason why a number of students do not go to study abroad is economic, and that this situation concerns especially people coming from families with low education level, it is clear that it is extremely important the existence of public economic supports promoting international mobility. This is particularly true for Italy, where family represents the main financing source for students going to spend a period of study abroad (this is what 63% of students say) (Table 6). On the contrary, in more than the half of “Eurostudent” countries, students say that their main financing source is public (State or the EU).
Moreover, Italy is the country with the highest percentage of students receiving economic support from families (85%), although there exist some differences between those who have parents with a high education level (90% have been economically supported to go abroad) and those who have parents with low education level (less than 70% have received an economic contribution). The situation in the Scandinavian countries is quite different. Here there is the lowest percentage of students supported economically by families. This means that family support is certainly less crucial in the choice of participating in mobility projects.
Generally, in every country there exists a high satisfaction level concerning the period of study spent abroad. Such an experience is considered particularly important because it helps students grow and improves their language skills.
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