Aberystwyth Students Choose Coffee Over Alcohol, Forcing University Bar To Close

SHOCKER: Students Choose Coffee Over Alcohol

A university bar has been forced to close as students opt for sipping lattes over downing pints.

Frugal undergraduates Aberystwyth University have been choosing caffeine over cider in order to save money in the face of rising tuition fees.

President of the student union Ben Meakin said more students are embracing the coffee culture during the day while studying and fewer are going out partying.

"This is partly because of the rise in tuition fees and students having to face further financial hardship," he said.

The Cwrt Mawr bar needs around £30,000 to be refurbished and Meakin says there is no guarantee of return on the investment.

"The university have chosen to improve the main union building to make it a more appealing living room on campus during the day time."

Birmingham and Exeter university both have branded coffee shops on campus, while Glyndwr University shut its union bar last summer and Cardiff University built a new coffee bar in the student union.

Despite the closure, a recent survey revealed students spent £45 a month on beer, cider and spirits and a further £21 a month on cocktails. More than one in three (38%) claim to regularly splurge on expensive cocktails, the research by VoucherCodes.co.uk showed.

The company, who questioned more than 1,000 students, also compiled a "price of a pint index", which named the University of the West of England (UWE), in Bristol, as boasting the cheapest alcohol.

The average price of a pint at UK student unions is £2.20, with Edinburgh’s Student Union bar coming in as the most expensive charging £2.80 for a pint, £3.00 for vodka and mixer and £3.10 for a glass of wine - almost double the price of drinks at UWE, where pints cost a pound.

Infographic showing the comparison in prices of drink across UK universities

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