When Sophie Rose Jenkins announced she would not return to St Andrews University this academic year because of her experiences of classism on campus, she did not expect much of a response.
asserted
she → announce → response
But in the two weeks since she published her story on LinkedIn, it has resonated with hundreds of others.
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it → publish → others
“Working-class students have been made to feel ashamed of their home life at university,” the former comparative literature and classical studies student wrote in a lengthy post.
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student → work → post
“Arriving at a university ranked first in the UK at the time from a background like mine, I thought I was doing everything right.
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I → arrive → everything
“I don’t mean for this to be a sob story but an explanation.
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this → mean → ?
I recognise the privilege of access to higher education, however I am also brutally aware of the hidden privilege of having unobstructed access to studying for a degree.
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I → recognise → degree
There is a deep gap between the two, and it is never addressed.
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it → be → two
For many responding, her comments touched on a growing tension at St Andrews, driven by the funding model of Scotland’s cash-strapped universities.
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comments → respond → universities
Places for Scottish students, who study for free, are capped by the Scottish government and account for about 30% of students at St Andrews.
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who → study → Andrews
Maintenance loans and bursaries cover basic costs, but those from lower-income families are still often left with less disposable income than their contemporaries – including wealthy international students who pay much higher fees.
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who → cover → fees
St Andrews, ranked second in the Guardian’s university league table for 2026, accepts one of the highest percentages in the UK of privately educated students.
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Andrews → rank → students
The British aristocracy has long adored the medieval town’s cobbled streets, wind-swept beach and grand stone buildings: Prince William and the Princess of Wales met there.
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William → adore → Wales
But the recent influx of wealthy US students has changed the dynamic on campus, students say.
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students → change → campus
Americans account for around a fifth of undergraduates at St Andrews, the highest proportion in the UK, with each paying £33,250 for this academic year, more than three times what British students pay.
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students → account → what
“My parents were worried about me coming here.
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me → worry → ?
They didn’t want me to be left out,” said one Scottish fresher who is on a scholarship to study classics.
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who → want → classics
“Most of the people I have met are international students.
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I → meet → people
I didn’t grow up with tons of money.
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I → grow → money
Another said: “There’s a Pret here.
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Another → say → ?
You have to ask yourself why that is in such a small town.”
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that → have → town
Aspects of fraternity and sorority culture have started to blend with the upper-class experience of British university, some students say.
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students → start → university
Regular black-tie dinners and balls are now rivalled by fashion shows and exclusive societies.
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dinners → rival → shows
A short walk from the student union bar, an interior design shop advertises luxury bed linen for students, while a popular coffee shop sells designer clothes and candles alongside speciality matchas.
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shop → advertise → matchas
“I totally see her [Jenkins’s] perspective,” said one privately educated student from Edinburgh, who was returning from hockey practice with friends.
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who → see → friends
“It can be quite segregated: the English hang out with the English, the Americans with the Americans.
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Americans → hang → Americans
We knew lots of people from hockey already so it’s easy to feel left out if you’re not from that environment.
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you → know → environment
“The American culture is coming in and it massively influences everything at the moment.
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it → come → moment
They compete with each other.
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They → compete → other
If you look at how they dress, people arrive in lectures as if they are going on a night out.”
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they → look → night
One student referenced a well-known student newspaper article published last year about how St Andrews had turned into the Scottish Upper East Side, which said: “Our beloved Scottish town is day by day turning into a microcosm of Manhattan’s elite world; complete with intrigue, privilege, and secrets that spread like wildfire.”
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that → reference → wildfire
Underlining the point, an American student walks past the student union loudly explaining to a friend: “Everyone is going to think you’re rich if you have a Ralph Lauren bag.
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you → underline → bag
But that doesn’t make you rich.”
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you → make → ?
St Andrews said it had reached out to Jenkins to better understand her experience, but she had decided not to engage for now.
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she → say → experience
It said it had a robust system for reporting complaints from students, and only a handful of complaints had been made in the last five years.
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handful → say → years
“Yes, some students do arrive here in St Andrews, and at every other university, with immature, offensive and classist views.
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students → arrive → views
But they tend not to leave with them,” said the vice-principal Niall Scott.
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Scott → tend → them
“This isn’t a St Andrews issue – it’s a societal issue.
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it → ’ → ?
Classism begins in the home or at school, not at university.
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Classism → begin → university
Universities like St Andrews have a crucial role to play in challenging these attitudes by bringing together people from different backgrounds, cultures and perspectives, encouraging understanding, respect and inclusion.”
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Universities → have → understanding
In 2024, Edinburgh University offered guidance on how students should treat one another after rising claims of discrimination and classism.
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students → offer → discrimination
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
