A University of Manchester profile and UCAS season reporting show a growing cohort of undergraduates choosing to commute to campus to avoid rising accommodation costs. First-year biology student Amelka Zambrzycka commutes three hours daily to save roughly £7,000 versus living in halls; universities across the UK now report more than 700,000 commuter students. Universities have responded with dedicated commuter lounges, study pods and campus services targeted to non-resident students. The Higher Education Policy Institute warned that total living costs for a three-year degree can reach £61,000 for a minimum socially acceptable standard of living, intensifying the trade-off between proximity and affordability. Campus leaders should expect implications for student engagement, retention and mental-health services as commuter patterns persist. Financial-aid offices and housing planners will need to map savings against the potential academic and social costs of long commutes.