A room fit for a prince? It’ll cost £700 a month...
University student rents hit record high
STUDENTS are being forced to pay record high prices for university accommodation.
As thousands of new undergraduates prepare for their first term, an investigation by The Scottish Mail on Sunday has found living costs have never been higher. Accommodation fees have increased by up to 5 per cent this year at some of Scotland’s leading academic institutions.
A basic single bedroom in a student hall can now cost £700 per month – a lot more than a private let.
Last night the National Union of Students warned many students were being priced out and called on universities to review ‘eye-watering’ fees.
Vonnie Sandlan, president of NUS Scotland, said: ‘Accommodation shouldn’t be a money-making opportunity for institutions that treat students like consumers at best and cash cows at worst.’
While costs include electricity and internet access in most university halls, rooms are small and up to ten people share a kitchen and living area.
St Andrews University, where the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met and studied, has the most expensive accommodation north of the Border, with premium rooms costing £150 more per month than the equivalent on offer at Strathclyde University.
A single en suite bedroom in the selfcatering wing of Agnes Blackadder Hall – which houses 500 students – costs £6,207 for nine months or £689 per month. Included in the price is a computer room and music room.
The university’s largest accommodation block, the David Russell Apartments which houses nearly 900 undergraduates and has its own bar, costs £686 per month. Students who choose the catered option must spend almost £200 more a month for meals.
The university offers cheaper accommodation – at £390 a month – for 240 undergraduates in its Albany Park student houses.
Aberdeen University charges students £570 per month for a single en suite room with shared kitchen at New Carnegie Court. Edinburgh Universi- ty’s Murano halls, Stirling University’s new Juniper Court halls and Dundee University’s Belmont student flats charge just under £550 per month for a similar room.
A single en suite room in a shared flat at Glasgow University’s Queen Margaret Residence costs £538 per month and Strathclyde University’s dearest student halls, Chancellors and James Young, cost £516 for an en suite room.
Glasgow and Aberdeen confirmed their rents had increased by almost 4 per cent this year, while accommodation fees at St Andrews have increased by 3.5 per cent this year.
Miss Sandlan said: ‘These are some eye-watering figures. At a time when widening access to university is so high on the agenda it is incumbent on universities to ensure that all students – not just those with deep pockets – can access affordable accommodation.’
A spokesman for St Andrews University said: ‘In the past year we have invested an extra £450,000 and trebled the size of our accommodation bursaries to ensure students from all backgrounds have access to the full range of university accommodation.
‘There’s no segregation between rich and poor, and this new scheme is a joint initiative by the university and the St Andrews Students Association. Our housing support packages give students £3,000 to spend on university accommodation to ensure there are no barriers to integration.’
‘Not a money-making opportunity’