Second year Accomodation (uni)

[Phase2]

So my dd is autistic and really struggles socially and with processing/getting real life stuff. For some reason they thought they could stay on in halls and can’t (long story). What happens if they can’t find accomodation for year two? Do they just stop going? I’m panicking a bit on their behalf and it’s too far away to go and help (also what could I actually do?). Has anyone had a situation where they couldn’t find accomodation and what happened?

Look on spare room, my son was student age, moved for a new job, couldn't get a rental as no proof of wages so rented a room in someone's house

Thank you, I don’t know - she does get DSA I could ask.

@Phase2 I've PM'd you in case its the med school I think it is.

@Londonmummy66thank you but I meant medical students as in those with additional needs / receiving DSA. Thank you so much though.

Where is she - there might be someone with local knowledge

Get her on the cancellation list for the halls she's currently in. My dd got accommodation two weeks before the next year started this way. It's not ideal and you both have to hold your nerve, and obviously pursue all other avenues but there is a fair chance of cancellations.

Same for groups of friends needing an extra person, people drop out for all sorts of reasons late in the day.

I can only offer useless sympathy - when I was at uni, I stayed in halls for the whole time as did most people - when DS went to uni, I was horrified by how cut throat the accommodation hunt was!

Apply for DSA via student finance. They can help with the difference in rent.

they paid the difference for my DD for an en-suite.

There are also a load of other benefits including equipment and support from uni for extra time.

Good luck.

She does have DSA so that’s helpful. This is Year 2, I just had no idea to check (unlike a sensible pp) what accomodation was like after year 1. I feel so stressed, and I can’t make her do everything or grasp how this won’t just resolve itself.

She needs to give written consent to student services for you to speak to them. Its not going to resolve itself, by what you've said, her disability means that she won't be able to do the calling around etc that's going to be required. Can you go and stay in the same town for a few days and sort through the options with her and provide a bit of directed independence?

@Lightuptheroom I have thought of that. I’m not sure what difference it would make being there in real life but I’m tempted. I will ask about permission re student services thank you. Definitely masks and looks like she has understood and is competent but has been assessed as very low processing skills for example.

I think the difference it makes is being able to react ' in the moment' rather than things being filtered through someone who is masking. My ds was at uni during covid, I suddenly had to 'step in' when his mental health crashed and he just didn't want to deal with anything, it's not taking over, more making sure they are moving forwards rather than masking and stalling at a time where you haven't got time for them to mask and stall x

Talk to the uni, sooner rather than later. My son has Aspergers and although 'normally' 2nd and 3rd year students live out of halls he was given a place. He went to Bangor (N Wales).

Thank you, but unfortunately as I’ve posted she thought she could but they do not have space. It’s a very small campus. I’ve been in touch regularly with accomodation.

I know your DD is autistic, but does she work? Could that help off set the additional accommodation costs? Is there anything available in the next town or slightly out from the where the uni is?

No, has not been able to find a job (didn’t look for ages) and it’s a small place with limited opportunities. Unfortunately she doesn’t really get how things work beyond day to day in the way her peers might. So I think has assumed she could get a job when she wanted to / would get a place (misunderstood and didn’t check it was a maybe) etc.

Can she work over the summer? The Uni holidays are really long and if she gets a job then she could potentially earn several thousand. One of my kids boyfriend earned nearly £500 a week over the whole summer. His parents had money but refused to help him. He got the job by going through a job agency. It was some sort of data entry. My kids generally raised a decent amount each summer through festival work, coffee shop jobs and baby sitting.
I know this might not be a possibility but the holidays are really long.

My son rented a room in an elderly couple's home when he was at university. You don't necessarily have to rent student specific accomodation. It was far cheaper than the usual student rentals, but the downside was it was nearly two miles from the uni. But he's a keen cyclist so that wasn't a problem.
Just something else to consider.
Good luck OP, I know how stressful it is and want to sort it out for your DC.

Thanks @sSssssssssssssOOOthats a good idea I will try to encourage this . Will be at home so I can help more. It’s just the whole not having loads of friends to start with, missing the boat, trying to understand etc that’s really making me panic.

Sorry to jump on but how did you find this out? Every search I do to find out 2nd/3rd year accommodation says, 'May' with the exception of Loughborough and Gloucestershire - neither of which are any good to us.

Lots of private student accommodation offer single rooms in an apartment complex. Can you see if there are any in the area?

I was wondering if, considering her autism, reasonable adjustments might apply in her case? Could that support her in being allowed to stay in the halls? Moving into a house share is a rite of passage tho but if it would affect her confidence and academic work staying in the halls another year might be best. Your dc needs to be mentally prepared that it will be a quite different experience as it will be full of new first years.

DD is in Lincoln now. They already sent an email saying that the booking portal for 2026 is open for returning students.

In addition there are plenty of private halls all kind of students from 1st to 3rd year are staying, it's not just a ND/reasonable adjustment thing.

DD will be doing one semester abroad in her 2nd year and I think they even have contracts for these students so they don't have to rent the full year. We need to double-check how fast in advance she can book these.

Lincoln is a great city, one advantage of the halls is also that everything is in walking distance, no need to pay for a bus ticket or worry about a car. Placement course are obviously different.