Durham, is this right?

[TinklyLittleLaugh]

My God daughter received an offer from Durham, liked the University, but has been forced to turn it down because the offer was apparently linked to college accommodation coming in at over £7500.

Is this actually what happens? My DD has been considering Durham but may now think again.

[quit2dis]

I don't think they should either - instead of making the current tax payers contribute properly to the costs of universities, we are crippling the next generation with loans. Students are effectively paying for the research (and related infrastructure, facilities) of universities, which benefit everyone in society.

But universities did not have much choice in the matter - they could have opposed the increases in fees but then they would have been in the same situation as Scottish universities are now in, i.e. deeply short of money and facing compulsory redundancies of staff and closure of departments.

[EricNorthmanSucks]

Universities are just trying to plug up the deficit anyway they can.

They reduce their costs to the bone and introduce money makers ( accommodation, cash-cow courses) where they can.

I don't know how feasible this is for the foreseeable future.

[BoboChic]

I'm not blaming universities for doing this. There are multiple variables at play. But current students are bearing costs, met through debt, that they shouldn't have to.

[EricNorthmanSucks]

It's true bobo but I don't know what the answer will be.

Government are not going to increase funding.

I suspect the current fee rates are going to increase massively at some point.

[BoboChic]

Yes. We invested quite a bit of money for the DCs' HE when DD was 2 and the DSSs were 9 and 11. Since the capital amount was the same for each of them, it seemed a bit unfair that the DSSs' investments wouldn't have as long to appreciate as DD's. But I suspect she will have much higher fees to pay and it will all an out.

[BoboChic]

Pan out

[BoboChic]

I intend for DD to buy a house or flat in whichever university town she ends up and become a landlady. Better by far than paying for grotty halls of residence.

[bojorojo]

That may depend on the city though Bobo unless you are pretty rich though. You will need mega bucks in London and even Bristol is expensive. I don't think the sums add up unless the property is cheap and you can make a profit. Never mind the hassle. My children did not want the responsibility and wanted to make friends in halls. They did not want to be stuck in their own "home" with responsibilities at 18.

[BoboChic]

Purchase won't be an issue and DD is massively house proud so I doubt she'd mind the responsibility. On the contrary!

[bojorojo]

Far more difficult to make friends though. If you are rich then hall fees are not so bad. They are only for 1 year. Other students may not be house proud. This will give her a problem. How will you know who the house proud ones are? Especially in first year when nearly everyone has applied to halls. How would you get first year students into your house? She would have to have second year students but they usually want the whole house, not part of it and share with someone they do not know. Most parents buy for second year.

My DDs are actually flat sharing in our flat. Great for the older one, younger one would rather have lived with friends (as it now turns out). What they want at 18/19 is not always what they want down the line and I tend to think parents should not have the final word on this. There is a popular myth that all parents who are wealthy buy homes in the university cities but judging by the lack of properties for sale where my Dd1 went, this is clearly not the case. Plenty of very wealthy and titled people in her hall of residence. They just mucked in. Depends what sort of experience your DCs want though.

[BoboChic]

TBH DSS1 made no friends in his first hall of residence. He changed after a term and made plenty of friends but his flat mates therafter were not his hall friends. I moved out of hall damn quick as did many of my university peers - and, judging by how much movement DSS1 encountered, those things hadn't changed much (Bristol).

[EricNorthmanSucks]

Did he get the hell on earth that is Unite bobo?

[BoboChic]

Yup. Wildly overpriced horror. But he later got Goldney (his original first choice) by dint of judicious pestering of the accommodation office!

[EricNorthmanSucks]

That was bad luck.

Presumably because he couldn't get his accommodation sorted until later than most applicants (being non UK)? So he got what was left?

[BoboChic]

Not at all. There was no difference between him and UK students. But he refused to follow my algorithm advice and put Goldney rather than Manor first . His Unite accommodation was 100% full of Goldney hopefuls.

[BoboChic]

DSS2 did, however, trust me on the algorithm thing and got his first choice accommodation at UCL...

[HocusCrocus]

Out of interest Bobo (sorry to derail) where is DSS2 and what was your thinking. Just off for a coffee with a friend whose son has an offer from UCL and whilst I know the halls (well the ones which were around in my day ) I don't know their relative popularity - other than assuming the nearer the more popular.

[BoboChic]

He's in Campbell House West. Massive beautiful rooms right next to he campus in the heart of London and the noise thing (works next door) is wildly overstated. Truly fantastic location - he can walk to St Pancras too, to get the Eurostar home.

[BoboChic]

And although it's not en suite there are so many shower rooms that he has one to himself, can leave his shower gel and shampoo there etc. Perfect.

[HocusCrocus]

Thanks - I'll let her know. I was Ramsay Hall - not beautiful but its proximity was a virtue. I should think the bus stop outside my window was as noisy as building work.

[BoboChic]

DSS2's main criteria were proximity and self-catering. You then have to get the price right on the form in order to maximize your chances of your preferred accommodation, which you don't in fact name.

[whatwouldrondo]

You used to have a chance to name a preference at UCL as well. Schaeffer is another good hall, self catering flats just behind Euston Tower, mid range in price.

[bojorojo]

Bristol do make it clear Goldney is oversubscribed. You still have the problem of finding other students to share with in Y1 if you have your own house. My DD 1 made lasting friends from her hall friends and Vristol is no more expensive than lots of other areas. Obviously Unite is a disaster but you have to do your homework before applying to halls. I don't think one bad experience is the position for most students. Lots are happy with their allocation if the first choice falls through.

Your comment on property speculation is interesting Bobo. What else would you be doing if you buy a student property? Just adding to the problem really!

[BoboChic]

It's not speculating to buy your own home (unless you wildly over leverage).

[bojorojo]

So why do you think the property situation is as it is in the UK then Bobo? If you live in Frencem this is a second home for a student who happens to be a member of your family. If everyone did this, the price of property would be even higher, would it not, because it is driven by demand? If every student's parents bought a property, demand, and prices, would be in the stratosphere for ordinary buyers. Any student property bought by a parent is speculation and no different to anyone else buying a property to rent out. Assuming your student will not live alone, you want an income from other students. Can't see why you will not be part of the problem really.