Kitchen fixed charge

[Eeeeeek330]

I have been trying to work out the cost of accommadation for DD. Information on the web-site states that access to the cafeteria is included in the rent. Is this another way of saying it is self catering? Dd will also have to pay for 38 weeks although term I time is only 24. Is this fairly usual?

Asorry I meant fully catered for rather than self catering!

Hard to tell from what you've said. Oxbridge college? Dd's college charge a kitchen fee for those living in college (at least, I don't think she pays it this year), but you pay it up front and get it as credit to spend in hall. I guess it helps their cash flow! There are no rules about how much you eat in hall though - you could have three meals a day or hardly ever use it.

Term time is 24 weeks - dd was charged for 27 last year as you usually have to be around before term starts, but had to empty her room each holiday. Paying for 38 weeks means you can use your room from Oct-Jun I would assume? Other daughter elsewhere pays for 38 weeks, I think that's normal at places that aren't letting rooms out for conferences etc.

It is an Oxbridge college, but it isn't that clear, that 'access to the cafeteria'means meals are included. I suppose it is a plus that she won't have to clear her room each term, but it does add quite a bit to the cost overall. Unless, I suppose, she doesn't come home in the holidays. Do Oxbridge have a reading week?

I think you'll have to get specific clarification on the catering aspect.

No reading week though, not much time for one in an eight week term

eeeeeek not sure if I've got those e's right :) are you sure it is 38 wks - I only ask that whilst Oxbridge academic terms are 8 weeks, residency is usually at least a week longer each term, so for DS1's Cambridge college he would in effect pay for 28wks of residency as standard. Whatever the cost pound to a penny says that Oxbridge accommodation costs are signifcantly lower than most other Unis. Durham is a good comparison if you want to see a good 4 figure annual differential.

Rather like Atia DS1's college is catered but he only pays for the meals he actually chooses to eat. His college does not have a kitchen charge - although that was only dropped a year or so before he started.

My DD was at Cambridge. Her college made a fixed kitchen charge that she had to pay but any meals she had were charged on top of this. So the fixed kitchen charge actually gave her nothing. My DS has been offered a place for September at a different Cambridge college and they make quite a big deal out of not having a fixed kitchen charge. Don't really know why they are different.

Definitely 38 weeks, which is a shame as it pushes up costs quite a bit, by nearly £2000. We didn't really check this prior to applying to this college. However it is what it is! I don't think it's catered either, I think the phrase, access to the cafeteria, means just that! On the bright side, no pressure to pack up the room every couple of months.

Many oxbridge colleges charge a kitchen fixed charge which is an obligatory charge to cover the cost of the college providing a cafeteria, and you have to pay it whether or not you eat a single meal in college. The upside of it is usually that meals cost less. So it sounds like your college has rolled that into the rent rather than charging separately for it. In practice it doesn't make a difference. Most students do some self-catering and some eating college food.

38 weeks rent is highly unusual however but handy.