Accommodation for clearing/insurance

[Spendylots]

We are pondering choices for DD for 2024 entry.

Predicted AAA
Preferred choices all AAB and ABB

Concerned we can’t find a suitable uni she likes that offers BBB or lower, having visited a few. So we are thinking about clearing if it all goes wrong on results day.

Thinking she may go with AAB as firm and ABB as insurance - with the insurance one guaranteeing campus accommodation.

Does anyone know of any good unis where you’d be likely to get campus/uni accommodation in clearing ?

For example, I know Reading don’t even guarantee accommodation for insurance places.

I haven't checked the terms of Loughborough's accommodation guarantee, but that's one that's probably worth checking out, as I believe it has a more plentiful supply of accommodation than many universities.

Lboro only guarantee for firm so no good.

York have now got East campus and a lot of accommodation. Someone mentioned busing York students in from Hull, I’m not sure about that, or when they’re talking about, unless they’re medicine students as Hull and York share medicine. I think Leeds uni had students in Hull accom last year. Not York this year it last. I’d be very surprised if York struggles as they have a fair few 2nd and 3rd years in halls.

I think it’s very sensible with AAA predictions to firm AAB and insure ABB. DD did exactly the same. There was nowhere offering BBB. She got AstarBB so was so unfortunately missed her firm offer but pleased to not have to go through clearing. Wherever your DD chooses to insure she does need to be happy to go there.

what course is she considering as some courses will not be in clearing at some unis? Also take care when looking as many clearing places were for international students only. DDs course at both Bath and York was in clearing this year but only for internationals and at existing grades.

Thanks @NotDonna I checked her course v carefully in clearing and it was definitely available (for a few hours anyway!) to UK students. I know York had nothing for UK students at all the year before which is why I was so surprised this year. But tbh it was the same in many places as lots of unis got caught out with the shift in grade boundaries etc. so there were lots of unis I’ve not seen have stuff in clearing for years let alone drop grades significantly.

Who knows what it will be like this year?! Certainly I’ve heard of a few unis cutting back now on numbers.

Sheffield guaranteer accommodation this year for all students including imsurance & clearing provided they applied by 31 August. My DS had them as his insurance option and had accommodation all sorted the day after results. Took a lot of stress away.

Just reading the accommodation guide that DC picked up at Reading open day yesterday. It says although they can’t guarantee accommodation for insurance/ clearing, all first years who wanted accommodation on/across road from campus got it last year.

DC’s friend just went to Bristol as insurance offer and is living in Wales , couldn’t get anything nearer. I’ve heard other friends of DCs’ having hard time at Edinburgh and London with accommodation. Two years ago another of their friends went to Leeds as insurance and got halls accommodation but it was a long walk to campus.

Hard to know how it will go next year, hopefully grade boundaries a little more predictable. The birth rate was climbing again around 18 years ago so potentially more applicants. Increased penalties for courses with high drop out rates, so admissions tutors perhaps less likely to risk taking someone with lower grades who might not be able to cope with the course.

Some places might have a lot of accommodation but might not yet have updated their policies to guarantee accommodation for insurance/clearing as I think this is quite a new thing.

@NotDonna this was what I referred to

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-58562201.amp

Pretty sure Bangor do.

@Monstermunchy ah, yes a few students had to live in Hull a few years ago but this was before the building of Anne Lister college and David Kato college on East Campus.

@Spendylots Loughborough says they don't guarantee insurance / clearing to cover themselves, it was DS' insurance this year and when I enquired, they said for the past 6 years, they've offered accommodation for all insurance/ clearing students.

Sheffield and Nottingham guarantee accommodation for insurance / clearing students

My DD is in yr 2 at York uni and several of her friends in her year group decided, in mid/end September, to leave their chosen flats and move back to halls due to costs and all got offered a room in a hall after a few days. All thanks to the new East campus who opened in 2021 and 2022.

Swansea?

Very appreciative of all the replies many thanks. My info is a bit out of date re York so happy to be updated on this.

Not sure whether the grades will work but Warwick guarantee accommodation for all first years, or at least they did last year.

DD went through clearing for Nottingham University. I had a whole thread about accommodation!

They were guaranteeing it to clearing students. She turned down their first offer on campus because it was a catered Hall. Instead she opted for a flat in what I suppose is a student village. Inexpensive and clean - she's loving it!

Aberystwyth? Lots of halls accommodation there.

I second caution with Bath. DS has a couple of friends who had it as their insurance policy, Uni had no accommodation, not even in the city.

Timing wasn't great either, firm students were on allocated on 24th & 31st August, and a week later they got an email which basically said sorry no accommodation, if you are unable to find private accommodation let us know if you want to defer - which is what they had to do.

They knew the uni didn't guarantee accommodation for insurance holders, but it would have helped if the uni could have contacted them earlier.

My DS went through clearing for Leicester. Day after results day once we discovered Brighton had no accommodation for him and were suggesting flats in Eastbourne!
All very quick and simple and he got his first choice accommodation.
Nice to see the love for Leicester on this thread, I haven’t known many others there.

I think Cardiff guarantee accommodation for insurance choice?

That sounds awful - no accommodation for insurance choice. It makes a mockery of having an insurance choice really doesn’t it? Unless you can/want to commute, which the majority of students don’t.

Leicester sounds brilliant.

I went to Leicester back in the 1980s. Had a lovely time, made lots of friends from all over the country as it was so central. Lived in Oadby first year. Not many Asian friends, sadly, as there was quite a large group who tended to stick together.

Southampton is always a good shout for an insurance, too, as they seem to have plenty of accommodation.

Ah that’s a shame about the Asian students - I wonder if that’s still the case?

Southampton is a good shout for insurance. Clearing not so much.

DS knows 3 people what Exeter who came through clearing this year.

All got places in halls on campus

Dd found Leicester very diverse; her best friend there was Asian (she is not). Student body in general a massive mix of raves abd cultures, big positive. Also dd Eng lit course Inc some living non-white women!