Is anyone else’s DC opting for the most expensive “premium” halls?

[badboss2020]

We have submitted the application for DD to go into halls. For various reasons she has applied for the most expensive premium en suite type of halls. There are a lot of this type of room so I assume a lot of people do go for them, but now she’s paranoid that she’s going to be seen as rich/posh/tory (whatever that actually means!).
There is always a lot of talk about the cheapest options at various unis but the other end doesn’t get mentioned much.
We aren’t wealthy by any stretch of the imagination, it’s only for a year so we felt like she should have a chance in the nicest environment?!

Holland Hall in Exeter is now £10,789 for a 32 wk contract ... £337 a week. 😱

tbf that is en-suite catered. Catered halls are usually IME at least £8k (and that would be shared bathrooms) and often more. It wasn't our choice but it suits some for sure. I infer that the OP’s choice is SC?

My daughter is in one coz she went through clearing. Its £900 a month and isn't worth it. There are burn marks on wall and carpet. The bathroom hadn't been cleaned. The bed is a glorified camp bed. There is a nice long desk and a wardrobe but she would have been happy in the shared bathroom one.

It's well documented that richer English students opt for older, traditional, cheaper and more spartan halls that offer a boarding school-like experience whereas first generation to university and overseas students opt for expensive modern halls with en suites. Obviously students don't all end up in their first choice of accommodation so what you actually find as a student mix in any one hall is not necessarily a faithful reflection of student first preferences.

That’s a lot of money. DS was in an ensuite room for about £160pw. Although most of the uni accommodation was en suite. Does that include catering? How is accommodation being funded?

If you can afford it, why not? I would do it too. I would want my child in the nicest and most comfortable space if I can.

DS1 is quite particular and the kind of child that never really asks for anything unless it really matters to him, and an en suite was important to him. We did point out this wouldn't happen in the following years, but he said it was because he didn't know who he was living with, but that he would have some choice in flat mates so that would be different and that di make sense to us.

That first year was very difficult money wise, bt I am glad we were able to do it.

why is the political talk even needed 🙄🙄

We opted for this and it’s comfortable. She found like minded people in her flatmates and they are planning to rent together for second year. 1 rich kid out of 10. The other 9 are fairly similar to us.

I’d say go for what she finds comfortable. £9k was our cost for first year and is the same for next year (as we have to pay for 12 months even though it’s cheaper). I don’t think it’s hugely expensive but it’s quite comfortable for kids for their first venture of living on their own.

Yr 2 deposits can catch people out. In some areas students start looking for yr2 accommodation in Autumn yr1. Just mentioning it as if you are paying more for yr1 accommodation make sure you can also fund yr2 deposit.

Also think about location. If all accommodation is together no issue. In my dc’s case the posher en-suite was on its own and most of yr1 together on a different site. My dd opted for the cheap shared for various reasons but one perk was there was always someone walking in to uni or back home especially at night. Her friend would often stay at theirs rather than have to walk or uber home alone opposite direction to her expensive accommodation.

Wow, it’s a different world! I was at uni a long time ago and uni accom was universally crap and cheap. It was character building to say the least, but a lot of fun, and I have some good stories about it. It was certainly a world away from ensuite showers etc. Living in shitty places has made me very grateful for the comfortable home I have now. 😁

It was a looooong time ago now, but I went to Bath in the 00s and there were fancy new halls. People in them were not particularly posh and actually, the poshest people I happened to meet were in the cheap high(ish) rise with the meals included option. I assumed it was because it was a lot like boarding school without access to a kitchen? I needed a kitchen as I cooked my own meals.

I did go for one with an en suite. Why wouldn't I? I didn't want to share a bathroom with a bunch of random strangers.

I am definitely not a Tory and not posh. I went to a grammar school etc and have a NI accent, (which used to make people assume I couldn't be properly posh, because properly posh NI families used to send their kids to england for boarding school and theh often had the accents which went with that)

And also, you will likely be paying for Year 2 accommodation from July (i.e. before the Year 2 student loan arrives and potentially a good few weeks before they actually move in).

Good point. Given they have to find second year accommodation pretty much as soon as they start, they often end up sharing with their hall-mates - and if they’re well off they’ll be looking for higher end houses.

My DD has. She's heading up north though, so the halls are considerably cheaper. She does shop in Waitrose and M&S, but food and home comforts are her priorities. We're certainly not Tories :)

My eldest applied for the 2nd to top tier accommodation, but ended up in private halls due to over allocation, which was around a mile from campus itself. It really affected him in his first year. Nothing in the immediate vicinity, except traffic! Unreliable bus services. It was a big negative to being able to settle in to uni-life.

Even in the allocated external halls it was a mix of backgrounds, so I really wouldn't worry about how your daughter will be perceived if she gets the top tier choice.

It’s just an en-suite. Still has a shared kitchen. It’s not that amazing to be honest. The shared bathroom basic stuff is just under £200 pw. She will get some paid by the disability service as she has health issues left over from childhood serious illness. (I know that’s drip feeding but she isn’t defined by that- it’s just incidental).
It’s not London but outskirts so that would be the price. About 60% of their accommodation seems to be over £200pw!
Like the PP above. I think we just wanted her to enjoy her first experience away from home. She’s a home body and loves her own space.

Even shitty is expensive @Passwordsaremynemesis. My dd was in cheapest £168 a week, 12 sharing 3 bathrooms. Anything en-suite is over £200. £230 won’t be anything fancy just a standard en-suite room in all likelihood.

If she needs an en-suite for medical or disability reasons they may allocate her it but only charge her cheaper shared bathroom price.

Seconded- the more self-contained the accommodation, the easier it is to feel a bit isolated.

Is it well documented? Are there stats? At my dd's uni the posh, boarding school crowd all went for the most ££ halls - there was a definite sense they'd be with their own kind there. Not to bash them for being posh - I just think they felt they'd feel more secure in a crowd they already were familiar with. But maybe stats say differently elsewhere. Whatever OP, you've made the choice and there will be lovely people (some might even be Tories) and not so lovely people in all types of halls

HEPI has done research on this.

That is university dependent tho.

Some unis have options (basic ones but still acceptable in our experience) for about £130 or less. Loughborough, Cardiff and Leicester for example.

My DD shared two bathrooms with five other students. As far as I can see from a quick glance rooms in her old hall are £82 (less than she paid 6 years ago!) inc a washbasin in the room – bargain. DS2's old hall in Lboro is £123 pw (he paid about £105 four years ago) sharing two bathrooms with 4-7 others.

Lots of people do this if they can, I dont think there are rules and regs about income, class, schooling etc. My eldest wasnt bothered but was at Southampton which is (or was) weirdly cheap, so we put him in premium SC shared bathroom which was about mid tier price i.e there was non premium SC shared cheaper but everything else was more expensive, catered, en suite etc. It was 5.8K 3y ago. Absolutely shit though and I'd argue that premium was false advertising. The other kids were a mix of state/private etc.

My kid going this year is very different and very particular and is also looking at much more expensive unis/cities unfortunately (Bath, Exeter) but really wants own en suite (this is a kid that hasn't done a number 2 at secondary school except in dire emergency when he breaks into the staff toilets to do so ..). So I am anticipating paying at least double, for SC ensuite premium etc. He has asked for this and I think would struggle in a shared bathroom. He is planning to work at uni to pay for 'his toilet' and yes I have explained he will have to clean it.

Different strokes for different folks.