When is first year university halls accommodation usually paid for?

[Cantstopeatingjaffacakes]

This is probably a stupid question but when do you have to pay for the first year’s accommodation? DD will be the first one in our family to go to university and we’re completely unfamiliar with how stuff like works. I think she would like to go into halls if that changes the answers.

She’ll qualify for a full loan but will she have to pay for accommodation before this comes through?

Trying to make sure we (hopefully!) save enough up.

I think it may depend where she’s going - Durham (where Dd is) wasn’t til November. I would imagine the loan would come through first as they’re well aware most people don’t have all the money sitting around. DD’s loan came in by the time she started her course (early October)
just be aware the loan comes in 3 instalments too, not the whole amount in one go (which I didn’t know) - if you’re getting the full amount that won’t be a problem but for those who get the minimum it means you will need enough money to top it up unless their rent is very cheap.

Yes the loan comes through before you start and uni accommodation is paid after you start. Usually IME it’s paid for termly, with the loan split in three.

Couple of things you may not be aware of:
Apply in time - well before going, from memory it’s by May of year 13. Don’t worry if your destination is not certain, you can change that.

And post first year the private accommodation will usually need to be paid from the end of June, which will be before the loan lands.

You say she will get a full loan @Cantstopeatingjaffacakes so are you very low income? Like £25k pa? Not my business obvs but the threshold is very low, esp if you are not a single parent. Well done if you do manage to save. Can dd (sorry not clear how soon this is) get a pt job and save?

Sorry, I think the we in me op was confusing. It referred to me and DD. I’m a single parent on a low income so she will qualify.

DD has just got a part time job so is hoping to start saving for uni and I can try to put some aside each month which won’t be easy but I’ll try.

The posts have been really helpful. I feel really out of my depth and don’t want DD to be knocked off track because I can’t afford it or get things wrong.

Your DD needs to check the arrangements at the universities where she is applying - and obviously, most especially at the one she decides to firm. This is going back to 2015, 2019 and 2021 respectively, but DS1 and DD both accepted unconditional offers from Birmingham and for DS1, if not both of them (DD's accommodation was one of the Unite Students halls, though applied for through the university accommodation office) there was a payment to be made as soon as the accommodation was confirmed. On the other hand, for DS2's accommodation at UEA, the first payment wasn't due until after the start of term.

Every university has an 'Accommodation' section on its website. (N.B. Just looked at UoB and it is the same arrangement - part of the fee payable on acceptance - as it was when DS1 joined).
Paying your accommodation fees - University of Birmingham https://share.google/Ap0IseWV3NXVduf62

Many universities will give a bursary automatically to students who receive the maximum student loan. I think there's a box to tick with Student Finance permitting them to share info with the university. This simplifies things for your DD as she wouldn't have to make multiple applications for extra funding. I know Oxford, Manchester, Cambridge & KCL all give generous bursaries without any fuss.

Re KCL - the booking system requires a deposit and booking starts in April or May or at least that's how it worked for DC with firm offer pre A Level results. I can't tell you about the bursary system but the KCL accomodation service are very approachable. I personally would avoid Unite Students KCL halls for KCL as they are expensive and not well run and the rooms are minuscule as in no floor space for mates to visit.

Ime about a week before the first loan comes in.

Only half joking.

It depends on the uni, but all mine it's been just before first week (the week after Freshers). Friday of Freshers' Week comes to mind.

Some will require a deposit to reserve the accommodation. I see why, but I think it's mean because it has people who are reliant on their loans unable to secure their accommodation which is unfair.

However if she is going to struggle to pay it before she gets the loan, then probably worth contacting the uni and seeing if there is any flexibility. Some (tends to be the older ones) sometimes have hardship funds and may be willing to wait.

Some universities ask for a deposit but it’s typically waived if on full loan, some universities have additional bursaries if on full loan that they don’t have to pay back, may be course dependent but my dd got one (engineering)

Also whilst it’s horrible to have to think about money making decisions, some universities are significantly cheaper in year 2&3 for accommodation, bizarrely the cheapest of all though is Cambridge living in for 3 years

I didn’t know that re possible deposit ( differs across unis, clearly) but yes @Cantstopeatingjaffacakes if that is the case then please contact the uni if it will be an issue.

And yes @bababamama‘s point about cheaper private houses. A friend’s DC was paying £10k a year for a house share last year; anecdotally other expensive unis for private accomm (and often uni halls) include Exeter, London obvs, Bath, Edinburgh.

Cheaper or with some cheaper options inc Leicester, Loughborough, Sheffield, Leeds, Birmingham)and others).

Nottingham can be cheaper for private, but be aware that all on-campus accomm is catered and thus will eat up most of even the full loan.

It’s not the only or even a major thing perhaps but it is worth bearing in mind IMO

With my two dc, I've just paid a deposit for halls for my youngest, then their rent is in 3 stage payments through the year coinciding with when they get their maintenance loan through. Not that the loan covers it, of course. My eldest is in private rented, so we just pay their each month for 11 months a year.

This really will depend on the University. In case you are looking at Leeds Uni, who have not asked for a deposit for 25/6 or 26/7 in any of their OWN accommodation (private halls that you find yourself are different).

By mid-October you need to specify who will be paying the rent and give their bank details and how they wish to pay

• Payment is taken from your account on 1 November (so ample time to sort the student loan if something goes wrong with the admin)
• Choice of 3 interest-free payment options (1) 1 payment in full or (2) 3 payments (one per term) or (3) 8 monthly payments.

Accommodation costs vary a lot within the Uni itself and between University towns/cities. Also look at costs for year 2, where you are likely to be paying for 52 week if you aren't in halls. Focus on the annual cost, rather than the weekly cost, as some contracts seemed to vary from 36-44 weeks (though the shorter ones tend to mean that they need you to vacate your room over the winter and Easter vacation).

It is probably worth looking at this sort of thing (or noting how it works) BEFORE you narrow down your 5 choices for the UCAS form if you are keen to keep costs down.

It should be available to see on most uni websites. Mine had it where it said rent was due X date but if you were paying by direct debit then it was later than that with the dates listed.

Student loan dates for Ds1 as I have that in my spreadsheet the first payment was paid the Wednesday of Fresher's week, then the first Monday for each term as he had lectures and that registered him for attendance. This was weeks before the rent was due so arrived in plenty of time.

The loan is paid in amounts of 33%, 33% and 34% the latter to allow extra money for summer for accommodation.

At Uni of Manchester there was a deposit of about £400 needed to secure uni accommodation but first payment (the fees were paid in three instalments across the year) wasn't due until after my DD's maintenance loan had come through