Prospective Durham Uni students: Would you be put off by £7k accommodation fees?

If that was £6800 for an ensuite it wouldn't be too bad, the same deal in Sheffield would be £6400 and the catering doesn't cover everything there, most will spend £10-15 on food outside that each week so it'd work out to a similar price.

Reply 21

lukey101

OP

Original post by nexttime

I can empathise with you - it was the same at my university. However just because its unusual doesn't mean it should be, particularly if you are saying that the costs are becoming a problem. The most effective form of protest will be to vote with your money, and tell others to do the same. Convincing people to just not apply to Durham any more probably isn't as effective really.

I think most people would see having to live out as the very worst outcome from the protests, and would be a misdirection of energies. If we were to focus protests on allowing and encouraging fresher students to live out then 1. This would drive up the cost of accommodation for livers out including 2nd and 3rd years, as it would create a huge influx of competition on the student housing market. 2. For this year at least, most of the student housing has already been sold, there simply would not be enough to accommodate a whole year group. Any houses left would be quite far out and isolated from the city, which isn't ideal for fresher's. 3. We'd be encouraging fresher's to sacrifice their collegiate experience, which I think is an integral part of being at somewhere like Durham university.

Weirdly though, I agree with your notion of 'vote with your money' which is why I think further protestations should take the form of rent strikes from current students. But I'm pretty sure i'm entirely alone in my view on this. :') (100% certain no radical politics has ever occurred in Durham)

Also, I don't know where you got the idea that I was 'convincing people to just not apply to Durham'. I have reiterated throughout the thread that I love student life at Durham, and that I would hope everyone who has an offer would not be put off by any sort of financial stumbling block. The purpose of this thread was to gather views from prospective students who are voiceless on the issue of accommodation fees, which I feel is a problem as the changes are going to directly affect them.

Reply 22

lukey101

OP

Original post by Helloworld_95

If that was £6800 for an ensuite it wouldn't be too bad, the same deal in Sheffield would be £6400 and the catering doesn't cover everything there, most will spend £10-15 on food outside that each week so it'd work out to a similar price.

Point is, in Sheffield you have a variety of options actually available for students. It may well be £6400 for an ensuite, but i'm sure you could get considerably cheaper accommodation in a single room at a different halls.

In Durham the CHEAPEST accommodation across the whole university will be £6800. Regardless of whether it's single, shared, or ensuite, the fact is at Durham students don't have that choice to choose considerably cheaper accommodation. It's £6800 for a shared, around £7000 for a single ensuite, and there's nothing else.

Edit: That was misleading, a couple of colleges like Grey do have self-catered accommodation for a small number of students.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 23

melissafrat

2

To be honest, this does put me off Durham more than expected... But I initially applied because of the world-class education and the great Geography department!
In certain circumstances, can you ask for more time to be able to pay off your accommodation fees? If you absolutely can't pay it, what can you do...?!

Reply 24

12ayresy

Great...

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 25

Yack in a Box

Original post by rennys

Is this true? I just firmed Durham over UCL and King's partly because of the cost of living in London. I don't really have a say in this right now, since I already made my choice...

Well, apparently UCL is just as expensive if not more... if you haven't taken fees into consideration until now it's not really an issue. Both are expensive.

Source: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/accommodation/residences/fees

Reply 26

jameswhughes

19

Original post by Yack in a Box

Well, apparently UCL is just as expensive if not more... if you haven't taken fees into consideration until now it's not really an issue. Both are expensive.

Source: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/accommodation/residences/fees

Though at UCL for that price, you can get your own ensuite as opposed to sharing a bedroom with someone else. :lol:

Reply 27

Yack in a Box

Original post by jameswhughes

Though at UCL for that price, you can get your own ensuite as opposed to sharing a bedroom with someone else. :lol:

Yes and no. That still depends. The difference i've noticed (in Durham) between shared and single was ~200-300 pounds a year. So you could also get a single for a similar price.

The point is that if living costs are a major factor for you, know that the difference between those is only marginal. Also, is there any place more expensive than london?

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 28

jameswhughes

19

Original post by Yack in a Box

Yes and no. That still depends. The difference i've noticed (in Durham) between shared and single was ~200-300 pounds a year. So you could also get a single for a similar price.

The point is that if living costs are a major factor for you, know that the difference between those is only marginal. Also, is there any place more expensive than london?

Well the cheapest shared room on that UCL table is £4018 pounds a year - so yes Durham is £3000 more expensive than London. It's not marginal, it's approaching twice the price.

Reply 29

Yack in a Box

Original post by jameswhughes

Well the cheapest shared room on that UCL table is £4018 pounds a year - so yes Durham is £3000 more expensive than London. It's not marginal, it's approaching twice the price.

Isn't Butler around that price?

Reply 30

rennys

8

Original post by Yack in a Box

Well, apparently UCL is just as expensive if not more... if you haven't taken fees into consideration until now it's not really an issue. Both are expensive.

Source: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/accommodation/residences/fees

Well, at least Durham as a city is not as expensive... my brother at UCL spends 80 pounds a month just for transportation. Plus, he pays around 900 a month at a Unite residence which is far more than you would pay in second and third year in Durham, outside college. Although, I do agree, that 7000 is too much for what is offered at Durham colleges.

Reply 31

Yack in a Box

Original post by rennys

Well, at least Durham as a city is not as expensive... my brother at UCL spends 80 pounds a month just for transportation. Plus, he pays around 900 a month at a Unite residence which is far more than you would pay in second and third year in Durham, outside college. Although, I do agree, that 7000 is too much for what is offered at Durham colleges.

What bothers me just as much is the rate of change over the past 3-4 years. I was allocated to Collingwood and it's in the 6K price range as well. Which college are you from?

Reply 32

rennys

8

Original post by Yack in a Box

What bothers me just as much is the rate of change over the past 3-4 years. I was allocated to Collingwood and it's in the 6K price range as well. Which college are you from?

Grey. My point is that initially, when I heard that college fees were so high, I was a little bit put off, because one of the major reasons I chose Durham over London was cost, but in the end, living-in is only for one year and the rest of student life is certainly not as expensive as it is in London, so I guess I am fine with it now.
I do understand though that other people might not be able to pay such high fees for what is offered, which sucks. And I also know that they are basically stealing our money but we cannot do much about it, can we? I haven't even taken my exams yet so I don't even know if this is where I am going to end up.

Reply 33

Yack in a Box

Original post by rennys

Grey. My point is that initially, when I heard that college fees were so high, I was a little bit put off, because one of the major reasons I chose Durham over London was cost, but in the end, living-in is only for one year and the rest of student life is certainly not as expensive as it is in London, so I guess I am fine with it now.
I do understand though that other people might not be able to pay such high fees for what is offered, which sucks. And I also know that they are basically stealing our money but we cannot do much about it, can we? I haven't even taken my exams yet so I don't even know if this is where I am going to end up.

Yeah, that's pretty much a big part of what upsets people so much. Anyway, i wish you the best of luck on your exams! :biggrin:

Reply 34

abhishekguptaias

I am looking forward for MBA at Durham University for sept 2015 intake , i would appreciate your help to guide me regarding average monthly expense for living in Durham as i might be allocated Ustinov College

Reply 35

Josb

6

Original post by lukey101

Maybe i didn't make myself clear about the nature of living in/out in Durham. Some people do live out, but these are almost exclusively in exceptional circumstances like if you live very close to Durham itself. It is entirely expected of students by the university and respective colleges to live in first year, so I didn't consider it worth mentioning as an option.

Original post by nexttime

I can empathise with you - it was the same at my university. However just because its unusual doesn't mean it should be, particularly if you are saying that the costs are becoming a problem. The most effective form of protest will be to vote with your money, and tell others to do the same. Convincing people to just not apply to Durham any more probably isn't as effective really.

Another problem is that you don't have so much choice with private landlords, and they tend to charge a lot too.

Example:

The En-Suites range in price from £115 to £130 per weekwith the majority availably at £125 per week on 51 week contracts (£6,375 ).

Studios – Our self contained Studios have their own small kitchens and eating areas, en-suite shower rooms with wc and wash basin, and spacious living areas with fitted work stations, and 4’6″ (1.37m) wide double beds. All are 18.5 m² . There are a choice of layouts, with Premium studios having double aspect windows, and also 2 Extra Large (24m²) studios. Regular studios are £165 per week on 51 week contracts (£8,415 ), Premium £170 per week (£8,670) and Extra Large £195 per week (£9,945). We welcome double occupancy of studios for and extra £30 per week.

http://www.universalstudentliving.com/properties/durham/#property-tabs2
And they ask to pay the whole rent upfront. :mad:

Reply 36

Yack in a Box

Original post by Josb

Another problem is that you don't have so much choice with private landlords, and they tend to charge a lot too.

Example:
http://www.universalstudentliving.com/properties/durham/#property-tabs2
And they ask to pay the whole rent upfront. :mad:

Wow, I haven't even considered the fact that this will also influence private landlords.. well that's pretty nasty.

Reply 37

nexttime

22

Original post by Josb

Another problem is that you don't have so much choice with private landlords, and they tend to charge a lot too.

Example:
http://www.universalstudentliving.com/properties/durham/#property-tabs2
And they ask to pay the whole rent upfront. :mad:

So what you're saying is that Durham is just really expensive? (if you're selling that as the cheapest accommodation you could find then probably the most expensive town in the UK?). In which case... I kind of empathise with the university. They have to balance the books somewhere.

(Slightly playing devils advocate here of course)

Reply 38

Josb

6

Original post by nexttime

So what you're saying is that Durham is just really expensive? (if you're selling that as the cheapest accommodation you could find then probably the most expensive town in the UK?). In which case... I kind of empathise with the university. They have to balance the books somewhere.

(Slightly playing devils advocate here of course)

I think it's the contrary, private landlords align their rents with those of the university.