Durham college allocations, advice please

Hello

My daughter is going to firm Durham and is very much looking forward to starting in the autumn 🤞. She’s just choosing the colleges. For health reasons, that I would rather not go into here, she needs to be in a catered college (and she’s listing pretty much all of them so not being too demanding). She’s sent in letters of support from her school and GP, explaining the reasons for her choice (her illness was fully disclosed on her UCAS form) but Durham has responded by basically saying that she has to apply and see what she gets. Does anyone have any advice or experience please as to the best way to go about this? I would have thought that the university has to take such matters into consideration when allocating? My daughter is understandably worried about this, which is the last thing she needs before exams but also is worried about upsetting the university in some way by questioning it. Any help very much appreciated. Thank you.

Reply 1

Durham Rep Ghala

Official Rep

Original post by NewEras

Hello
My daughter is going to firm Durham and is very much looking forward to starting in the autumn 🤞. She’s just choosing the colleges. For health reasons, that I would rather not go into here, she needs to be in a catered college (and she’s listing pretty much all of them so not being too demanding). She’s sent in letters of support from her school and GP, explaining the reasons for her choice (her illness was fully disclosed on her UCAS form) but Durham has responded by basically saying that she has to apply and see what she gets. Does anyone have any advice or experience please as to the best way to go about this? I would have thought that the university has to take such matters into consideration when allocating? My daughter is understandably worried about this, which is the last thing she needs before exams but also is worried about upsetting the university in some way by questioning it. Any help very much appreciated. Thank you.

Hiya,

I know this is extremely stressful and frustrating for you and your daughter but all of the colleges are working very hard to implement students medical and accessibility needs and her allocated college should be able to. If your daughter is allocated a college that cannot meet those needs, then you can put forward a college transfer request to the accommodation and allocation office and transfer to a college that can meet those needs (I attached a link with more info on medical needs & transfer requests). As it stands now, she does need to apply and rank her colleges and wait for the preliminary allocation.
College Transfer Requests - Durham University

In the meantime, you can get in touch with the accommodation and allocation office to discuss this matter further and see what they can do to help while you wait for the preliminary allocation.
0191 334 1774
[email protected] for UG
[email protected] for PG offer holders

I hope this helps and Goodluck 🙂

-Ghala

Reply 2

NewEras

Original post by Durham Students

Hiya,
I know this is extremely stressful and frustrating for you and your daughter but all of the colleges are working very hard to implement students medical and accessibility needs and her allocated college should be able to. If your daughter is allocated a college that cannot meet those needs, then you can put forward a college transfer request to the accommodation and allocation office and transfer to a college that can meet those needs (I attached a link with more info on medical needs & transfer requests). As it stands now, she does need to apply and rank her colleges and wait for the preliminary allocation.
College Transfer Requests - Durham University
In the meantime, you can get in touch with the accommodation and allocation office to discuss this matter further and see what they can do to help while you wait for the preliminary allocation.
0191 334 1774
[email protected] for UG
[email protected] for PG offer holders
I hope this helps and Goodluck 🙂
-Ghala

Thanks so much Ghala, we really appreciate this.

Best wishes

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Hopefully your daughter gets into her chosen colleges! However, I recommend keeping up-to-date documents on this if you plan on re-applying to the same catered college for her following years as this will help massively in her being a returner in her college, otherwise you may have to resort in finding private accommodation elsewhere. Just a sidenote I thought I'd add :smile: