Durham university first year accommodation HELP
Durham is my dream university ; however, I'm wondering how lower middle class students afford it. I am not financially supported by my parents at all but they earn a lot of money which means I get the minimum maintenance loan and cannot apply for a lot of scholarships as my household income is higher than the threshold. Once my college is confirmed, will I be able to email to be considered for the hardship fund? Any advice is appreciated as I don't know how I'm going to survive on a 5k maintenance loan when all the colleges are 10k for accom. Should I prioritise applying to the older colleges like Hatfield which are known for their grants?
Reply 1
Original post
by AnonymousDurham is my dream university ; however, I'm wondering how lower middle class students afford it. I am not financially supported by my parents at all but they earn a lot of money which means I get the minimum maintenance loan and cannot apply for a lot of scholarships as my household income is higher than the threshold. Once my college is confirmed, will I be able to email to be considered for the hardship fund? Any advice is appreciated as I don't know how I'm going to survive on a 5k maintenance loan when all the colleges are 10k for accom. Should I prioritise applying to the older colleges like Hatfield which are known for their grants?
Hiya!!
Congratulations on your offer.
This is a really common worry, and I promise you’re not the only one thinking this.
First thing to say: you’re right that the numbers don’t feel like they add up, but there are systems in place, and a lot of people are quietly in the same position.
On accommodation: it’s not actually true that some colleges are massively cheaper than others. Durham sets prices centrally, so the same room type costs the same across colleges. The reason you’re seeing ~£10k is because that’s usually catered + ensuite, which is the most expensive option.
There are cheaper routes:
•
shared bathroom rooms
•
shared rooms
•
self-catering
•
potentially term-time/shorter lets
On funding:
•
You can’t apply to the main Student Support Fund until you’re actually a student, but once you’re there, you can apply if you have a genuine shortfall (view support fund information here.)
•
That fund can give grants (not just loans) for things like accommodation and living costs
•
There’s also an Instant Access Hardship Fund for short-term help with essentials, and that’s open to all students regardless of background (view information here.)
What people actually do in practice:
•
choose the cheapest room available (shared bathroom, not ensuite)
•
rely on hardship funding once they’re there
•
work part-time or over holidays
•
budget pretty tightly during term
You’re not wrong to be worried, the nation wide grant/ loan system can sometimes be flawed in its approach. You can apply for support once you’re enrolled, and many students in your exact situation do make it work.
If you want, I can break down a realistic weekly budget for Durham or suggest the cheapest accommodation setups, that usually makes it feel a lot more manageable. If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out!
-Lacey, DU Student Rep 🙂💜
Reply 2
Original post
by DurhamRep LaceyHiya!!
Congratulations on your offer.
This is a really common worry, and I promise you’re not the only one thinking this.
First thing to say: you’re right that the numbers don’t feel like they add up, but there are systems in place, and a lot of people are quietly in the same position.
On accommodation: it’s not actually true that some colleges are massively cheaper than others. Durham sets prices centrally, so the same room type costs the same across colleges. The reason you’re seeing ~£10k is because that’s usually catered + ensuite, which is the most expensive option.
There are cheaper routes:
So college choice (e.g. Hatfield vs others) won’t magically make it cheaper, it’s more about room type and catering.
On funding:
So yes, unfortunately you are unable to apply for any of these supports before your a student.
What people actually do in practice:
It’s not always easy, but it is doable, and Durham does recognise this gap. Your particular college will also help with financial advice or support - so they are definitely a port of call for when you arrive.
You’re not wrong to be worried, the nation wide grant/ loan system can sometimes be flawed in its approach. You can apply for support once you’re enrolled, and many students in your exact situation do make it work.
If you want, I can break down a realistic weekly budget for Durham or suggest the cheapest accommodation setups, that usually makes it feel a lot more manageable. If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out!
-Lacey, DU Student Rep 🙂💜
Congratulations on your offer.
This is a really common worry, and I promise you’re not the only one thinking this.
First thing to say: you’re right that the numbers don’t feel like they add up, but there are systems in place, and a lot of people are quietly in the same position.
On accommodation: it’s not actually true that some colleges are massively cheaper than others. Durham sets prices centrally, so the same room type costs the same across colleges. The reason you’re seeing ~£10k is because that’s usually catered + ensuite, which is the most expensive option.
There are cheaper routes:
•
shared bathroom rooms
•
shared rooms
•
self-catering
•
potentially term-time/shorter lets
On funding:
•
You can’t apply to the main Student Support Fund until you’re actually a student, but once you’re there, you can apply if you have a genuine shortfall (view support fund information here.)
•
That fund can give grants (not just loans) for things like accommodation and living costs
•
There’s also an Instant Access Hardship Fund for short-term help with essentials, and that’s open to all students regardless of background (view information here.)
What people actually do in practice:
•
choose the cheapest room available (shared bathroom, not ensuite)
•
rely on hardship funding once they’re there
•
work part-time or over holidays
•
budget pretty tightly during term
You’re not wrong to be worried, the nation wide grant/ loan system can sometimes be flawed in its approach. You can apply for support once you’re enrolled, and many students in your exact situation do make it work.
If you want, I can break down a realistic weekly budget for Durham or suggest the cheapest accommodation setups, that usually makes it feel a lot more manageable. If you have any further questions please feel free to reach out!
-Lacey, DU Student Rep 🙂💜
Hi thank you so much for replying! Could you breakdown a realistic weekly budget and suggest the cheapest accomodation setups?
Reply 3
Reply 4
18
dunno if this helps but st. john's college offers a lot of free things like free laundry and free formals, so you might wanna look into that if you're trying to minimise your budget at uni! 🙂 good luck!
Reply 5
18
Original post
by AnonymousHi thank you so much for replying! Could you breakdown a realistic weekly budget and suggest the cheapest accomodation setups?
hiya, i got an offer from durham too and recently attended their global gateway series of webinars (basically about all things durham!) - here's a recording of one of those webinars titled 'living in college' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc3pwlr36N8 (don't worry they uploaded this on youtube so i think i'm allowed to share it - and all the webinars are over now anyway). this contains information on living in college, budgeting tips, and yes weekly costs (timestamp 06:00) amongst other things which may or may not be useful to you
as for accommodation charges, you might want to check out this link https://www.durham.ac.uk/colleges-and-student-experience/accommodation-and-catering/residence-charges/undergraduate-residence-charges/
hope this helps and good luck! just out of interest what's your top choice college? mine is st. mary's
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