St Peter’s RC Sixth Form
Higher Education: Living expenses

Higher Education

Costs
   tuition fees
   other expenses
   living expenses

General Funding
   student loans
   suplementary grants
   access and hardship
   overdrafts
   sponsorship
   scholarships & awards
   career devt. loans
   social security

Specific Funding
   teacher training
   NHS bursaries
   studying abroad
   effects of
   circumstances

Useful Websites
   
   

Accommodation
The biggest expense you will face will be your accommodation costs. The National Union of Students (NUS) Accommodation Costs Survey found:

• The annual cost of rent for a student is £2,814 in London and £2,003 elsewhere.
• The average weekly rent for all types of institutionally provided accommodation for 2000-2001 was £57.32.
• Most institutions require students to pay a deposit for their rooms.In 2000-2001 the average charge of £111.
• The average weekly rent for all types of accommodation available in the private sector for 2000-2001 was £56.85.

Private accommodation is generally cheaper in the north than in the south, and there are obvious anomalies; London will be significantly more expensive than anywhere else, and also harder to find accommodation in.
There are various types of accommodation available to students, each with their own advantages and disadvantages:-

• University-owned halls of residence, full-board.
• University-owned halls of residence, meals not included but with a dining facility provided and charged for separately.
• University-owned halls of residence, self-catering.
• In a few universities (e.g. Oxford, Cambridge, Durham) college accommodation.
• University-owned houses or hostels.
• Private rented accommodation.

Lodgings, perhaps with a family.  (back to top)

Halls of Residence
The majority of first-year students live in university-owned halls of residence. Universities have varying policies surrounding hall accommodation, depending upon the places available, the facilities available on campus, and on the site of the halls. Some universities offer full-board with hall accommodation, which means that when you have paid your bill, you have paid for all your breakfasts, lunches and evening meals as well as your room. Others offer accommodation in hall and charge for meals separately, when you eat them. Some will offer a choice between the two.
Some halls of residence are no longer owned by the universities they are attached to, but have become Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs). This arrangement means that you pay rent to a company, rather than direct to the university.

Self-Catering
Increasingly, universities offer hall-style self-catering accommodation. It offers flexibility.  (back to top)

Private Accommodation
Sometimes first years find themselves without a place in hall accommodation. Private rented accommodation is an alternative and most universities have an accommodation office that can point you in the right direction, and many have lists of approved houses.

One of the drawbacks of privately rented accommodation is that you may have to rent for 52 weeks of the year, rather than for the academic part of the year. On the other hand, you will not be asked to move out during the holidays to make room for conference guests. Some landlords will allow students a discount over the summer holiday, especially if they intend to remain in the same house the following year. When you work out how much rent you can afford, don’t forget that you might have to pay electricity, gas, water and telephone bills. You need to find out whether any of these are included in the rent. You should not have to pay council tax, unless anyone who lives in your house is not a student, in which case you will only receive a 25% discount on the full amount.

Resist paying a deposit that is more than one month’s rent.
For some parents, buying a house for their son or daughter to live in whilst at university might be an option worth exploring and a potentially good investment. This can work well; you might save money on accommodation costs, and even earn money if the house is shared by other rent-paying students, and by the capital appreciation of the house.  (back to top)

• Check out whether rent is for term-time only or 52 weeks.
• Pay your hall costs early.
• If renting private accommodation, check there’s a proper lease and what deposit is required.
• Make sure you get an inventory when you move in.
• If you’re paying the heating bills, remember that a big room will be great in summer but could be cold or cost a lot to keep warm in winter.
• If you are renting private accommodation, either set bills up in joint names, where possible, or different people should have their names on different bills.
• Get your telephone bills itemised so that you only pay for your calls.
• Be aware that your landlord can’t put your rent up more than once a year.
• If you have problems with your landlord, talk to your Student Accommodation Officer, the Citizen’s Advice Bureau or the Tenants Relations Officer on the local council.

 (back to top)

Food
The NUS have calculated that the annual food/household goods bill for students in London is £1,270 and £1,067 for students elsewhere!  (back to top)

Costs of being a student 2002-2003

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Higher Education pages updated 23rdJune 2003