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lknights1987
Posts: 77 Forumite
Hi
My friend who was due to start university in Birmingham next week has had a phone call from them letting her know that her course has been cancelled. She has quit her job and signed an agreement to rent a room in student accommodation but now she is being told she can't cancel the agreement unless she finds someone else to move into the property.
The same thing happened last year. The university phoned her to cancel the course telling her they had over booked with students and that she will be booked onto the course a year later. They have told her the same story again this time round.
Where does she stand in this matter? Will she have to pay for the rent even if she doesn't live there ?
My friend who was due to start university in Birmingham next week has had a phone call from them letting her know that her course has been cancelled. She has quit her job and signed an agreement to rent a room in student accommodation but now she is being told she can't cancel the agreement unless she finds someone else to move into the property.
The same thing happened last year. The university phoned her to cancel the course telling her they had over booked with students and that she will be booked onto the course a year later. They have told her the same story again this time round.
Where does she stand in this matter? Will she have to pay for the rent even if she doesn't live there ?
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Comments
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I've never heard of courses being over booked with students.
Can she choose another course? Seems odd they would do this to her twice and she accepts it.0 -
lknights1987 wrote: »Where does she stand in this matter? Will she have to pay for the rent even if she doesn't live there ?
however, as it is the university which has cancelled the course I would think she has a good case for appealing to "the university" over the decision of the accommodation office to impose the "normal" contract terms re her rent
get her to speak to the student union (even if she isn't a student?) or even the university's own student advice centre0 -
That's very odd and I wouldn't take that lying down.
Is this a normal undergrad course that she applied to through UCAS?
Maybe post on the student board for advice on getting them to honour her place?0 -
technically yes, university accommodation operates those rules
however, as it is the university which has cancelled the course I would think she has a good case for appealing to "the university" over the decision of the accommodation office to impose the "normal" contract terms re her rent0 -
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Never mind the accommodation - I wouldn't take a second postponement lying down! If they postponed her course last year, she should have been at the front of the bloody queue this year - she should go and make a fuss!0
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It does sound a bit odd. Can't they even offer an alternative course? Does she have the required examination results?
It seems strange because the caps that were in place for student numbers were dropped a couple of years ago (so how could the course be overbooked last year) although apparently student numbers have now dropped.
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/aug/14/nervous-universities-await-clearing-as-student-applications-fall
Nothing explains how the course could have been overbooked last year and cancelled this year. I would have thought, if university accommodation she could get her accommodation fees returned. I just had to pay a deposit of £250 for my son's room. Don't see how university can charge her for the whole year if the course has been cancelled. If private rental (unusual for first year, most students live in the first year) she will have more problems.
But I am sorry, what you have been told doesn't make sense on a number of fronts. Is she doing a postgraduate course?0 -
If it's a private LL, then yes she's liable.
But they should definitely be pursuing this with the university as something is not right here.They are an EYESORES!!!!0 -
lknights1987 wrote: »Hi
My friend who was due to start university in Birmingham next week has had a phone call from them letting her know that her course has been cancelled. She has quit her job and signed an agreement to rent a room in student accommodation but now she is being told she can't cancel the agreement unless she finds someone else to move into the property. - Just don't move in. The tenancy never starts and the rent isn't due.
The same thing happened last year. The university phoned her to cancel the course telling her they had over booked with students and that she will be booked onto the course a year later. They have told her the same story again this time round.
Where does she stand in this matter? Will she have to pay for the rent even if she doesn't live there ?0 -
I find it very hard to believe that a university would do that once - let alone twice. Are you sure that you have the whole story?
You say a 'university in Birmingham' - is it Birmingham University?Important information about your student contract with the University of Birmingham
...
If changes to your programme are made after you have accepted your offer, the University will try to give you early notification of those changes and minimise their impact by offering suitable alternative arrangements, helping you find an alternative programme or University or providing compensation where it believes there is a fair case to do so.
...
Link: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/requirements/terms.aspx
I really don't believe that any university would just phone a prospective student two weeks before the start of term and just say "Sorry, the course is cancelled/over booked, you can't come!".0
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