Student Housing and House Prices

silvercar

CLAPTON wrote: »

A further thought if fairness is an issue; why shouldn't ALL 18 years olds be offered a SLC type loan whether they go to Uni or not; so e.g. non students could travel the world for three years or so which I'm sure is very enriching experience too.

Student loans are meant to enable all to be able to afford to go to university. Extend it to all and some would just be using it to sit around and drink alcohol and take drugs, rather than travel the world.

lostinrates

CLAPTON wrote: »

Although these boards often mention BTL etc I've not seen anyone mention the rise in student numbers as being a significant issue as a cause of housing and the high price.

students often move IN to BTLs. so the effects can't really be separated. In fact, the cannier people where I studied ad converted barns/bought houses in the nearest city and surrounds, to cater to this new market. Whether they were let to students or young professionals didn't really concern them, so long as the rent was paid I guess!

Tara: I lived in halls for a year, then into other arrangements. I was at a specialist college. I couldn't have commuted to a similarly good one.

wageslave

The brats university of choice (Edinburgh) is around 4k a term for, well you can't call it halls anymore, they have little studio flats (and I mean little) and they will feed her.

I am sure the cost reflects the fact that the better Scottish uni's have become overrun with the English middleclass. Daddys little darlings.

I will need a cleaning job in the mornings.

silvercar

wageslave wrote: »

The brats university of choice (Edinburgh) is around 4k a term for, well you can't call it halls anymore, they have little studio flats (and I mean little) and they will feed her.

I am sure the cost reflects the fact that the better Scottish uni's have become overrun with the English middleclass. Daddys little darlings.

I will need a cleaning job in the mornings.

I think most big cities are about the same. Certainly Manchester Halls are 4k and student houses are about £3.2 plus bills.

wageslave

silvercar wrote: »

I think most big cities are about the same. Certainly Manchester Halls are 4k and student houses are about £3.2 plus bills.

How the fu ck do ordinary people afford it?

And I am an ordinary person who is going to have to try.

Honestly 4k a term plus everything else. I can't see any change from 20 grand a year.

I wasn't joking about the cleaning job

tara747

silvercar wrote: »

It is probably true that the majority of students live within reach of a university town, but it may not be that their local university is the right university for them, in terms of degree choices offered or that they may not meet the entrance requirements for the course they wish to study at their home university.

Exactly. I was going to make the very same point but you put it so well silvercar.

wageslave wrote: »

The brats university of choice (Edinburgh) is around 4k a term for, well you can't call it halls anymore, they have little studio flats (and I mean little) and they will feed her.

£4k a term?? Are you sure? That's £12k a year.

wageslave wrote: »

How the fu ck do ordinary people afford it?

And I am an ordinary person who is going to have to try.

Honestly 4k a term plus everything else. I can't see any change from 20 grand a year.

I wasn't joking about the cleaning job

Um, let her contribute towards it herself as well? Student loan, part time work, holiday work, seek and apply for any available scholarships and bursaries etc. Same as everyone else. I don't see why parents should be expected to fund their kids' university education, mine didn't. It will be fine, I promise.

tara747

CLAPTON wrote: »

UK has a housing shortage; this shows itself in the high price of housing relative to incomes and the long waiting lists for social housing.

I'm sure it's true that some students can't reasonably commute to Uni but the majority of people live within reach of a university town so if education is the primary goal rather than having a life experience then living at home is a viable alternative.

I'm sure its true that Uni students like the 'living away ' experience but its also true that people with young families would enjoy decent housing.
No all countries share the UK model of Uni education.

I'm not sure what you mean 'on their own land' .. the majority of Uni land has been directly funded by the taxpayer and not by some benevolent donor.

The current practice of people going away to Uni was probably appropriate when only 5% of people went to Uni but now that nearly 50% do it not quite so viable.
If it is really true that the majority of Unis have oodles of suitable land then that's an absolute disgrace.

What I'm saying is that the 'right' of students to have a good time at Uni should be balanced by the alternative uses for the every expensive Uni resources and funding.

And I'm saying that its an area of debate rarely exercised but that makes it no less valid.

There is no housing shortage in the UK.

There is a shortage of social housing because since the 1980s it has been sold off on the despicable Right To Buy scheme and not replaced.

Most 'old' universities have had their land for years and years, waaay before they were funded by govt.

University-provided student accommodation should at least cover its own costs so no taxpayer subsidy should be required (unlike Right To Buy, or Right To Be Subsided By The Taxpayer as I like to call it).

p.s. Slightly OT, but nobody has mentioned the ridiculous govt '50% into HE' target, so I hope you don't mind me making a tiny amendment to this bit: The current practice of people going [STRIKE]away [/STRIKE]to Uni was probably appropriate when only 5% of people went to Uni but now that nearly 50% do it not quite so viable.

lostinrates

tara747 wrote: »

£4k a term?? Are you sure? That's £12k a year.
.

My halls were about £90- 100 a week IIRC. Of course you ould/had to vacate summer and some other weeks christams/easter....a pain if the mandatory vacate weeks were when you wanted to work in the library (one of the reasons I moved from halls was I had BETTER access to the facilities without having to vacate). So what was that £3.5k a year....plus food other costs. My student job covered it.

wageslave

lostinrates wrote: »

My halls were about £90- 100 a week IIRC. Of course you ould/had to vacate summer and some other weeks christams/easter....a pain if the mandatory vacate weeks were when you wanted to work in the library (one of the reasons I moved from halls was I had BETTER access to the facilities without having to vacate). So what was that £3.5k a year....plus food other costs. My student job covered it.

£3k something a term nearer four. That's ensuite and meals provided and vacatingy Christmas and Easter.

Then there is travel and books and god knows what else....

OK, she could sleep in a tip and live on pot noodles and it would cost £10k a year. I think not.

I want to know her sheets are clean and she is getting something, anything close to her five a day. We are talking about a girl that can't boil a kettle without a set of instructions. More to the point we are talking about my girl.

I would be cheaper moving with her

lostinrates

wageslave wrote: »

£3k something a term nearer four. That's ensuite and meals provided and vacatingy Christmas and Easter.

Then there is travel and books and god knows what else....

OK, she could sleep in a tip and live on pot noodles and it would cost £10k a year. I think not.

I want to know her sheets are clean and she is getting something, anything close to her five a day. We are talking about a girl that can't boil a kettle without a set of instructions. More to the point we are talking about my girl.

I would be cheaper moving with her

yeah, our rooms were good...tbh, I would have gone with cheaper though, had there been the option, my friends in Oxford were paying less, and in London. But we had those little boxy wet rooms, and couldn't complain about the standards. Food was extra though, and washing sheets etc was up to us...do they do that for people? I've just asked DH if the scouts did it at Oxford and he can't remember. I hope so, otherwise I have a horrid feeling he slept on the same sheets for 3 years :eek: