Credit: Hugo Cheung
Investigations Editor
A study by the Huffington Post has revealed that the cost of accommodation at the UK’s top universities has increased by up to 77% in the past decade. Although maintenance loans have only risen by 13% between 2008 and 2018, the cost of the cheapest available halls at Russell Group Universities has jumped by an average of 41%.
The University of Glasgow has increased by 29% from £2899 in 2008/2009 to £3732 in 2018/2019.
Of the twenty universities that gave their information to the HuffPost, just four offered accommodation with rent costs that would leave minimum loan students more than £1,000 to live on after paying the annual rent – around £25 a week.
Students living in the least expensive accommodation and receiving the basic living costs would have less than this to spend weekly, despite having to share bedrooms with another person.
A spokesperson for the Department for Education commented: “We have increased support for full-time students’ living costs by 3.2% for the current academic year, with a further 2.8% increase for 2019/20. Disadvantaged students starting their courses this year have access to the largest ever amounts of cash-in-hand support for their living costs.
“The post-18 education and funding review is looking at financial support available to students, including how disadvantaged students and learners receive maintenance support.”
