£9156: the politics of student rent increases Student

Amber Tait

The increase in cost of a standard catered room at Durham University has been met with outrage from students. The University has been criticised for reinforcing structural class divides, and pricing working class students out of the city.

The cost-of-living crisis has already resulted in a housing crisis in the city, with many students still uncertain about where they will live next academic year. The rise in the price of college accommodation means that what had previously been a safety net for those struggling to rent privately, is now less affordable than in the past.

The University has justified this increase in college rent, arguing that increased costs of supplies have forced them to drive up their prices, but many students have questioned what this money is being spent on.

A standard catered room will now cost £9,156 for a 39-week contract – with the maximum student loan for students living away from home outside of London now being £9,978, leaving just £822 after rent has been paid.

Student Finance England will only be increasing student loans by 2.8% for the 2023/24 academic year, compared to the current rate of inflation at 9%. This decision has been met with mass criticism and will put every student in receipt of student finance in a worse off position.

With prices rising for students around the country, a university education is becoming increasingly inaccessible for working class students, and those whose parents are not earning higher incomes.

The current student loan system is limited and does not consider the various factors that may affect a student’s ability to fund their studies. The system ultimately considers parental income, the type of course being studied and whether a student has learning difficulties or extenuating circumstances that may hinder their education.

or the price of basic accommodation at the university they have chosen to a end. This means that every situation is assessed with the same broad conditions that most people’s situations do not fit into. Ultimately, a student who has no siblings, whose parents may pay out a small mortgage every month will be awarded the same loan entitlement as a student whose parents pay a large sum in rent every month, if their combined annual income is the same. As such, the way in which a student’s income is assessed is flawed, resulting in some struggling to afford their university experience.

In the past, a Durham education was far more affordable. According to a 2005-06 occupancy agreement for Collingwood College, tuition fees cost £1,175 each year with a standard catered room costing £3693 (around £5,622.84 in 2022, according to the Bank of England’s Inflation calculator). Despite the rise in tuition fees being a policy introduced by the Government, the rise in accommodation fees is something the University is responsible for. Although this can be explained by an improvement in facilities in Durham, or an increase in pay for staff, the significant increase in the cost of accommodation against inflation seems difficult to justify.

The system does not consider the amount of money a student’s parents may spend per month on rent or a mortgage, other debt they may acquire, or the number of dependents their parents may have,

Durham University has justified the increase in college rent costs by arguing that the worst off students will be eligible for the Durham Grant - set at £2,500 for the year 2023-4 - although this will still leave students struggling to get by, even on top of the maximum student loan.

The options for a student in this situation seem clear: miss out on entertainment throughout the year that their peers will be able to afford, such as formal dinners, joining societies or balls; or opt for cheaper self-catered college where one may be able to save money on food. The reality is that an ever-present divide is appearing in Durham, where students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds populate the self-catered colleges in greater numbers than their wealthier peers who populate the Bailey. The increase to rent prices will result in this divide expanding.