New Glasgow students told they will not be guaranteed accommodation this year as union claims university has accepted too many students
- Glasgow University rejected applications for halls from those able to commute
- It also could not guarantee accommodation to those who live further afield
- The university blamed the strained rental market for an increased halls demand
- But the Students’ Representative Council believe the issue is ‘over-recruitment’
- Several students have said they might have to give up their place as a result
New Glasgow University students will not be guaranteed accommodation this year and have been advised only to accept their place if they have already secured somewhere to stay.
The university blamed a ‘significant contraction’ in Glasgow’s rental market for an increased demand in student halls.
But the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) claimed it had instead accepted too many people.
As a result of the ‘increased demand’ for private rented accommodation in Glasgow, the SRC said they lobbied the university to limit acceptance numbers for 2021.
New Glasgow University students will not be guaranteed accommodation this year and have been advised only to accept their place if they have already secured somewhere to stay as the university blamed a ‘significant contraction’ in the city’s private rental market
After receiving their results on Tuesday, students who live within commuting distance were automatically denied accommodation.
Those who live further away were also told accommodation was not guaranteed, despite the university saying it had increased the number of rooms under its management by 25 per cent, the BBC reported.
One 18-year-old, from Burton-on-Trent, has a conditional offer to study politics at Glasgow University but said it looks like she may not be able to go at all.
After receiving their results on Tuesday, students who live within commuting distance were automatically denied accommodation and those who live further away were also told accommodation was not guaranteed, despite the university saying it had increased the number of rooms under its management by 25 per cent
Elissa Varley, 18, who lives in Burton-on-Trent, said if her conditional offer to study politics is accepted, she might not be able to go at all, as she ‘can’t commute five-and-a-half hours’
Elissa Varley told BBC Scotland: ‘Either I withdraw my application, which would also withdraw my insurance option, or I take a risk and try to find somewhere private to stay in two weeks and possibly be left with no accommodation.
‘I don’t even know my results yet and whether I’ve got in and then I have two weeks to find private accommodation.
‘I can’t commute five-and-a-half hours.’
Elissa added that she wished prospective students had been told sooner so she could have been better prepared to look for alternative accommodation or applied to a different university through clearing.
David Todd, who is based in Manchester, has waited a year to start a PhD at Glasgow University but said he now might have to defer or drop out completely.
University of Leeds graduate David Todd, who is based in Manchester, has waited a year to start a PhD at Glasgow University but said he now might have to defer or drop out completely as he was relying on postgraduate accommodation through the university to house him
‘I have been relying on postgraduate accommodation through the university to house me as I can’t really afford to live anywhere too expensive and I don’t know anyone in Glasgow,’ he told BBC Scotland.
A statement from Glasgow University’s SRC said: ‘The SRC is aware of the issues leading up to this point and we would like to express our disappointment at the university’s approach.
‘After the accommodation crisis across Glasgow last year, the SRC lobbied the university to commit to a moratorium on student numbers, despite this it now seems that over-recruitment has contributed to the creation of a similar situation.’
The statement went on to say that the SRC understood finding private accommodation in Glasgow was not easy as it was experiencing an ‘unprecedented level of demand’ and that students should look at their advice centre for tips.
President of the SRC Rinna Vare said the council were very concerned about how the accommodation shortage would impact incoming freshers.
University of Glasgow’s Student Representatives’ Council said it lobbied the university last year to reduce the number of students it was accepting as a result of the accommodation crisis and believed this latest issue was as a result of ‘over-recruitment’
A University of Glasgow spokesperson said: ‘Regrettably, due to a significant contraction in the private rental market, demand for rooms continues to be substantially ahead of expectation and we are no longer in a position to provide guaranteed University accommodation.
‘Despite having increased the number of rooms under University management by 25 per cent for the new academic year, we are having to prioritise accommodation for students who are unable to travel from home.
‘We understand the concern students have about finding accommodation for the new semester.
‘While we are unable to offer accommodation for students living within reasonable commuting distance, we will continue to check regularly on the availability of private provider accommodation and will share updates when we have them.’
