Rent reductions on campus
Posted on 8 January 2020
There will be 260 rooms in St Lawrence with a reduced rent of £99 per week for the 20/21 academic year, and 92 catered rooms in Fairfax will also be priced £99 per week, with the additional catering cost producing a total cost of £139 per week. The University has worked closely with YUSU and the GSA to discuss setting rents across all of our colleges as part of Officers’ ongoing manifesto promise, and this decision is a positive result of those discussions.
Through the University Rents Group, the University works collaboratively with representatives from YUSU and the GSA to assess the viability of a range of rent setting options. Rents are set annually, one year ahead of the next academic year, with the Rent Group taking into account issues of affordability both to our students and to the University.
Clear feedback
Vice-Chancellor, Charlie Jeffery said:
"This reduction in rent is a response to the clear feedback we have had from our students.
"I am acutely aware that student finances are often stretched and paying the rent and bills on time can be a source of concern and anxiety for many.
"We look at our accommodation charges annually in consultation with YUSU and the GSA and this year we have agreed to underwrite reductions that will provide a greater number of lower cost options for our students."
Steph Hale, Community and Wellbeing Officer, University of York Students’ Union, said:
“I am thrilled to see that the #RentRant campaign I lead and the support students gave our lobbying has finally secured change.
"Cutting over 300 rooms to £99 a week shows the University is beginning to understand that the cost of living for students can be utterly devastating, and while this is just a small, symbolic step, I hope it will be the first of many.
"This win is not the end of the line, but rather a stepping stone in our fight to a fully affordable rent portfolio for the University of York that allows all its students to not just survive, but truly thrive.”
Pürnur Altay, President of the Graduate Students’ Association, said:
“It's fantastic to see the hard work undertaken by our previous GSA Officers, Charlotte and Amy, in collaboration with our colleagues at YUSU, has resulted in this much needed offer for our students.
"We hope that from this we will be able to focus on more accommodation issues that affect postgraduate students, including the lack of postgraduate accommodation on campus and the shortage of options off campus.
"We're committed, to make sure our postgrads can start their studies without additional stresses."
Campus life
Over 4,000 first year students, and more than 600 students in subsequent years, have expressed a strong desire to live on campus. An increasing number of returning students and postgraduate students also wish to live on campus. The University recently opened its accommodation bookings to continuing students for the next academic year, and has already seen a positive occupancy rate, such is the popularity of college based accommodation.
Support
Each year the University provides bursaries and financial assistance to eligible students. In the 2018/19 academic year more than 3,000 students received a £2,000 contribution towards their rent in University owned or managed accommodation and a £1,100 cash payment in their post-first year to help with private sector payments, around £4.8M in total.
The University will continue to work closely with YUSU and the GSA to ensure fair rents are discussed and reviewed annually. More information on our fair rent principles.