Exeter College is currently undergoing negotiations with its students about a rise in rent costs which could amount to an increase of 3.5% per year.
The proposal for the increase was put forward at a meeting in college on May 14th, and was initially rejected. On Sunday the college held a JCR meeting, which included a Q&A session with the Rector and the bursar, allowing students to voice their concerns about the proposal.
The suggested rise is due to “a large deficit in Exeter’s student accommodation,” said Exeter JCR secretary Chris Penny.
Penny said that College’s initial plans to raise fees “would take the rent up to £1,600 per term, which is much higher than the student loan. This would mean that students would have to find £800 from sources other than the student loan, and would have to cut costs significantly.”
The lowest tier of student maintenance loan is currently around £3,600 per year, meaning that some students would have to find an extra £1,200 per year to cover the cost of accomodation alone.
David Thomas, a second-year student at Exeter, said that currently, “there is nothing more than speculation; any figures that have been named are just suggestions.”
Frances Cairncross, Exeter College Rector, confirmed that the rent rise “will not exceed 3.5% in the coming year.”
Explaining the decision to increase the cost of rent, Ms Cairncross said the College would prefer to concentrate resources “on providing excellent teaching and on giving targeted help to students in financial hardship”.
She says that the Exeter currently subsidises rent across the board for all students who live in college.
“For those students who genuinely cannot afford their rent or other essential living expenses, the first recourse is help from the bursaries that the University provides (which are the most generous in the country). In addition, Exeter has substantial hardship funds.”
Yet Penny said that, “if they put up rents, the hardship funds would not be sufficient for the entire student body affected by this.”
Although Penny says that the college is “reluctant” to cut costs to services, he believes that “the message that students cannot afford to pay that much is starting to get through to the College.”
“We are in negotiations and haven’t decided on a figure yet,” says Katy Moe, Exeter JCR President, “but we’re looking to get a good deal for both the JCR and the College.”
Exeter fight fee hike
