Cost of university accommodation up 23%

In a further draw on the average student's income, new figures reveal the cost of university accommodation has risen 23 per cent in two years.

Students heading to university for the first time are already faced with far more costs than previous generations, with top-up fees of up to £2,000 a year being applied on top of tuition fees of £1,000.

And now a report from the NUS and Unipol shows that since 2003 the average cost of university accommodation has risen by 23 per cent to stand at £82 a week.

This is 37 per cent above 2001's figure of £60.

London is the costliest place for students, with an average rent of £100 a week while Wales was found to be the cheapest at £67.

"This is a timely reminder that the increased price and lack of choice of university accommodation will need to be addressed to truly ensure poorer students can access higher education," said NUS chief Veronica King.

The NUS report points to the increased use of private suppliers in meeting accommodation needs as a key concern.

These mainly en-suite rooms could be being built at the expense of cheaper accommodation for the less well-off.

Most student accommodation (55 per cent) is now supplied by private companies, with 27 per cent supplied by universities and colleges.

"NUS is calling for a halt to the privatisation of university accommodation which is now setting the bar for all university accommodation by developing more and more up-market housing, and a start to the widening of the range and choice.

"This will be key in widening participation to university in the coming years.

"Students who are already struggling financially need to be protected from unscrupulous providers levying booking fees and other hidden charges and we hope that the evidence provided in today's report will be a spur to universities and the government in creating better, more balanced student housing provision."