Students scramble for accommodation amid shortage

Hundreds of prospective university students say they have been left scrambling for housing due to a shortage of on-campus accommodation.

Chiefs at the University of Exeter said they had met their commitments for students guaranteed accommodation - those who applied before a 31 July deadline.

However, they are unable to offer housing to all the students who applied outside of the deadline due to "high demand".

Niamh, who is from Birmingham and decided to defer her place after not being offered accommodation, said: "At first I just didn't really know what I was doing for this entire year, it was a bit of a shock to be left thinking you're going to university for a year and then you're not."

Niamh told the BBC: "I feel like I've processed it now, I'm okay with where I am and I'm happy to do the gap year."

It is unclear how many students are affected. However, dozens of people have shared their concerns on social media.

Student letting agency Star Students said it has received hundreds of calls from teenagers hoping to start at the university next month.

Director Cara Khadaroo said: "Very rarely do we let to first years, however, we've had a lot of phone calls this week with first years basically saying there isn't any accommodation for them."

A University of Exeter spokesperson said it recognised "how disappointing" it was for students unable to find accommodation and said it was "contacting affected students directly so they understand the position as early as possible and have time to consider the options available to them".

They added: "We are supporting students to explore private accommodation in Exeter through our accommodation services.

"Students who live in private accommodation are fully part of the Exeter community, with the same access to teaching, student support, Welcome Week and Students' Guild activities.

"Students also have the option to defer their studies to next academic year.

"We are looking forward to welcoming our new students in September and will continue to provide practical support to those affected as they prepare to join us."

They added that demand for on-campus accommodation has been exceptionally high this year, which is due to a number of factors.

An Exeter City Council report in 2024 showed that the number of students attending the university had increased by 4,428 since 2018.

And purpose-built student accommodation had not kept up with the increase in students coming to the city.

There was also a record number of 18-year-olds in the UK who were accepted into university this year, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) - with more than ever getting into their first choice.

The steepest growth has been in acceptances to what Ucas calls "higher tariff" universities. These are the most selective institutions, like those in the Russell Group, which includes Exeter University.

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