Bristol Uni has run out of accommodation and is sending students to live in Bath

Bristol Uni is sending some students to live in Bath this year because they have run out of accommodation in Bristol.

Students who put Bristol as their firm choice are guaranteed accommodation in Bristol, but those who put it as their insurance choice may have to live in Bath or in shared rooms.

Bristol SU has slammed this decision, saying that it’s “extremely disappointing” that students are still searching for accommodation and that it’s “not acceptable” for the uni to be suggesting locations outside of Bristol.

And you thought the commute from Stoke Bishop was long

Results day produced many surprises, especially for Bristol Uni. Over 75 per cent of applicants met their offer conditions, compared to 2019 when only 46 per cent did.

This means that more freshers than ever will be turning up in September, with not enough accommodation to go round.

Not exactly Wills Memorial Building

Students who put Bristol as their insurance choice are not guaranteed accommodation in Bristol, and have been offered places in Bath or in shared rooms.

Bristol Uni says that while not ideal, those in Bath will be offered a travel bursary. However, nothing has yet been said about wellbeing support or community-building activities for these students.

I mean you could row down…

The Bristol SU Officers have said that while it’s great that there are more students, Bristol Uni is not doing enough to accommodate them all properly.

The Bristol SU Officers told the Bristol Tab in a joint statement: “Whilst we’re pleased that more students have met the terms of their offer this year, we are aware that the increase in student numbers has understandably put a huge amount of pressure on student accommodation and will likely impact other services.

“It’s extremely disappointing that there are large numbers of students who are searching for accommodation so close to the start of term. Suggesting locations outside of Bristol is not acceptable, particularly as accommodation can have a huge impact on wellbeing.

“We’re working with the university to make sure that appropriate support is being provided to all students currently without accommodation, or who have been offered accommodation outside of Bristol. We’re putting pressure on the university to make sure that this does not happen again.”

They are specifically asking for accommodation subsidies, increased transport options, and transport bursaries, along with wellbeing provisions and community-building activities for students not in Bristol.

If you squint, you can pretend this is Clifton

A Bristol Uni spokesperson told the Bristol Tab: “Students who had firmly accepted an offer to study here and made us their first choice are guaranteed a place in university-allocated accommodation in Bristol.

“Those who put Bristol as an insurance offer, or are returning, may be offered the option of low-cost shared rooms or accommodation nearby in Bath with a travel bursary included. We are also providing support and advice to students if they wish to find private accommodation in Bristol or have any other questions.”

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