A mum whose daughter is yet to be assigned a place in halls at Manchester university this September said the family have been left 'devastated'.
The parent, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her daughter's 'dreams have been shattered' after she chose to stick with the University of Manchester (UoM) on results day despite missing the grade for her first choice course, as it offered an accommodation guarantee.
Since results day two weeks ago, the family have been told the university are 'still allocating' accommodation. But yesterday she, along with hundreds of others, received an email saying student accommodation is 'oversubscribed' and offering £2,500 to live off-campus.
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A UoM spokesperson said they are doing 'everything in our control' to find students accommodation, but 'it is likely' that some will not receive their first choice.
"This is not the university life that she was hoping for whilst getting into huge debts in the process," her mum told the Manchester Evening News.
The pair assumed 'all was okay' over the last two weeks after being repeatedly told that UoM were still in the process of assigning accommodation. But they say they now feel 'strung along''. They have been told that she is still on the waiting list, and that places are allocated by algorithms.
"My daughter and many othered are now left with the option to wait and see what happens, in the meantime knowing that it is likely they will be able to have halls accommodation despite Manchester's reassurances and supposed guarantee of accommodation," she said.
She accused UoM of 'stringing them along, only to drop them from a great height'. "Her dreams have been shattered despite getting amazing grades," she said. "I fear my daughter's dreams are now completely dashed.
"Manchester University, the university that breaks hearts, minds and dreams." In an email to prospective students, UoM say they have made 'strenuous efforts' to find suitable alternatives, but that this has proved 'exceptionally challenging' this year.
They said they 'want to reassure' students that 'we will find you accommodation for this coming academic year'. The location of the accommodation is not mentioned.
The news that UoM are offering prospective students £2,500 to live off-campus, with accommodation secured in Liverpool and Preston as a 'contingency,' follows Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)'s announcement earlier this week that they will be forced to place some students in Liverpool and Huddersfield following an accommodation shortage.
Prospective students at MMU received a message via an online portal saying housing demand in the city is ‘currently the highest’ they have ever experienced. The message went on to offer the waiting students residence at halls 'a short distance away' in Liverpool and Huddersfield, while a spokesperson said they were 'working hard' to find them accommodation in the city region.
A University spokesperson said: “Owing to significant pressure on the private rental market in Manchester, there has been unprecedented demand on our University Halls this year. The increased competition across the region is due to a higher intake each year for the past three years and a rise in A-Level pass rates during the pandemic, meaning the number of students seeking accommodation across the city is at its highest ever level. We have been preparing by leasing additional rooms and are looking into all options of accommodation availability.
“We are doing everything in our control to find students places, but it is likely that some will not be able to secure their first choice, type, or location of accommodation. To help free up space, we have offered students the option to cancel their accommodation in return for a payment of £2,500. This may be of interest to students whose primary address is within commuting distance to campus and will help release rooms for other students who need accommodation.
"If you have any additional questions or concerns, you can contact our Accommodation Office on accommodation@manchester.ac.uk or +44 (0) 161 275 2888."
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