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^ Newcastle University picket lineImage credit: Keira Gratton Rent up 29% per week, lecturers on the picket lines and Newcastle University £35 million behind budget… Amid a higher education (HE) funding crisis, how much do the students affected really know about why university costs are rising nationwide? Why are Unis underfunded? In September 2024 Newcastle Vice Chancellor Chris Day revealed a £35 million shortfall in the University budget, which they reportedly aim to correct with “difficult choices and prioritisation”. Similar stories are unfolding in universities like Cardiff and Durham, where staff cuts and rising accommodation fees are being stretched to cover financial deficits and loans. There are three main reasons why universities across England are having to increase...

^Rosedale Court, Portland Green Student VillageImage credit: Keira Gratton A 4.8% average rent rise will hit Newcastle University student accommodations in 2025, climbing again after a shocking 8.7% increase for 2024 pupils, says Accommodation Finance Team's Gillian Adamson. In the 2024 academic year alone, both University-owned and managed-partnership first-year accommodations increased their prices, with costs rising up to 24% at Shielfield’s Portland Green Student Village (PGSV). Mia Wijayatilleke, 19, currently living in PGSV Rosedale Court, said she was “so shocked when I spoke to second years and found out how much the price has gone up … if anything the rooms are just getting older!”. The costs for their standard en-suite room went from around £145 per person per week (p...

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Why are Newcastle University accommodation prices skyrocketing?

“Completely ridiculous and overpriced” Newcastle student accommodation costs set to rise again