Top university tells students to drop out if they can’t find somewhere to live

The University of Glasgow is being urged to cap its intake because of fears students are sleeping rough due to a lack of housing.

The Glasgow University Students’ Representative Council (SRC) demanded a public commitment to capping numbers for the next five years, and claimed the institution was considering doing so, student publication The Tab reported.

A housing crisis described as “unprecedented” by letting agents has seen students unable to find accommodation this year, with the university recommending dropping out if housing cannot be found.

In October, 70 students were reported to be homeless, with the university paying for hotel accommodation in some instances.

The SRC claims students are “couch surfing or even sleeping rough” because of the lack of accommodation.

The university said student numbers had grown by nearly a third in the past five years, but the SRC claimed it was more than 40 per cent or an additional 10,000 students.

The SRC’s Cap Student Numbers campaign, announced on Wednesday, has been established to “hold the university accountable for the unsustainable growth of student numbers” by imposing a cap until 2027.

The SRC demanded a cap on student numbers for the next five years, a review of policies regarding admissions for 2023 and 2024, and better support for existing students by increased funding of teaching spaces, societies and student services.

It also asked for the university to form a group to address student experiences for the 2023/24 academic year

On Wednesday afternoon, the SRC said it had met with senior management and the university would “fully consider” the demands.

Translation studies MA student Alex said: “I spend more time on trains and in train stations than I do at uni.

“I also can’t have a social life because of the last trains, so I feel so out of everything.”

The SRC said there had also been a strain on on-campus study spaces, and clubs and societies were being overwhelmed.

It said: “The university needs to fulfil its role to students to provide a safe and high-quality education.

“The strain on our estate and staff is damaging the quality of our education.”

Earlier this year the university told students by email: “It may be more appropriate for you to suspend your studies or withdraw.”

At the time a spokesperson for Glasgow University said: “Regrettably, due to a significant contraction in the private rental market, demand for rooms continues to be substantially ahead of expectation both in Glasgow and more broadly across the UK.

“Like most urban universities, we cannot guarantee accommodation for returning students.

“As part of our efforts to address the issue, we have increased the number of rooms under university management by 25 per cent for this academic year.

“We have focused – as is our usual policy – on providing accommodation to first-year undergraduate students who live at a significant distance from our campus.

“There has been no significant increase in student numbers for this year.

The SRC’s letter will be shared with the principal and at court – the highest governing body at the university – after which the university’s response will be shared with the public.

A spokesperson for Glasgow University said: “The University is sympathetic to the points the SRC make and is committed to working constructively with them on this – having already committed to zero growth for the next year.

“Planned, appropriate growth is a positive thing, giving access to HE to more talented students who want to study at Glasgow, and we have invested heavily in staff and facilities to meet this.

“FTE on-campus student numbers show growth of 31.5 per cent since 2017, with undergraduate first-degree student numbers growing by 8 per cent, which is broadly in line with many of our peer universities in the Russell Group.

“We continue to work hard to help meet the demands of a private accommodation shortage in Glasgow and Scotland.”