Deciding which university to attend is not just about educational factors. There is also the difficult question of the cost of rented accommodation. Money for students is now so tight that debt-limitation has become a key degree skill, and rent levels have become a significant factor in the choice of institution. Although many universities guarantee accommodation for first-years, the days when students could live on campus for the whole of their course are gone.

With the exception of students at a few of the richer Oxford and Cambridge colleges, undergraduates will, at some stage, be part of the private rental market. Even those students who manage to secure a place in university halls of residence face big price rises. Over the past year, the average weekly rent has increased by nearly 8 per cent.

One survey shows that the price of university accommodation varies widely: from £27 a week for self-catering at Staffordshire, to more than £l20 a week for the most luxurious, catered accommodation at King's College, London. Over a three-year course, based on a 31-week year, the saving for a Staffordshire student amounts to a staggering £8,649. The National Union of Students (NUS) estimates the average overall cost of accommodation is f.55.54 a week outside London, £69.98 in outer London, and £79.18 for inner London. In the private rented sector, the average weekly rent for a shared house is £48.45 —a rise of 5.3 per cent over the past year.

A recent study discovered the extent to which the cost of accommodation weighs on undergraduates. On average, they said their monthly rent accounted for 57 per cent of their expenditure. In some areas, up to 80 per cent of a student's income will be spent on accommodation. This is a huge amount when we consider that the average house mortgage accounts for just 14 per cent of earnings. Unbelievable though it seems, students are generally having to spend between 40- 65 % more on a place to live than the average working person.

Owain James, the NUS president, offers some practical advice to hard-pressed students: 'They should visit the accommodation offices to find out how much accommodation is available and how much it costs. Secondly, if they are entering the private rental market, they should contact the student union for advice, 'They should also check both the market and contract conditions. Finally, they certainly shouldn't rush into anything —they risk taking something that is a long way from the lecture halls, or may be more expensive than necessary:' He adds that increasing numbers of poorer students are being forced to stay at home because they simply cannot afford to live away. 'This is restricting their choice of institution and course, not because of their academic ability, but because they do not have rich parents.'

Part one: reading comprehension

Answer the following questions according to the information in the text.

1. Why is the cost of accomodation so important to students?
2. What four pieces of advice are given to students?
3. Why are people with a mortgage in a better financial position than students?

Choose the best answer.
4. Which of the following statements about accomodation is correct?
a) University accomodation is usually quite cheap
b) It is cheaper to live nearer the centre of London than outside London
c) In general there is a great variety in the cost of university accomodation.

5. What should students do try to avoid accomodation problems?
a) Students should choose a university near their home.
b) Students should try to live in private rented accomodation.
c) Students should take their time before they choose their accomodation.

Part two: vocabulary

Explain next words in English, write the phonetics and also an example: tight, skill, survey, mortgage, available, to rush.

Part three: writing

Write a dialogue between two people. One is a student who wants to rent a flat, the other the agent responsible for the flat.