We the undersigned believe that halls of residence costs at the University of Birmingham are too high. They are a barrier to diversity and prevent access for students from low and middle income families. To prevent further problems for prospective University of Birmingham students, we demand: 1) Reduce Halls of Residence costs to bring the average cost into line with similar Russell Group Institutions i.e. somewhere between Leeds (£86.82) and Nottingham (£89.34); cities with similar rental prices to Birmingham outside of the university sector. 2) When the Chamberlain Hall re-development is considered this year, that the university establishes the new Chamberlain as an affordable halls of residence that is not en suite accommodation and is self-catered. 3) While the university continues to enter into nominations agreements with private providers of halls of residence, ensure that the key criteria is cost; that the cheapest price per room is the main factor in making the decision as to which provider is given the contract. 4) That the university create a dedicated housing bursary for those who do not have an income assessed maintenance loan and are not receiving any other bursaries or financial awards. This will help those who still end up in expensive accommodation and cannot afford it. The bursary must be easily accessible and promoted in an effective manner to students who choose to study at Birmingham.

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