As Scotland’s Housing Emergency has continued to worsen, college and university students have faced increasing challenges when looking for secure and suitable accommodation. Research by the National Union of Students (NUS) highlights some of the major issues affected members, but also points towards a possible partial solution. According to the NUS ‘ Cost of Survival ’ report from 2023, significant numbers of students are struggling with housing.
The research, which surveyed more than 5000 people, shows that just under 60% of those living in rented accommodation had seen costs go up in the past year, and just over a third had been unable to pay their rent in full at some point. More than one in ten students had been unable to find somewhere to live before their course commenced, and a similar proportion had either experienced homelessness in the past or were, at that time, homeless. Later that same year, the NUS published a second report – ‘ The Cost of Living for International Students ’.
The Scottish education system is increasingly reliant on the fees paid by overseas students, and this cohort are sometimes assumed to be comfortable as a result of their ability to travel for their studies, but the NUS found that a third of international students had considered leaving their course because of financial difficulties, with many stating that accommodation problems had been a factor. Just under a third had been unable to pay their rent in full at some stage , nearly.