LONDON 

Students at Glasgow University have been told to withdraw from their courses if they are unable to secure accommodation, according to media reports. 

Private housing rents in Scotland and across the UK have soared, and this comes at the same time as a soaring cost-of-living crisis.

In addition to intense competition among students to secure housing, the situation is further complicated by the fact that the university does not allow online learning, and that in-person class attendance is both required and forms part of students’ overall grade.

Glasgow University told students not to enroll in courses or travel to the city at all if they cannot secure housing in advance.

STV News, a Scottish TV channel, saw an email from Glasgow University to students that was sent on Sep. 9.

The email said: “If you are not currently in Glasgow and do not yet have accommodation in the city, please do not travel to Glasgow before you have somewhere confirmed. Please ensure that you have secured accommodation prior to completing registration and enrolment and travelling.”

In a separate email seen by both STV News and BBC Scotland, a student was told by an advisory team at the university: “If you have not yet secured accommodation in Glasgow the university is strongly advising students NOT to complete registration or enrolment or travel to Glasgow until you have done so. Not following this advice may have significant impact on you. It may be more appropriate for you to suspend your studies or withdraw.”

Glasgow University is one of Scotland’s four ancient universities, alongside the universities of St. Andrews, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen. Glasgow is also the fourth oldest university in the Anglophone world.

A spokesperson for the University of Glasgow 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 spokesperson added that the university is taking steps to increase the provision of accommodation for future years, but that “in some cases” their advice to students “may include pausing studies for this academic year while ensuring students continue to have access to University systems and services.”

Ellie Gomersall, the president of the National Union of Students Scotland. said: “I’m deeply concerned by continued reports of student housing shortages across Glasgow – the second year in a row that this has happened.”

“With cost-of-living rising and without any action from institutions and the Scottish Government I cannot see how student homelessness won’t go up this year,” she added.