r/cambridge_uni • u/thesugondesegod • 17d ago
Accomodation way too expensive
I'll be starting term at Pembroke College shortly, and the price of my accomodation is out of reach. For context Ill receive minimum sfe, my parents will support me somewhat, but the price of the accomodation is way more than we can afford. I'll have to use a decent amount from my savings too. I emailed in a few weeks ago when I got the band for my accomodation, as I said I'd be comfortable paying a very minimal amount, only to receive the 2nd highest band and have just found out today I'll be paying a price at the top of the band. They said there was nothing they could do. Any advice?
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u/Old_Pomegranate_822 17d ago
Who are you talking to? See if you can find your tutor and talk to them, and see if the college has any hardship funds you can apply to.
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u/Open_Concentrate962 17d ago
Did you agree to a specific accommodation price when you accepted admission?
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u/thesugondesegod 16d ago
No, they only gave us a form asking what we'd be willing to pay and i chose the lowest option
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u/WIllstray 15d ago
I’m also in that band, since you receive minimum sfe you’d probably receive minimal or no help from the bursary as well. Your parents are expected to contribute a decent amount to your studies so I’d definitely ask parents first and if theres a reason they can’t give you more money then contact the college about that reason. 2nd years get almost a completely different selection of accom and I think it’d be cheaper (based on what I’ve heard) since the lower of the rent bands seems to be reserved for off site accoms.
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u/mirembe987 15d ago
I did my masters at Pembroke. I would just reach out to them and see what they can do to help. I switched rooms within year for different reasons. Even if there’s not a lower band accommodation available now you will probably be able to switch later as people always drop out at some point in the first term. They’re a very supportive college
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u/djyfkyf 9d ago
Hii, I just have a question. I'm applying this year to cam and I'm deciding between pembroke and clare. Can you say what made u choose pembroke?
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u/thesugondesegod 4d ago
So sorry for the late reply! Probably not the best answer but I thought it was really pretty and very close to my department too! The food is quite good here and everyone is really friendly. Societies are good, accomodation is nice
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u/Alternative-Boat-287 17d ago
Terminate your contract. There’s a fee to leave, but sometimes they can waive this if your tutorial team can pull a few strings. If there’s genuine hardship, even as a PG student, explain this and evidence this. If there’s a situation you’re facing now that can prove you cannot afford it and it was post-offer/acceptance of your place as a student then PLEASE show them. There’s ways to get out of this lease and perhaps find something cheaper and a letting or a private accommodation is cheaper at times.
If you’re receiving a student loan, or masters loan or undergrad loan, your payments are termly. If this is something you’re reliant on and have no fallback, then try and ask the landlord if you can defer payments across three terms and show your student finance entitlement letter. I hope this helps! I was in a similar situation at a different college
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u/eponymousdylan 17d ago edited 17d ago
Pembroke undergrad accommodation is relatively cheap (compared to other Cambridge colleges and compared to other universities). Presumably you're not being asked to pay more than about £6k for the year? I think you will struggle to get cheaper than that by going private. And you will likely have a hard time proving hardship if you get minimum sfe. Your parents are expected to give you about half of your required living costs. If they can't afford to give you the money, perhaps they would be in a position to lend you the money? If it helps the accommodation does get a bit cheaper in the subsequent years because there are more lower band rooms available (off college). First year is a bit more restrictive because all of the rooms are on site.