£8,700 is the highest possible maintenance loans that students can receive when living in Birmingham for university from student finance.
However, city centre accommodation for students in Birmingham can cost as much as £200 a week. Over a 51 week contract, this leaves students £2000 short of the loan, and have to rely on their guardians or getting a job to make up the difference.
Kensington House, Bagot Street and Metchley Hall are just a number of the student accommodation's available which take up over ¾ of the maximum maintenance loan.
Esther Johnson, an English student at Aston University lives at Kensington House and pays £199 for her studio based in the city centre.
Despite receiving the maximum student finance loan, Esther's loan doesn’t cover her rent and she is expected to make up the £1450 difference, as well as living, food and transport costs.
She said: "It’s really expensive so I’ve had to get a part-time job just to cover the expenses of rent, I get the full student finance but it’s just not enough.
“I wish accommodation, especially around Birmingham, was cheaper so us students can maintain a social life and pay our rent as well."
The closer the accommodation is to the heart of Birmingham, the more expensive the accommodation costs as Robert Lowery from Birmingham City Accommodation services explains:
"If you were to pick up an accommodation which is in the city centre and move it half a mile or a mile out, it would drop in cost. City centre prices are expensive because being in the city has everything the students need.
“Over the last few years, we have also seen a rise in price because of the number of students coming, with anything this comes demand which will result in a price influx."
Many students want to remain in the city centre so they are close to the university, the library, local supermarkets, shopping centres and nightlife.
Mohammed Omar, a student at South City College said:
"We spend too much on transport if we live further away from the city as this is where a majority of our time is occupied at, so it makes sense to live closer to the city, but the costs don't make this reasonable.
“With the pressure to do well at university and meet deadlines, it’s bad that we stress more about money problems then our work."
