17 January 2024 
Jan Capper, CUBO Executive Director
Accommodation has never been more important to students when choosing where to study, according to the Global Student Living Index (GSLI) Autumn Wave. But the survey findings are both surprising and concerning....
In the midst of a cost of living crises and an underperforming student maintenance loan, CUBO notes the finding that students say they’d be willing to pay more for premium facilities (e.g. on-site gym, cinema room etc) as both surprising and concerning.
It could be that a financial tipping point has yet to be reached, or, it could be that the lifestyle aspirations of students, driven in part by the slick marketing of accommodation providers to sell rooms in an ever more competitive environment, are steering students to respond to what they think they want, rather than what they need.
It should also be noted that many students respond very differently to surveys in the first term than later on in the academic year, when the reality of their funding options could mean they will see things quite differently.
