Back to C12061

Version 1.0 Produced 2011-09-30

The data returned in the accommodation related fields should relate to the year prior to the academic year for which students are applying. For example, for the KIS published in September 2012 Institution.INSTUPPER should contain the upper quartile cost of institution owned/sponsored beds for the 2012/13 academic year. There are a number of methods for calculating quartiles (see http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Quartile.html). In populating the KIS any of these methods are acceptable: institutions should retain details of the methods used to aid data verification.

Accommodation costs may be reported to the nearest £100. Where institutions choose to report figures not rounded to the nearest £100 these will be rounded prior to inclusion in the KIS.

The costs given should be the full costs for an academic year and should include all compulsory charges. For example, if some rooms are only available on a catered basis then this cost should be included. Where rooms are available for differing periods, e.g. full-year or term-time only, then the lower cost should be given to the extent that rooms are available on that basis. So if half the rooms are only available for term time and the remainder are let for 52 weeks then calculations of quartiles would include 50% at the lower term time cost and 50% at the full year cost.

Institutions are not expected to report separate accommodation costs for different locations/campuses therefore these data will need to take account of provision of accommodations and costs in all locations (campuses and franchised colleges) at which the institution's registered students are based.

If not all accommodation is available to undergraduates, only those places available to undergraduates should be included in accommodation costs and numbers.

Institution owned/sponsored

This should include bed spaces in any of the descriptions below but without double counting of the bed spaces when applicable to more than one description. A single figure is required covering all of the categories listed below.

• Institution owned bed spaces available to students irrespective of management, operating and marketing arrangements
• Bed spaces in known premises consisting of over 10 bedrooms exclusively or primarily used solely for the institution's students or shared with students from other institutions
• Estimated bed spaces in known premises consisting of over 10 bedrooms not solely used by students which are likely to be used by the institution's students
• Bed spaces in formal nomination agreements with third party providers in known premises
• Bed spaces in known premises sponsored by the institution and available to institution's students
• Bed spaces in premises leased to the institution and available to the institution's students.

Private sector

Existing housing supply available to students on a shared housing basis, typically ranging from 3 to 9 bed properties in residential areas in close proximity to the institution's estate. They are owned and managed by private landlords and agents and whose primary governance is via the Housing Act 2004.

It is accepted that this cost will not be a precise calculation but that institutions will want to draw on information from local letting agents and their own accommodation offices. It is expected that, where students from more than one institution typically access the same accommodation stock that the costs given would be similar. Institutions should retain details of how they have arrived at these figures to allow them to be verified if required.

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.