Accommodation

Please note that 2012/13 rental levels for both canterbury and Medway will be available on the Accommodation website from May 2012.

University accommodation–Canterbury

Rental costs for on-campus University of Kent accommodation for 51 weeks at Canterbury are as follows:

• £5,306 for a standard en-suite study bedroom
• £6,194 for a large en-suite room
• £6,469 for a studio

University accommodation–Medway

Rental costs for University of Kent accommodation located ten minutes away from the Medway campus are as follows:

• £4,738 for an en-suite study bedroom.

Off campus–Canterbury and Medway

Students in private accommodation in Canterbury normally pay approximately £70 to £90 per week, for a 52-week rental, plus utility costs. In Medway rental costs are generally lower ranging from £65 to £75 per week plus utility costs.

Food

The amount you spend on food varies according to personal taste. If you live in self-catering accommodation, you can of course take advantage of campus catering when you are on site. An average cost could be between £27.50 and £55 per week. As a rough guide, a meal on campus can cost from £4 to £10, whereas eating out in a restaurant in Canterbury can cost anything from £10 to £15 upwards. If you are cooking for yourself, it is considerably cheaper to buy food at one of the local supermarkets.

KentOne Card

When you first arrive at Kent, you are given a multi-functional photo ID card, known as the KentOne card. This can also be used as a debit card to buy food, drink and other items in campus outlets, once you have opened an account.

Clothes, laundry and personal hygiene

We recommend allowing between £5 and £20 per week for laundry and clothing, and between £5 and £10 per week for personal items such as toiletries. The amount spent on personal items in particular varies widely from individual to individual.

Academic books, equipment and other materials

Again, this varies widely, partly depending on what course you are taking, and it includes not only books but also computer printer credits and photocopying costs. You should probably allow between £10 and £15 per week on average. The bulk of this expenditure usually comes in the first term, although the cost of producing a dissertation or thesis (if applicable) comes at the end of your programme. Costs will be higher for certain programmes such as architecture.

Socialising and entertainment

We suggest between £25 and £55 per week. Of course you can spend much more (or less) depending on how much you like to go out and where you like to go. If you bring a television onto campus, or if you want to watch television through your computer, you should have a TV license, which is £49 for black and white and £145.50 for colour (2011 prices). Licensing for shared accommodation is a bit more complex - you can get good advice from the Students' Union.

Phone

The amount you spend on your phone is influenced by your personal circumstances, but a guideline amount is between £10 and £20 per week.

Travel

Students living on the Canterbury campus do not normally incur daily travel costs, as everything is within walking distance. We regret that there are no parking facilities for students living on or close to central campus. However, there is an excellent local bus service, which offers subsidised travel for students.

If you are living off campus, your travel costs will vary depending on distance, the time of travel and the number of days you need to attend campus. If you want to bring a car on to Canterbury campus from off campus you need a parking permit, which costs £20 and is obtained from the Estates department.

Parking at the Medway campus is very limited and a permit is required. Students who would like to apply for a permit will need to enter a ballot. Details are available from the Estates Department.

Dedicated parking bays are available for disabled drivers, but you must display the appropriate University of Kent parking permit as well as your Blue Badge.

All full-time students can apply for a railcard which gives reductions for travel in off-peak periods.

Insurance

Student rent includes insurance for loss of personal possessions up to £4,000 in respect of claims arising from fire, flood, or theft within the accommodation area, including losses by walk-in theft. Students will be able to arrange additional cover online at the insurer's website, for accidental damage or all risks of high-value items such as iPhones and laptops.

Other expenditure costs

This is not an exhaustive list of the costs you may need to meet during your time at university. You should think about any other expenditure such as the cost of health or dental care. The Kent Union Student Advice Centre recommends that you allow a certain amount of money for emergencies.

The above figures are estimates, derived from costs for Canterbury-based students, and may not reflect your particular circumstances. They assume that you have no debt repayments from your undergraduate studies.