Cost of university accommodation 'doubles in 10 years' The NUS report - carried out with Unipol Student Homes - said that this "funding shortfall" had to be met through a combination of family support, part-time work, savings and bursaries for the poorest students. It comes on top of the introduction of tuition fees of up to £9,000-a-year for the first time this autumn in move that threatens to land students with average debts topping £50,000. Pete Mercer, NUS vice-president, said: "Student rents have skyrocketed, leaving fewer reasonably priced accommodation options for students from lower and middle income backgrounds who are really feeling the pinch. The responsibility of universities to support their students does not begin and end at the doors of the lecture hall. University heads should urgently be looking at properly planning accommodation supply and capping rent increases to ensure students are not priced out of living in halls. The research, which was based on an analysis of student accommodation throughout the UK, found that prices had soared in the last three years alone, despite the deepening economic crisis. Overall, average rents across university-owned and private halls have increased by 25 per cent since 2009. It represents a rise from £98.99 to £123.96 a week, or £5,244.04 a year. Martin Blakey, chief executive of Unipol, said: "Costs of private sector accommodation and educationally provided accommodation have moved much closer together over the last three years. It is important for universities and colleges to acknowledge the vital role they have to play in enhancing access and the student experience by providing distinctive and affordable accommodation for their students within a not for profit framework.