Question! What image is conjured up by international student homestay accommodation?
The privately hosted rent-a-room scheme, which has been quietly providing its invaluable service for many years is now needed more than ever. Latest figures from Universities UK show that a third of all international students studying in the UK are from Europe, and they also make up more than 1 in 7 (13 per cent) of undergraduate students. However, finding good, affordable accommodation has become increasingly difficult, especially in London and other student towns, such as Brighton, Cambridge and Manchester.
For some overseas pupils in their late teens and early twenties, the idea of staying in a “family home” makes living away from their own family for the first time much less of a worry too. Getting the heads-up on the type of homeowners who would offer their room as hosted accommodation is always essential as some potential candidates might not have the right picture at all.
When a first enquiry is made, it is always interesting to hear some of the ideas that students – and even their parents – might have about who might be their particular host. Sometimes a host family is imagined to be a kind of a picture-book ‘perfect family’ of Ma and Pa with a golden-curled child of their own and a pet labrador called Molly! On the other hand, some enquiries come from those fearful of living with one old age pensioner in a house full of cats forever scampering up and down a threadbare staircase.
Cultural learning curve for the whole family
The reality is that there is no one “typical” host family. A homeowner who has decided they want to become a host can come from any walk of life. It’s true that there are families with kids who have decided that having students from abroad to come and stay with them would be a wonderful cultural learning curve for the whole family. Just as there are older hosts, whose own children have left the family home, and they want to put the spare bedroom to good use. There may even be the odd dog or a cat wandering in from the garden when it’s time to be fed.
Equally, there can be many who enlist on the hosting scheme who are young or middle age professionals, such as teachers, doctors, accountants and chartered surveyors. It’s important to remember that a homeowner who applies to be a homestay host – and the accommodation they offer – will always be carefully checked to ensure they meet British Council approved standards.
A hosting organisation will always try to ensure that they match the particular needs of a student, for example with providing the right meal plans. At the same time, a host company will also aim to meet the preferences of a family host as to the type of student they would like come to stay, whether they are studying hotel management or learning to speak English.
Some hosts love to explain traditional British customs
In trying to answer the question asked right at the start, we find there simply is no one definitive image of the typical homestay host. Just as there is no typical type of student – although some might disagree with this statement! A homestay accommodation host is definitely different from the usual landlord. While it is true that a homeowner gains a tax-free allowance from participating in the rent a room scheme, hosting is less about running a business and more about sharing an understanding of different cultures. Some hosts do love to explain the background to traditional British customs, such as how to get the best value for money at the local supermarket!
It’s actually not so crazy as you might think. While the falling pound in currency exchange rates has been good news for international students finding themselves with a little extra money to spend on their course books and equipment (yes, really!), the cost of living is on the rise.
The other good news to remember of course, that depending on the type of board you choose, you won’t need to be purchasing much in the way of food items as your daily meals will be provided.