UNIVERSITY STUDENTS HUNT 'DIGS'

By F. C. PRICE OFFICIALS of Manchester University are having difficulty finding accommodation for all the new students who will be arriving for the start of the new term at the beginning of October. Halls of residence have had far more applications than they can cope with, and an appeal has been made for people who have never done so to offer rooms to students.
Catholic students are faring little better than the others. Of the 117 places available at the new Catholic men's residence, Allen Hall, slightly more than half will be filled by people who have been in residence during previous terms. In all about 100 places have so far been filled.
But the situation is still fluid. Allocations for new students cannot be made until the last minute because most university places are only awarded provisionally until the G.C.E. Advanced Level results become known in midAugust. Students who have more than one provisional place then have to make up their minds as to which university they will accept. This means that demands for accommodation reach a peak during September.
Grants
Allen Hall will be taking several students from abroad including China, Mauritius and Africa, but some of these are still awaiting definite news about their financial grants. In addition to the freshmen there will be a number of post-graduate research workers from other universities coming to Manchester for the first time,
Mother Maria Benigna, the Warden of St. Gabriel's Hall, the residence for Catholic women students in Victoria Park. said, "This year we are able to take 94 students, 23 of whom will be coming to the university for the first time.
"So far we have had to refuse about two dozen applications, Usually I direct these to Rydal Wood, the hostel run by Opus
"When our new extensions are completed we shall have more kitchen, common room and dining accommodation and so shall be able to increase our numbers. A start has been made on the boiler house but it may he two years before work is completed."
Pressure
The situation is still fluid at Rydal Wood where a proportion of the 33 places is reserved for freshers. During the last few weeks, since G.C.E. results were published, the pressure has built up and there have been more applications than places.
It is the same story at St. Augustine's Hall for Catholic men students where Father Michael J. Walsh, S.M.A. said, "We have been full since June. Eighty per cent of our 35 places—all single rooms—are allocated to overseas students, the remainder being occupied by people from this country and Europe. • "Since July I have been busy finding 'digs' for students we could not accept. Fortunately I have been able to fix them all up. I keep my own list of landlords who are willing to accept students so that makes it easier hut as the students begin to arrive during the next month the real pressure will he on. Many leave the fiueling of accommodation until they arrive and that makes things difficult."