Gcp Student Living Share Discussion Threads

[suetballs] 26/8/2020 11:19

Looking better here.
Could the worst be over?
Suet

[maddox] 19/8/2020 10:49

Agreed. I've never really understood the time-pressured exams - where it's impossible to finish the paper or revise an answer. This competitive stress inducing aspect is unlikely to get the best out of a student?

[apollocreed1] 18/8/2020 17:24

The schools should have conducted online open-book exams. Being able to look up information when asked a question is also a skill.

[maddox] 18/8/2020 13:08

The upside is that they have removed the cap on student numbers and there is excess applicants for university courses. The Unis are now complaining that they cannot 'accommodate' all their applicants.

[suetballs] 18/8/2020 10:02

Totally agree Maddox.
Suet

[suetballs] 14/8/2020 20:18

Well the A level results are out - and what a mess. The government was in a no win position and was bound to get aggro.
Clearing will be busy and hopefully so will digs.
Suet

[its the oxman] 31/7/2020 15:28

Seems out of favour for now. Lower occupancy hence current share price, but hardly a disaster and normality and hopefully a much higher share will return. London exposure for longer term appreciation has to help as well.

[suetballs] 31/7/2020 14:03

Nice to see the share price on the up.
Suet

[suetballs] 31/7/2020 09:02

News as expected I suppose - but a dividend in September.
A vaccine is urgently needed but we know how difficult they are to manufacture.
Suet

[jonwig] 28/7/2020 16:46

1 August seems to be a key date for NAV, dividend and portfolio update. So maybe Friday or Monday?

[edwardt] 28/7/2020 16:37

when do we know occupancy levels for new academic year?

[suetballs] 19/7/2020 23:23

Not a lot going for the digs share price atm.
Suet

[maddox] 08/7/2020 16:02

Unite (UTG) provided today a market update along with the fund valuation RNS. The deadline for accepting an offer of a university course was the 18 June. As you will be aware there has been much speculation as to UK students deferring due to Covid-19 and likely social distancing disruption to their ‘student experience’. However, this appears not to have occurred, the key points being:

>> UCAS data showed a 1% increase in the number of applicants with an offer to start University this Autumn compared to 2019/20;

>> This reflects a 3% increase in acceptances by UK 18-year olds as increased participation rates more than offset the demographic impact of fewer young people in the population.

>> The number of students with a deferred start date was down 1% compared to 2019/20 as of 18 June.

This clearly demonstrates the resilience and contra-cyclical nature of the market on which the PBSA sector depends. DIGS may lose some of their preferred foreign students but may be able to replace them with UK students.

[jonwig] 24/6/2020 06:39

ram - UK students have been (until now) pretty irrelevant to DIGS: 77% of occupants were international in year to June 2019, and London has been underserved by top-quality accommodation.

That may change now, of course. Chinese students are becoming increasingly reluctant to study abroad and if the properties are let to more UK students theymay have to cut rents.

[rambutan2] 23/6/2020 20:55

And then there's clearing from 13 Aug:

"...To support you, we will be giving all students more time to make decisions on their offers:

If you receive your last decision on or before 4 June 2020, your reply date is 18 June 2020 (except if you're using Extra to find a place).

If you receive your last decision on or before 13 July 2020, your reply date is 20 July 2020 (including Extra choices).

If you’ve been given an extension, we’ve emailed your new decision deadline to you. View the latest coronavirus updates.

The Government has confirmed that results for A levels in the UK will be released on Thursday 13 August. Scottish results day will be no later than 4 August."

[maddox] 20/6/2020 11:11

More on the risk of Covid-19 to students:

BBC Radio 4 Today Programme interview with David Spiegelhalter, Statistician and Chair, Winton Centre for the People’s Understanding of Risk, Cambridge.

“If we look at school kids there has been three deaths, fewer than die of flu each year. If we look at fifteen to twenty four year olds, there is about seven million of them, thirty two deaths nearly all of those people with pre-existing medical conditions. So there is about one in a million healthy people that have died from Covid.” “This is that same risk that everyone faces every day from dying from non-natural causes, and we find that quite tolerable.”

“we have to distinguish between the risk to young people, that is extraordinarily low, and the risk to others.

1:54:00 right at the end to the programme.

The focus should be on creating a big campus bubble and then protecting the staff that might be vulnerable and those that might spread the virus outside of the uni bubbles. Let the students have a normal university experience and normal tuition they are at virtually zero additional risk from Covid unless they have pre-conditions.

[suetballs] 18/6/2020 11:54

Deadline day for uni offers.
Wonder how digs will fair.
Fingers crossed.
Suet

[maddox] 15/6/2020 12:56

Jo Johnson Con MP, former UK Universities Minister(and Bojo's bother)interviewed on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme 15 June - he sees a 'hostile environment' for foreign students coming to the UK, listen 2:34:00 in:



"there is a lot of red tape and off-putting regulations that reduce our competitiveness in the market for international students, we should remove that because international students are good for our universities, good for our economy and also good for the learning environment of our domestic students - there really isn't anything not to like."

"As a country we should be going all-out to attract them, they are one of the strongest elements of soft power we have as a country, and if we're serious about Global Britain, we should be seeking to maximise the number of Intl students in our system not try and put them off."

He's written a report published by the Policy Institute at the University of London and Harvard Kennedy School:



A sensible move last year reversed "the frankly disastrous decision" (made in 2012 by then-Home Secretary Theresa May - also responsible for the Windrush Scandle) that forced overseas students to leave four months after finishing a degree. He argues that the Post-Study Work Visa should be doubled from the current two years to four to make us competitive again against Canada, Australia and others.

"This would be a total game-changer, this would be sensational for the ability of our Universities to go an market UK higher education."

JJ sites his brother as a supporter and he has received his report.

[suetballs] 08/6/2020 10:11

Good analysis Maddox.
Suet

[maddox] 08/6/2020 09:43

Further info on the prospects for the 20/21 Academic Year.

'A new survey of international students by the British Council has found that nearly 14,000 fewer students from eight countries – including China, Singapore and Malaysia – are likely to come to the UK in 2020/21 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

The decline of 20% in students from east Asia would amount to a 12% fall in overall international student numbers, causing a £460m loss of income from tuition and living expenses such as accommodation.

While the fall in student numbers appears smaller than some institutions are anticipating, one worrying sign from the survey is that nearly 40% of those coming from China – the UK’s biggest source of overseas students – have yet to decide.

“Prospective international students are facing a lot of uncertainty, but many are clearly trying to find a way to keep their overseas study plans,” said Matt Durnin, the author of a report for the British Council.

“There is a window of opportunity over the next two months to create a greater sense of certainty about the upcoming academic year. If responses are clear and quickly communicated to prospective students, UK higher education will face a much more manageable scenario.”

The survey of prospective students found that 29% said they were likely to delay or cancel their plans to study. A majority of postgraduate applicants said they would rather postpone the start of their studies until January 2021 than begin with online teaching in autumn, while 46% of undergraduate applicants agreed.'



A few points to highlight:

>> Universities need to get their act together if they want their foreign students to turn-up; and

>> Students find online learning unappealing.

>> A 12% fall in foreign student numbers is bad but a lot better than some previous estimates.

This is a survey however and students' attitudes and intentions might change rapidly for better or for worse. Hopefully, Unis will wake up and smell the coffee soon. Students are at very little risk from Covid-19, they don't need extreme social distancing measures. The measures that are needed are to shield other vulnerable people that might interact with them, such as elderly lecturers, administrators, wardens, cleaners etc. Campus style Universities shouldn't find segregation a particularly difficult task.

Regards Maddox

[rambutan2] 03/6/2020 15:04

Newsnight had a piece on Uni finances last night. Said they were reckoning on a 50% drop in overseas students. So can see where Berenberg coming from.

On the plus side, DIGS isn't very geared and has cash. And sensible management. It can axe the div and sit it out for a year.

[its the oxman] 02/6/2020 11:31

Can't see London exposure hurting, great long term prospect.