University of Bristol makes U-turn over student halls rent payment By Yvonne Deeney, Monday Nov 23, 2020 Students at the University of Bristol have celebrated the reversal of a ‘classist’ decision to use bursaries to pay rent arrears. On November 19 the university sent an email to students involved in a campus rent strike, explaining that they would have to pay off their rent arrears or the money would be deducted from their December bursary payment. To be entitled to a bursary, a student must have a household income of less than £42,875. The following day, the university reversed their decision after coming under pressure from students, staff and a Labour MP.