A top university has come under fire after revealing up to 300 students could be housed in another city - 14 miles away.
The University of Bristol courted controversy in 2019 when it offered accommodation across the Welsh border in Newport.
And students have hit out again after it was announced that rooms are being made available for the upcoming year - in Bath.
A university spokesman told Bristol Live teacher-assessed A-level grades had caused an "unprecedented situation".
But current student Anna Lart Greene has described the plans as "unfair".
The English and Classical Studies undergraduate said: "It looks to me like the profit-chasing expansion that’s helped to break down relationships between students and local residents in Bristol, and it’s staggering that they’re going to do the same in Bath now where there are already two universities.
Do you have a view on this story? Let us know in the comments below.
"It’s not fair on students or locals. Distance-wise, it’s the equivalent of Uni of Manchester housing students in Bolton, or Nottingham housing them in Loughborough.
"When you can’t even house your students in their city of study, surely you have to stop and think about what you’re doing."
The University of Bristol was criticised by some after it offered accommodation in Newport - and hour's drive away - two years ago.
And last year overcrowding in libraries and a shortage of desks led to students being offered places to study at the SS Great Britain.
The university says non-guaranteed applicants for 2021 may not receive university-allocated accommodation, adding: "If we do have a room available to offer, it is likely to be a shared room or accommodation in a neighbouring town or suburb, such as Bath."
It has the option to house "around 300 students in Bath if needed", but it is doing its best to house as many as possible in Bristol, so "the final number could be much lower", a spokesman said.
Joe Rayment, a former Labour councillor for Twerton in Bath, tweeted: "Terrible for Bristol students, and I’m sure the people of Bath will also have something to say about this."
Bob Goodman, ex-Tory Councillor for Combe Down in Bath, replied: "We certainly do Joe. If the way this authority is dealing with student accommodation wasn’t enough, we have to bail out Bristol and lose more council tax revenue. Perhaps our council should step in and voice residents' concerns or am I hoping for too much?"
Students allocated accommodation outside the city will receive a travel expenses bursary of £500 per term, as well as access to pastoral support, the university said.
But a statement added that the university does not yet know the total intake for this year because it is awaiting decisions for students on hold at other universities and "the outlook for international students arriving in the UK remains uncertain".
A spokesman said there was "a significant increase" in applicants making the University of Bristol their first choice this year, as well as the impact of teacher-assessed grades.
“The Government has been clear that universities need to make this work by adapting their plans to welcome as many successful applicants this year as possible," he added.
Sign up for our daily newsletter to keep up to date with all the essential information at www.mirror.co.uk/email .
“Our priority now is to ensure that we can accommodate everyone in a way that maintains a safe campus experience and continues to offer high-quality education.
“For a small number of courses where we feel this is not possible, we are asking students to consider deferring to next year and have offered them a package of support to do so. This is an unprecedented situation and is in no way related to expansion plans or the university trying to cash in on students.
"Students who had firmly accepted an offer to study here and made us their first choice are guaranteed a place in university-allocated accommodation in Bristol.
“Those who put Bristol as an insurance offer, or are returning, may be offered the option of low-cost shared rooms or accommodation nearby in Bath with a travel bursary included. We are also providing support and advice to students if they wish to find private accommodation in Bristol.
“While we realise this is not an ideal situation for some students, we would like to assure everyone who is joining us in the autumn that they will continue to receive a high standard of education and teaching alongside the best possible university experience available after what has been a disruptive and challenging 18 months for many.”
Bath & North East Somerset Council was approached for comment.
