Battels
Battels is the bill an Oxford college sends its members each term for accommodation, meals and other college charges. The word is plural in form but used for a single account: "my battels are due".
In practice
What appears on battels depends on the college: rent for college rooms, meals in hall charged to your card, guest dinners, laundry, printing, sometimes a share of utilities and a small charge for the junior or middle common room. Each college sets its own dates and payment methods, and unpaid battels can stop a student from receiving their degree. The word is old Oxford usage and is not used for the bill at Cambridge, which has its own college accounts.
Why it matters to newcomers
If you are joining a college as a graduate student, visiting academic or member of staff with dining rights, anything you charge to your college card ends up on battels. Read the first bill line by line: guest meals and formal dinners add up, and some colleges add charges at the start of term for the whole term ahead.
Related
- Scout - one of the services the bill covers
- Quad - the college you are paying to live around
- Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity - the terms the bills follow