UC accommodation costs to reach record high in 2024
Photo: University of Canterbury
2024 fees show that UC halls are continuing a trend of rising prices and increased competition with potential students paying up to $26,000 for accommodation.
In 2023 a spot at Arcady Hall cost around $21,000, in 2024 it will set you back $23,500. This is seen across first-year catered accommodation with fees for catered halls experiencing price increases between $1000 to $2000 from 2023 to 2024.
Across the seven first-year halls the cheapest a student will pay is $18,671 for a single room at University Hall. This price is up over $5000 from five years ago in 2018 when it would cost only $13,356 for the same room.
These costs bring into question how much students are willing to pay for accommodation. For many the halls not only provide accommodation but are also the basis for the first year and uni experience in general. But is it worth the price?
One student who was accepted into University Hall in 2019 said despite the increased costs he would still choose to go to a hall if he were starting uni today. “It's more about the experience than anything which sort of outweighs the cost.”
But at the same time costs are rising, so is the demand for accommodation, meaning many students are being left in limbo stuck on the waitlist.
Last year UC’s newest hall Tupuānuku had over 1,500 applications for only 476 spaces. One student who was stuck on the waitlist said, “It was super stressful because I was just left waiting with no clue whether I’d actually get a hall.”
This also seems to discourage many first students from attending UC, being left without accommodation in a preferred hall and the experience that comes with it.
“It made it difficult to decide which uni I was going to go to, because I received a scholarship to UC, but I didn’t have anywhere to live,” one student said.
For students beyond the first year, competition may be lower, but prices remain high.
Non-catered accommodation will set you back at least $9000 for a room in Ilam apartments. While it costs as much as $15,488 for an ensuite room at Hayashi. This is well above the average Ilam rent for a four-bedroom flat which is around $8200 for a year.