Vic Uni adds accommodation after thousands apply for halls

Saturday, 2 November 2024

Te Herenga Waka Victoria University is adding a building to its list of university halls of residence after thousands have applied for a spot. (File photo)

Te Herenga Waka Victoria University will be adding a new building to its list of halls of residence as thousands put in applications to live in its student accommodation next year.

Both enrolment and accommodation applications were tracking ahead of this time last year, a university spokesperson said. “Expressions of interest for accommodation are so strong, we will be adding another property to accommodate students next year.”

The university said it received more than 3500 applications for just over 3000 places across its 13 halls of residence.

However, despite multiple requests by The Post for details on the new building, the university did not respond.

Marcail Parkinson, president of Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association, said the new accommodation was “really exciting”.

Both enrolment and accommodation applications were tracking ahead of this time last year, a Victoria University spokesperson says.

It was great to see the university listening to students who said accommodation was one of the key reasons for not choosing Wellington, Parkinson said.

“Having increased students is always great for hospitality and putting some life back into the city.”

It was too early for the university to provide student data but it was seeing “good interest” from both domestic and international students, the university spokesperson said.

“We are optimistic about these positive early signs and are looking forward to welcoming many new students to Te Herenga Waka in 2025.”

In February last year, accommodation in Christchurch was at capacity whereas some Wellington halls of residence has rooms to spare – despite a $1000 Prezzy card promotion.

Bella Thompson, 18, is hoping to go to Canterbury University next year but is on the wait list for the university halls of residence.

The lower cost of living contributed to students opting to move to Christchurch as well as it becoming increasingly thought of as “the cool place to be” by young people.

Bella Thompson, 18, applied to both Victoria University and the University of Canterbury to study a bachelor of science with a major in psychology.

Her preference was Canterbury but she was currently on the halls waitlist.

More than 4000 people had applied for the 2800 places available, which was reflective of a year-on-year rise in enrolments, a university spokesperson said.

Students were “lining up down the street” as demand for flats in suburbs near the university intensified and prices soared.

If Thompson stayed in Wellington, she would live at home with her parents, she said, but among her peers, Canterbury was “the popular one”.

The modern campus, the courses on offer, cheaper rent and the night life were all attractions of Christchurch, she said.

Some young people are choosing to stay in Wellington for university to save costs living at home as well as seeing it as a fun and lively student city. (File photo)

Meanwhile, Saskia Ramsden, 17, chose to stay in Wellington to study economics at Victoria University. She had secured a place in the university halls.

She did not feel ready to move and wanted to stay close to her family and friends – many of whom were also choosing to stay in the capital.

Ramsden thought Wellington was a great city for students.

“It has great night life, great businesses … I think it’s a great place to live for students, I don’t really see why it wouldn’t be.”

Isabel Calvi-Freeman, 17, was also staying in Wellington to study a bachelor of arts with a major in film and communications at Victoria University.

The University Canterbury is still a popular option for first year students with cheaper rent, a modern campus and night life a draw for some high school graduates. (File photo)

“I’ve lived here for 10 years and there’s still so much to explore,” she said.

“There's a really good community of a lot of different people and there's a good alternative scene, which I'm kind of into, so that's fun. I feel like a lot of other cities really lack that.”

As the cost of living crisis continued to pinch, being able to live with her parents had also drawn her to stay in the city.

Massey University had 466 applications for a total of 427 beds for its Wellington campus.

The capacity for next year was reduced because it had not met full occupancy, a university spokesperson said.

Students were still encouraged to apply for halls as some students applied to more than one university and not all applications would convert to placements.

Further south, Otago University had started this year with just under 98% occupancy of its halls but already had more than 1000 applications more than its capacity for next year.

As at September 30, it had received more than 4700 applications for 3755 places across all colleges, University of Otago director campus and collegiate life services James Lindsay said.

“For 2025 we are recruiting for our colleges from a school leaver cohort that is appreciably larger than this year, and at this stage we are seeing increased college demand consistent with this.”

Optimism with increase in international students

According to Immigration New Zealand data, Aotearoa had received 57,887 student visa applications from January 1 to October 30 this year, of which 24,353 were for university student visas.

It was a higher volume compared with 2023 when 20,408 university student visa applications were made out of 46,714 student visa applications.

Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao spokesperson Geoff Bilbrough said it confirmed Aotearoa remained an attractive destination for international students.

“We are seeing strong application volumes for 2025, and we expect it to continue over the peak international student application season from September to January.”