Kilkenny students and parents facing university accommodation crisis as annual rents skyrocket

By COLIN BARTLEY

PARENTS and students in Kilkenny are facing up to increased financial pressure as it’s emerged on-campus accommodation has risen by up to 11.5% for the coming academic year.

A survey published in the Irish Independent today reveal the massive hikes in the cost of university owned on-campus accommodation for the 2019-2020 year.

This largest hike in cost is at a hall in University College Cork (UCC). Mardyke Hall jumped by 11.5% from €5,493 to €6,068, an increase of €575 year-on-year.

While another hall in UCC, University Hall, experienced a larger cash increase of €629. This increase saw it go from €5,500 to €6,179.

Elsewhere, students at the University of Limerick will endure hikes of up to 6.2%, while Trinity College Dublin’s accommodation jumped by up to 5.57%.

Dublin City University recorded a 4.9% hike, the National University of Ireland, Galway increased their on-campus accommodation prices by up to 4.3%, and Maynooth University increased by up to 4.5%.

University College Dublin (UCD) also recorded increases, but at a more modest 1.7% – 2.7%. However, UCD’s accommodation is by far the most expensive in the country with students being asked to pay up to €11,591 per academic year.

These increases come as the Government is set to apply new rent caps on purpose-built student accommodation. From next week a rent cap of 4% will be applied to campus accommodation.

Earlier this year, KilkennyNow.ie revealed the average cost for a Kilkenny student living away from home for the coming academic year is €12,171.

Already students are being priced out of the private accommodation market, despite the government setting up special rental designation zones. These increases add to the financial burden on Kilkenny families.

The survey did not take into account any of the Institute of Technologies or Technical Universities in the country.