How you can get free rent at Coast uni housing
A Coast university accommodation provider is offering free rent to students in an attempt to rebuild after COVID-19 decimated its international student market.
Sunshine Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sunshine Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A Coast university accommodation provider is offering free rent to students in an attempt to rebuild after COVID-19 restrictions decimated its international student market.
University of the Sunshine Coast's Varsity Apartments is offering discounted rent and the first four weeks rent free to local students to entice them to move out of home and enjoy the "complete university experience".
17 of the best and brightest students at Coast schools
The free rental campaign is a bid to turn around a huge drop in student accommodation, which saw occupancy rates plummet from 90 per cent pre-COVID to just 47 per cent for Semester 2.
"It certainly is a testing time at the moment and if it wasn't for the governmental assistance we would be in a right pickle," director of Varsity Apartments Alan Netherwood said.
While the interstate border closures had a significant impact on occupancy rates, Varsity Apartments was hardest hit by the loss of the international student market.
Historically, international students make up close to half of Varsity's tenants, mainly from Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Canada and the United States.
"None of these countries appear to have their pandemic in order so I suspect international travel maybe some way off," Mr Netherwood said.
The university has advised Varsity Apartments of their predicted enrolments for 2021, and the news isn't good for the student accommodation provider.
"We know from our figures that we are significantly lower, probably about half," Mr Netherwood said.
Mr Netherwood said the free rent offer was all part of a campaign to encourage local residents who are studying at USC to move out of home for the full university experience.
"It is something you just don't get when you go home to mum and dad at the end of each day," he said.
Woolies speedster takes selfie-style vid doing 110 in 50 zone before crash
A court has heard how a young Woolies worker crashed his car just moments after he filmed himself ‘ripping up the streets’ by going 110km/h in a 50km/h zone.
Your ultimate guide to every gun club in Queensland
A new public shooting gallery catering to unlicensed shooters as young as 11 has opened as firearm sports experience a surge in popularity. See our exclusive list of all gun clubs in Queensland.
Battle lines drawn over TAFE, safety upgrades for roads pitched
With less than two weeks to go before election day, Labor has drawn line in the sand over the Nambour TAFE while the LNP goes on the attack about roads in Cooroy and Palmwoods.
Seriously injured boy flown to hospital after being found at bottom of 20m cliff
A boy has been flown to a Brisbane hospital after being found at the bottom of a 20m cliff in a national park popular with hikers and tourists.
Toxic Instagram pages fuel cyber-bullying, schoolyard fight fears
Dozens of social media pages have emerged encouraging users to send in photos and fight videos of Queensland school children so they can be publicly bullied, in a worrying rise of cyber-bullying.
‘Biggest heart of all’: Reason for dad’s island cruise death revealed
The mystery reason a Sunshine Coast man died while on a day trip to Vanuatu during a cruise has emerged during his funeral, as his grief-stricken family outlined his loving nature and sporty life.