Australian National University: Student Poverty Highlighted

A REPORT into the cost of living in residential colleges at Australian National University has highlighted the seriousness of student poverty.

The accommodation survey from the ANU Interhall Council of Presidents found that at half the residents in four ANU colleges reported having disposable income of $50 a week and that 76 per cent were living below the poverty line. The average weekly accommodation cost is around $175 a week, said Will Gort, council president. Students on Youth Allowance receive $237 a week and some are eligible for rental assistance.


Students are now calling on the ANU to increase investment in on-campus accommodation, saying they should not have to shoulder financial burdens that are not their fault.


While the council reported that 67 per cent of residents are receiving financial assistance from family or a spouse, it also raised concerns about the workloads of self-supporting students. It said 25 per cent of survey respondents worked for 21 hours or longer per week, with 12 per cent reported working more than 31 hours, an amount it said was ''sure to be affecting grades''.