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SINGAPORE \u2013 Students at local universities can expect to pay up to $80 more each month to stay on campus in the new academic year, which starts in August.<\/p>\n
According to the latest figures from the websites of the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, hostel prices have been rising over the last few years.<\/p>\n
The increase applies to various room types, Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao first reported on July 10.<\/p>\n
At NTU\u2019s Hall of Residence 1, built in 1955, students paid $558 a month in 2025 for a non-air-conditioned single en-suite room, where facilities are shared with another room. For the upcoming academic year, fees have risen by almost $50 to $602.<\/p>\n
Non-air-conditioned double en-suite rooms will see a similar 8 per cent increase, rising from $381 to $412 per person per month.<\/p>\n
Fees for air-conditioned single room units at Hall of Residence 14, built in 2001, will similarly increase from $593 to $642 over the same period, while those for air-conditioned double rooms will rise from $436 to $472.<\/p>\n
At NUS, weekly fees for on-campus accommodation are determined by the students\u2019 year of matriculation.<\/p>\n
Four years ago, first-year students residing at NUS\u2019 oldest student hostel, King Edward VII Hall, which was built in 1916, would have paid $86 per week for a non-air-conditioned double room. In the 2026\/2027 academic year, students will pay $114 per week, up from $104 the previous academic year.<\/p>\n
At Eusoff Hall, which opened in 1988, fees for a non-air-conditioned single room have gone up from $151 per week to $165 in the 2026\/2027 academic year \u2013 an increase of about 9 per cent.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, an air-conditioned double room at NUS\u2019 UTown Residence will cost $275.50 per week, up from $255 in 2025. This translates to a monthly increase of more than $80, or about 8 per cent.<\/p>\n
Singapore Management University will raise hostel fees for the 2027\/2028 academic year. According to its website, the room rate for a small single room is $873 a month for the academic year 2026\/2027. It will increase to $917 in the 2027\/2028 academic year, up by $44, or 5 per cent.<\/p>\n
The Straits Times has reached out to all three universities for comments.<\/p>\n
In response to queries from ST, an NUS spokesperson said a fixed fee schedule has been implemented since 2020, which locks hostel fees for each incoming cohort of students for the next five years.<\/p>\n
She added that this provides greater financial certainty for students, as they do not experience any further increase.<\/p>\n
The fee adjustments, which she said are primarily driven by significant rises in energy and operating costs, are necessary to support ongoing maintenance and enhancements of hostel facilities.<\/p>\n
She said the university is committed to ensuring all students have access to multiple financial assistance schemes to support living expenses, which include hostel fees and meal plans.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo student will be denied the opportunity to stay on campus due to financial circumstances,\u201d said the NUS spokesperson.<\/p>\n
Justin Ong, a 21-year-old NUS student majoring in computer engineering, will be extending his stay at Pioneer House when he begins his second year in August. He will pay $178 per week in the new academic year, or about $712 each month, for a non-air-conditioned single room. In his first year, he paid $165 per week.<\/p>\n
He chose the residence as it does not come with a meal plan and he prefers more flexible meal options. Ong, who lives in Sengkang, said he opted to stay on campus as a one-way trip to NUS could take up to 1\u00bd hours on public transport.<\/p>\n
Though the weekly difference of $13 may not seem like a large amount, Ong said this is not a small sum for undergraduates.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not on a scholarship, and the price hike means spending about $50 more a month on accommodation. And that is a big difference for students,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ong does not plan to stay on campus during his third and fourth year, as he expects to be on internships or overseas exchange programmes.<\/p>\n
For Ang, who declined to give his full name, the latest increase in hall fees has prompted him to reconsider whether living on campus is still worth the cost.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old business student who stays in an air-conditioned single room with an attached bathroom at one of NTU\u2019s residence halls, will pay $835 a month from the new academic year, up from $785 previously.<\/p>\n
Ang said hall fees have increased every year since he enrolled, although the earlier hikes during his first two years of about $20 to $30 a month were relatively modest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve already experienced previous increases, so I just accepted this as another one,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
But the latest $50 monthly increase as he embarks on his third year has led him to explore alternatives. For a similar price, Ang said he could rent a room with an attached bathroom in a Housing Board flat in Jurong West, although he has grown accustomed to hall life.<\/p>\n
Ang, who pays his hall fees using his own savings, said he understands that inflation has pushed up costs, but there should be a limit.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a student, I understand inflation is inevitable, but if the fees just keep going up, it\u2019s quite ridiculous,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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