UWI’s foreign students need rooms

This comes after protests by students over the lack of accommodation at Milner, Canada and Trinity halls for regional students.

Carrington yesterday said currently there is a verbal policy whereby only first-year foreign students are given preference over their Trinidadian counterparts.

“Non-nationals should have a fair chance of living on campus and no matter what year of study, they should be given preference over nationals. According to administration, after the first year of study, foreign students have grown accustomed to the land and culture and therefore are no longer given preference,” she stated.

She revealed that more than 50 second and third-year nationals occupy hall rooms out of a capacity of 138 while many of the foreign students are unable to find proper housing. “The policy is that local students who live 20 kilometres away from campus can qualify for accommodation at the halls,” said Carrington, “but why give nationals who live driving distance from the campus accommodation while the foreign students are left out.”

She however said that attempts are being made to find housing for regional students.

Some students are being housed at the campus’ Milner and Canada halls, UWI Student Guild president Natasha Grimes and UWI deputy principal Gurmohan Kochar confirmed yesterday.. Kochar yesterday said “all the issues were resolved and the students were going about with their normal activities.”

Another hall is also being built on campus to accommodate 485 students and should be ready for student intake by the start of the next academic year in 2008, he added.