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Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will raise its hall rental fees from Aug. 1, 2023 in the the new school term by up to S$50 more per month -- or roughly some 12 per cent more.

This amount translates to about S$319 per person a month for a double room with no air-conditioning, and S$688 a month for a post-graduate student who lives in an apartment room, The Straits Times reported.

Students complain

This increment has annoyed students, as some of them say the hike is too much and was not communicated properly to them, having found out about it from social media and word-of-mouth.

Hall rental rates did not budge in 2020 or 2021, but were raised once by up to 6.5 per cent in 2022.

In response to the hike, students complained that they found out about the price increases through social media rather than the school directly.

Many of them said they found out about the increase in hall fees through the @ntufinaidfriends Instagram account.

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A post shared by Financial Aid Friends (@ntufinaidfriends)

The post said 27 out of the 32 halls will see an increase of over 10 per cent, with the highest increase being 12 per cent, which will affect the two-person rooms with no air conditioning, which typically have the lowest rental prices.

A room at Nanyang Crescent will see prices increase from S$325 to S$364, an increase of S$39.

The post also claimed that the rental increases by NTU were done via updating the hall rental rates website.

In response, commenters said the price of the increase was not in line with other price hikes in Singapore, such as inflation or factoring in the recent 1 per cent GST increase.

A commenter also claimed that an email she received about the application for hall vacancies for the next school term did not mention rental increases.

Reasons for hike

An NTU spokesperson said the increase was due to the adoption of the Progressive Wage Model in Singapore and higher operating costs associated with cleaning and security services, which have gone up after the pandemic.

The PWM is a policy aimed at increasing wages of lower-wage workers in specific sectors by linking their wages with increased training and productivity.

It also ensures that workers do not earn below a certain amount.

The PWM has been in place for the cleaning and security sectors since 2014, but was extended to in-house cleaners and security staff in September 2022.

An NTU spokesperson told ST: “The hall fees are released during each application period, so that students can plan their finances in advance. The adjusted rates are reflected in the hall application page on the Intranet.”

The NTU spokesman added that even with the upcoming fee adjustment, it is still comparable or cheaper to live in NTU halls as compared to other local universities.

Financial assistance schemes and bursaries are available to students who require support with their costs of living and studying at NTU, the spokesperson added.

Mothership has reached out to NTU for comment.

Top image via NTU Hall 7/Facebook & Nanyang Technological University/Facebook