Accommoda-tion Options

No matter where you live in the Mid Coast region there are lots of ways you can get a uni degree. Listen to our local student success stories to find out how.

If you intend to move locations for university study, consider the following:

Planning is essential
Make enquiries early
Think about your options carefully

You’ll see accommodation options for each university listed further down. Click the university name to view its accommodation online resources. More specific links are included under each uni heading.

But before you dive in, here’s some points to think over…

Generally while studying, your accommodation options are:

university college accommodation
private rental
private board (with relatives, friends or acquaintances)

Work out which option suits best, then start working toward confirming your accommodation as early as possible. Do not wait until enrolment day.

On-Campus Accommodation

Most unis have on-campus accommodation options offering distinct advantages:

College life – a residential college or uni flat helps you to settle in quickly, get tutor and peer support, meet new friends and tap into lots of social, sport, recreational and cultural activities
Proximity – as they are on-campus, you save on daily travel time and costs
Food for thought – they have catering (full, self, or a combination)
Ease of use – handy to facilities (libraries, tutors, games and music rooms, sports facilities, uni bars and food outlets etc.)
Value for money – living on-campus is not cheap, but can be good value when you consider the extras, travel savings and not paying for your room during vacations

Private Rental

Living with other students in private rental accommodation can appear to be cheaper than living on-campus. But private rental has ongoing costs:

You are generally committed to a 52 week lease. (University residence requires payment for only about 38 weeks' accommodation)
You’ll have set up costs such as bond, rent, electricity, gas, telephone, furniture and household supplies. For shared accommodation, allow $20 per person per week for gas, electricity and water.
There can be unexpected costs at the end of your stay. In the event of a dispute, you’ll be very sorry if you don’t have a detailed condition report of the rental property at the outset (copy given to the real estate agent or landlord). Equally, make sure everyone who shares the place with you is named on the rental agreement.

Redfern Legal Centre's website has lots of useful information to do with rental issues, as does Tenants NSW. Unresolved rental disputes end up at the Department of Fair Trading’s Residential Tribunal. Better to sort out issues before they get to this stage.

Short of money for your bond? The NSW Department of Housing’s Rentstart Scheme may be able to assist with your bond costs.

Matt Nelson

Matt was born and bred in Port Macquarie, finishing high school at Mackillop Senior College in 2007.
He took a year off study to gain valuable experience in the workforce before starting a Bachelor of Information Technology in 2009 at the University of Newcastle.
New to Newcastle, Matt found living on-campus at Evatt House a great way to establish new friends and settle into uni life. “Nowhere else can you move into a place and develop instant friends. Living on-campus all your academic, sporting and social needs are taken care of. There’s always something going on which has helped to make the move easier.”

Charles Sturt University – on campus

CSU Accommodation FAQ

Albury-Wodonga
CSU Albury-Wodonga offers eco-friendly, self-catered accommodation in a park-like environment. Single, fully furnished bedrooms are available with private telephone and internet access. More information.

Bathurst
CSU Bathurst offers a number of residential complexes both on and near the campus. They offer fully carpeted single study bedrooms with communal facilities and common rooms. All bedrooms have private telephone and internet access. More information.

Dubbo
CSU Dubbo provides on-campus accommodation in the form of self catered cottages. Each temperature-controlled cottage has 6-8 fully furnished single study bedroom, a common room with TV, kitchen and two bathrooms. Bedrooms have private telephone and internet access. More information.

Orange
CSU Orange offers on-campus accommodation with TV-equipped common rooms, kitchen, shared bathroom facilities, and heating. There are more than 250 self catered and semi-catered rooms. Each fully furnished single study bedroom has data and phone connections. More information.

Wagga Wagga
CSU Wagga Wagga offers a range of affordable on-campus accommodation in the form of catered, semi-catered, and self-catered cottages and residential halls. Phone and data connections are included. More information.

Charles Sturt University – off campus

You may prefer to live off campus, independent of the University. On-campus accommodation is not really suitable, for instance, if you have a family.

You can rent a house or apartment privately, in which case you should bear these tips in mind.

It might suit you to rent a farmhouse, share with others, or board with a local family. As you will have guessed, costs vary accordingly.

To help you with your plans, CSU Student Services operates an Off Campus Student accommodation register of people offering accommodation including board, shared and rental (not managed by the University).

Take a look now at the relevant accommodation register.

If you are considering private accommodation, give yourself enough time to find somewhere suitable to rent before your study commitments kick in. And if you don’t have your own transport, check bus services to and from campus.

University of New England

UNE's on-campus accommodation offers a substantial number of places and options, such as living with over 25s, women only, or in an alcohol free zone. Take a closer look:

Austin College (288 places, fully catered, disabled facility)
Drummond and Smith College (200 places, fully catered Flexi Choice)
Duval College (210 places, fully catered Flexi Choice)
Earle Page College (294 places, fully catered)
Mary White College (209 places, fully catered, disabled facility)
Robb College (214 places, fully catered, disabled facility)
St. Albert's College (304 places, fully catered, self catered, disabled facility)
Wright Village apartments (296 places, self catered, disabled facility)

Off-campus

A wide range of rental properties is available in Armidale. Here’s a list of the local real estate agents.

University of Newcastle

Demand for on-campus is high, so apply early. There are different food and living options, so you’ll need to do some research to find what’s right for you.

Newcastle’s Callaghan campus has accommodation for 906 students:

Barahineban – 95 rooms, single occupancy or shared (all self-catered)

Edwards Hall – 374 residents (299 fully-catered, 75 self-catered places, approx. 25% overseas residents)

Evatt House – 211 residents (all self-catered, approx. 25% overseas residents)

International House – 226 residents (semi-catered with 5 dinners/week, approx. 50% overseas residents)

Central Coast Ourimbah campus has 26 single rooms:

Blue Gum House – 26 residents (single occupancy rooms, all self-catered)

Newcastle Uni’s Off-Campus Accommodation Service provides information about rental accommodation and maintains a database of current accommodation options offered by other students, people in the community and real estate agents.

You can email the Accommodation Enquiry Centre or phone (+61 2) 4924 1444.

University of Sydney

The Uni’s Accommodation Information Service is the best place to start your accommodation investigations:

The links above will not place you in accommodation but they will provide you with all the information and resources to help you find something suitable.

University of New South Wales

The Uni’s Accommodation Services page is the best place to start your accommodation investigations:

The links above will not place you in accommodation but they will provide you with all the information and resources to help you find something suitable.