Gozitan University students ‘need more aid’

Gozitan students who attend the University in Malta should be given special financial help to cover the added expenses they face as they pursued their studies away from home, the University Students’ Council (KSU) said.

Students from Gozo were faced with electricity bills and transport costs and, considering they were merely students with no income, they should be given specific financial aid, the KSU noted in a series of recommendations issued in reaction to the pre-Budget document.

Though it was satisfied with the diversity of areas tackled in the document, the KSU admitted it was “disappointed” that not enough attention was given to the education aspect.

It suggested that foreign students at the University should be provided with accommodation closer to the Tal-Qroqq campus. Such individuals stay at the University residence in Lija or find their own accommodation around the island.

Providing lodging for them closer to campus would be more convenient and help attract more foreigners to study on the island, the KSU said.

It proposed that the authorities carry out a scientific study on the students’ social dimension. This would help the government have a clearer idea of students’ social realities and provide the necessary structures to meet their needs. For example, when students finished their studies, they started looking for housing. It would be worth having a good understanding of graduates’ housing demands to match them with available vacant property rather than use up resources to construct new buildings.