The beginning of the academic year has again brought to the top of the education agenda the hardships many Gozitan students face when pursuing their studies at the University and Mcast in Malta.
While all tertiary education students benefit from free tuition, many argue that Gozitan students are at a disadvantage because they have to fork out substantial amounts of money to rent a property that will serve them as a residential base while studying in Malta.
The Gozitan University Group has voiced the concern of many Gozitan students who cannot afford the high rents landlords demand for properties ideal for those following tertiary education courses in Malta. The property market in Malta is arguably passing through a boom phase with sale prices and rents reaching all-time highs.
No one knows how long this property boom will last but, in the meantime, many Gozitan young people are evidently struggling to follow their dream of continuing their education in Malta.
Having to cross over from Gozo every day is an arduous task, not only for students but also Gozitans working in Malta. Certainly in the education field, few doubt that the present system places Gozitan students at a disadvantage because of the expenses they have to incur to rent accommodation in Malta and this in a country that is going through an economic boom while vaunting its free educational system.
Finance Minister Edward Scicluna acknowledges that the present high rent rates are a cause of concern to sections of society, including Gozitan students who have no viable option to follow tertiary education except to have a residential base in Malta. The minister promised that, in the next Budget, the government will roll out incentives to increase the supply of property on the market to keep prices affordable. The government sees no merits in direct intervention to cap rent rates.
Gozitan students argue that the €500 per quarter granted to them is no longer sufficient to defray significantly the expenses of renting accommodation. They expect the government to increase this allowance substantially to compensate for higher rent costs. Gozitan families that cannot afford to subsidise their children’s accommodation costs while studying in Malta expect the State to ensure that free education facilities are accessible to all in equal measure.
It is still not clear what form the incentives promised by the Finance Minister to float more properties on the rental market will take. Inevitably, Gozitan students will be competing with other local and foreign residents interested in renting property.
One medium-term solution could be public-private partnerships to provide purpose-built or modified student residential properties that can then be rented out at reasonable rates to Gozitan and foreign students studying in Malta. Such student accommodation is available in many localities both in Europe and beyond whose universities and other education institutions attract students.
Malta is admittedly facing an overdevelopment challenge with buildings going up at an unprecedented rate. Yet, sections of society, including the elderly who can no longer live independently and Gozitan students who need suitable accommodation while studying in Malta, have limited options to find affordable and suitable accommodation.
Hopefully, the Budget for 2018, which will be presented today week, will introduce some sensible rationalisation in the property market.