UPEI telling international students not to arrive in P.E.I. without housing
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — With lower than a month to go earlier than courses start, the College of Prince Edward Island remains to be in want of lodging for quite a few college students and is searching for Islanders’ assist.
In accordance with an announcement from UPEI, all its lodging are full whereas 400 college students are on a waitlist.
Homestay households
The UPEI homestay program, which lets worldwide college students reside with households on the Island throughout their research, can also be at its most capability. That program “may use one other 100 to 150 households,” the assertion mentioned.
“We’re receiving a variety of cellphone calls from college students who’re upset in regards to the housing downside, and we’re doing our greatest to assist them,” mentioned Laura O’Laney, appearing director of ancillary companies at UPEI. “If of or have lodging – a home, an condo, a room – that may be appropriate for college students, please contact our off-campus housing workplace.”
“We strive our greatest to offer college students a heads up, that they most likely want an extended time to search out housing and it’s not that simple to search out correct housing now.” – Jerry Wang, director of recruitment and advisement, UPEI Worldwide Pupil Workplace
Jerry Wang, the director of recruitment and advisement at UPEI’s Worldwide Pupil Workplace, mentioned the college is doing its finest in advising worldwide college students to not arrive in P.E.I. earlier than discovering housing.
“We strive our greatest to offer college students a heads up, that they most likely want an extended time to search out housing and it’s not that simple to search out correct housing now,” Wang mentioned. “We name, we ship emails, however college students are college students and a few of them nonetheless arrive.”
Lengthy-term concern
The dearth of lodging for college students was sure to occur because of P.E.I.’s housing disaster which has been ongoing for years, Wang mentioned.
“The housing state of affairs has been difficult for just a few years however in the course of the pandemic (pupil lodging) has been OK due to on-line programs, they don’t want to return right here,” he mentioned. “It hasn’t been this unhealthy in the course of the different years, nevertheless it’s solely this yr as a result of the whole lot is again in individual full scale.”
In accordance with O’Laney, UPEI had 300-400 college students on its lodging waitlist previous to the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020.
Wang thinks the housing state of affairs in P.E.I. should not negatively influence worldwide pupil recruitment in future.
“I don’t assume it would damage it, it’s going to make our job more difficult. UPEI can have some new resident buildings developing after the Canada Video games, and hopefully, by subsequent yr we shall be in a greater place.”
New residence
UPEI’s new residence shall be prepared for college students by fall 2023 and can accommodate a most of 260 college students.
Within the meantime, O’Laney hopes extra households can enrol in UPEI’s homestay program.
“Homestays are so vital, many college students live away from residence for the primary time they usually want the emotional and social help a homestay household offers,” she mentioned. “It is a vital a part of the Canadian expertise and it helps them change into part of the broader group.”
For extra info on UPEI’s homestay program, e mail [email protected].
