UG ‘freshers’ stranded, as new intake supersedes available space

The large number of students admitted at the country’s premier tertiary institution; the University of Ghana this year, seems to have caused major issues for most entrants as many are stranded with no available space for accommodation.

Several ‘freshers’ and parents are still struggling to get alternative sources of accommodation as the school’s halls and hostels are full and there’s still a large number of students who have no place to reside for their university education.

The space as provided by the student accommodation portal is said to have been full barely 3 minutes after its activation considering there were only about 1900 available slots as against the over 11,000 students admitted this academic year.

Some entrants who spoke to Ghanaweb Friday expressed immense worry about the situation, noting how difficult it is currently to find a place of rest on the university’s campus, particularly students outside the capital; Accra.

“My major concern is that I’m from the Upper East Region and I don’t know anybody here, the question now is where I am going to get an accommodation as a fresher. There is a need for the authority to do something about this accommodation”, one frustrated first year student said.

The disturbed students were distressed about the fact they would have to spend extra funds on transportation or resort to finding alternative accommodation close to the university to be able to attend lectures and participate in school activities considering all efforts to get accommodation, even in the various hostels around have proven futile.

A parent who is also worried about the current situation urged the school authorities to reintroduce the “in-out-out-in” system or provide new hostels to solve the accommodation situation in the university.

“They promised to open the residential portal at 10am and they really did but by 10:03 when we managed to get in they said no residential accommodation. I was like wow! What is going on 3 minutes after opening the residential portal, so I drove to the school to speak to the authorities and one of them revealed that about 11,000 students were admitted this year and we have accommodation for only 1900 students. So only 1900 students had the chance and those who were lucky were those with good internet service.”

She added that the school authorities most adopt news ways to resolve these annual residential challenges.