July, 2026
Your Student Newspaper since 1931
“Talk about it”
THE COST OF BEING A UNI STUDENT IN 2026 SPOILER ALERT! Status: Not Great. UTAS and the 30-year contact with DIF
Food Insecurity and TUSA Food Hub
KEY POINTS:
KEY POINTS:
1.In 2017 the university entered into a 30 year concession contract to maintain 10 student accommodation properties across Tasmania 2.Concerns are raised that under a long-term concession contract, student accommodation no longer fits the needs of students and only benefits investors, leading to rising rents. 3.UTAS has confirmed student accommodation rent is capped at or below 75% of the rental market rate, which could be $390 a week next year, unaffordable for many students. 4.Questions are raised as to why the university couldn’t have invested or used their currently owned land in Sandy Bay to create more affordable and accessible accommodation for students.
1.53% of UTAS students are reported to be food insecure in 2024. 2.TUSA Food Hubs are a program which provide food for either free or at a low cost for students that is utilised across all UTAS campuses. 3.UTAS has not given this program ongoing funding and TUSA is concerned they will have to close their Food Hub program or limit it severely, worsening food insecurity for students. 4.Amid concerns that TUSA may be forced to close the Food Hub, or limit the amount of students able to participate, a record-breaking number of students are set to access the Food Hub this year.
In this issue: Accommodation Prices, Student Stories, and the TUSA Food Hub