Students battle to stay afloat .

by Samantha Shafran

April 23, 2008

UNI students are struggling to pay rent, study and maintain a healthy lifestyle as Perth becomes a more expensive city to live in.

Sian Pladdy, of St James, is deferring her agricultural degree at Curtin University so she can work full time for six months and try to save some money. Ms Pladdy comes from a farm in Wyalkatchem, so living at home is not an option.

“I wanted to study to further my education,” she says. “Obviously I had to come to the city for that.

“I know I’m going to have no money when I start studying again, but I’m going to have to live with that.”

Property advisor Luke Muscedere says he has seen the number of students interested in renting decline with the rising prices of housing.

Mr Muscedere says that people with a job and regular income would definitely get prioritised over a student.

“It would be extremely hard for a student to get a rental property because they are competing with about 50 other potential tenants,” he says. “My advice, stay at home.”

Kirsty Nelmes, of Victoria Park, is in her fourth year of a primary teaching degree at Notre Dame University in Freo.

She says there is “no way” she could commute from her home town of Toodyay to Fremantle. Living on a tight budget has become a part of everyday reality, and having little money doesn’t only affect her lifestyle, but her study as well.

“I didn’t have a spare $150 to buy a textbook, so I didn’t buy it,” Ms Nelmes says. “All your money goes towards rent and bills, and what’s left over goes towards food and petrol – the more ‘luxurious’ of the necessities.”