Yvonne Ravula 
[Photo: FILE]
Students and parents are raising serious concerns over ongoing accommodation issues at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala Campus.
The Consumer Council of Fiji has stepped in, describing the situation as a “student welfare crisis” after visiting the campus on February 23.
The Council says many students remain uncertain about their housing status despite classes already beginning, forcing them to queue daily outside the Halls Office instead of focusing on their studies.
Consumer Council Chief Executive Seema Shandil says the lack of transparency and delayed communication has left students stranded.
“Many students at USP are first-years, new to Fiji, or unfamiliar with Suva. The university has a clear duty of care to ensure students are not left stranded without safe and secure housing.”
The Council claims some students were informed at the last minute that they would not receive a hall room, leaving them to seek private rentals at inflated prices.
Others who received confirmation emails were later told their allocations had been cancelled or that rooms were not ready.
One parent from Rakiraki reportedly travelled daily with his daughter for several days, only to be turned away without clear answers.
“This repeated travel is both financially draining and emotionally exhausting.”
The Council is now calling on USP to immediately clear the accommodation backlog, publicly communicate a processing timeline, and provide a formal explanation outlining what went wrong and how it will be fixed.
It says the current approach is unacceptable for an institution of USP’s standing.
We are also trying to get comments from the University of the South Pacific regarding the matter.
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