Several S’pore universities increase hostel fees by up to $80 a month

SINGAPORE – Students at local universities can expect to pay up to $80 more each month to stay on campus in the new academic year, which starts in August.

According to the latest figures from the websites of the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, hostel prices have been rising over the last few years.

The increase applies to various room types, Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao first reported on July 10.

At NTU’s Hall of Residence 1, built in 1955, students paid $558 a month in 2025 for a non-air-conditioned single en-suite room, where facilities are shared with another room. For the upcoming academic year, fees have risen by almost $50 to $602.

Non-air-conditioned double en-suite rooms will see a similar 8 per cent increase, rising from $381 to $412 per person per month.

Fees for air-conditioned single room units at Hall of Residence 14, built in 2001, will similarly increase from $593 to $642 over the same period, while those for air-conditioned double rooms will rise from $436 to $472.

At NUS, weekly fees for on-campus accommodation are determined by the students’ year of matriculation.

Four years ago, first-year students residing at NUS’ oldest student hostel, King Edward VII Hall, which was built in 1916, would have paid $86 per week for a non-air-conditioned double room. In the 2026/2027 academic year, students will pay $114 per week, up from $104 the previous academic year.

At Eusoff Hall, which opened in 1988, fees for a non-air-conditioned single room have gone up from $151 per week to $165 in the 2026/2027 academic year – an increase of about 9 per cent.

Meanwhile, an air-conditioned double room at NUS’ UTown Residence will cost $275.50 per week, up from $255 in 2025. This translates to a monthly increase of more than $80, or about 8 per cent.

Singapore Management University will raise hostel fees for the 2027/2028 academic year. According to its website, the room rate for a small single room is $873 a month for the academic year 2026/2027. It will increase to $917 in the 2027/2028 academic year, up by $44, or 5 per cent.

The Straits Times has reached out to all three universities for comments.

In response to queries from ST, an NUS spokesperson said a fixed fee schedule has been implemented since 2020, which locks hostel fees for each incoming cohort of students for the next five years.

She added that this provides greater financial certainty for students, as they do not experience any further increase.

The fee adjustments, which she said are primarily driven by significant rises in energy and operating costs, are necessary to support ongoing maintenance and enhancements of hostel facilities.

She said the university is committed to ensuring all students have access to multiple financial assistance schemes to support living expenses, which include hostel fees and meal plans.

“No student will be denied the opportunity to stay on campus due to financial circumstances,” said the NUS spokesperson.

Justin Ong, a 21-year-old NUS student majoring in computer engineering, will be extending his stay at Pioneer House when he begins his second year in August. He will pay $178 per week in the new academic year, or about $712 each month, for a non-air-conditioned single room. In his first year, he paid $165 per week.

He chose the residence as it does not come with a meal plan and he prefers more flexible meal options. Ong, who lives in Sengkang, said he opted to stay on campus as a one-way trip to NUS could take up to 1½ hours on public transport.

Though the weekly difference of $13 may not seem like a large amount, Ong said this is not a small sum for undergraduates.

“I’m not on a scholarship, and the price hike means spending about $50 more a month on accommodation. And that is a big difference for students,” he said.

Ong does not plan to stay on campus during his third and fourth year, as he expects to be on internships or overseas exchange programmes.

For Ang, who declined to give his full name, the latest increase in hall fees has prompted him to reconsider whether living on campus is still worth the cost.

The 23-year-old business student who stays in an air-conditioned single room with an attached bathroom at one of NTU’s residence halls, will pay $835 a month from the new academic year, up from $785 previously.

Ang said hall fees have increased every year since he enrolled, although the earlier hikes during his first two years of about $20 to $30 a month were relatively modest.

“I’ve already experienced previous increases, so I just accepted this as another one,” he said.

But the latest $50 monthly increase as he embarks on his third year has led him to explore alternatives. For a similar price, Ang said he could rent a room with an attached bathroom in a Housing Board flat in Jurong West, although he has grown accustomed to hall life.

Ang, who pays his hall fees using his own savings, said he understands that inflation has pushed up costs, but there should be a limit.

“As a student, I understand inflation is inevitable, but if the fees just keep going up, it’s quite ridiculous,” he said.