A cold welcome for international students

— For me it was decisive that UiO could guarantee student housing for international students. I have a pretty limited budget, and Oslo is an expensive city. I didn’t think this would be a problem.

Days after the start of semester Maret Grapengeter is still at home in a tight apartment at her parents’ in Germany, registered as a student at University of Oslo (UiO). Ideally, she would have moved into the student housing she was promised when she first applied to the master’s programme in Norway. Instead she has to couch surf at friends’ during the first semester, while she waits for student housing.

New numbers from Norwegian student organisations show that this time last year there were 155 international students on the waiting list for student housing in the entire country. 17th of August 2020 a whopping 1222 are on the waiting list.

— It’s not exactly ideal, says Grapengeter over a video call with Universitas.

Feels forgotten

When the borders closed this spring, UiO froze the arrangement with SiO which guaranteed internationals student housing. This means that even though the borders are now open for European international students, they will not be prioritised when applying for student housing. Without student housing, it is impossible for many internationals to find housing they can pay for in Oslo.

This has made an already challenging start of semester more unpredictable for history student Grapengeter.

— It doesn’t seem like the administration at UiO has taken into consideration how this decision will affect international students. There are many who need to move to Oslo now, even though teaching is digital. They can’t move here, however, since they don’t have housing they can afford, says Grapengeter.

Director of Student and Academic Division at UiO, Hanna Ekeli, writes to Universitas that they understand that the housing situation for international students is difficult this autumn. She also writes that UiO in May sent an email to applicants informing them that the autumn semester will be digital, and that students would be guaranteed housing only from the spring of 2021.

Ekeli points out that the students were informed that if they chose to come to UiO the autumn of 2020, this would be at their own risk, and they would not have the opportunity to help with housing.

Cancelled housing guarantee

In a letter to Grapengeter, UiO writes that international students choosing to come to Oslo the first semester, do this at their own risk. Furthermore, they write that the international students do not have housing guarantee until the spring semester.

For Grapengeter it is decisive to come to her place of study as originally planned.

— I don’t have a place to live in Germany. I’ve been living with my parents for a while, but it is cramped, and I don’t even have my own room. I’ll probably have to live at friends’ until January if I don’t get a room from SiO, says the 26-year-old.

Housing Director at SiO, Gunn Kirsti Løkka, writes that she has great understanding for those who unfortunately have had their plans changed this autumn. She confirms that the arrangements have been adjusted down in accordance to the universities’ plans for teaching this semester.

— Through arrangements with the universities, SiO has reserved housing units for international students. SiO unfortunately does not have the opportunity to reserve student housing outside of these arrangements.

The Student and Academic Division Director at UiO also confirms that the arrangement with SiO for the autumn of 2020 was tabled, as they did not expect that international students would come to UiO.

— UiO has been in constant dialogue with SiO and are also now in dialogue to ensure that we can guarantee housing for the spring semester of 2021, writes Ekeli.

Without student status

Home in Germany, Grapengeter does not have status as a student and can therefore not get student housing, access to reading rooms and reduced prices for public transport. She also points to other things that create difficulties now that she is forced to stay in Germany.

— It’s not ideal to miss the social aspect of the study programme I’m enrolling in. As a history student I also need access to libraries and reading rooms, and I haven’t been able to get the compendium I need either, she tells, and adds:

— I have a very helpful guidance counsellor who tries her best to help me, but it takes time for her to get replies from the administration. All the waiting and uncertainty is making me anxious; she admits.

Calls for information

Grapengeter thinks it is strange that UiO has not changed anything for international students after the borders opened again. Personally, she was deciding between taking her master’s in Norway or Finland at Tampere University, but chose to go for UiO.

— Now I see that the international students at the university in Finland have been much better taken care of. They have received help to find a place to live, and the university there seems much more interested in helping and welcoming international students than UiO – in spite of the covid-19 situation, says Grapengeter and continues:

— It makes you feel very uncertain of the future. None of us know exactly what is happening and especially not if the situation gets worse. It feels like there isn’t much help to get for international students this semester. It is just sad.

The leader of the student parliament at UiO, Runa Kristine Fiske, notes to Universitas that it is very regrettable if someone has not received the information they need. She thinks that this is something UiO has to take with them.

— It’s a difficult situation for the international students, and I expect UiO to reach out and try to help them now, says Fiske and continues:

— Student parliament will of course bring this matter to the administration and look at the challenges we have here, so that similar situations do not arise again.

It makes you feel excluded

Even though more people have gotten student housing this year than before, the line and the waiting time is still long. Grapengeter applied in April for student housing with move-in date in August when she was told she was accepted to her master’s programme. She thinks that there are many international students who are in the same situation as her.

— I have been in contact with several international students who were planning to move to Oslo in August, but who are now without any plan or a place to live before they get help and student housing, tells the history student.

Grapengeter continues to tell that she has long followed UiO on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated as to what is happening in regard to the start of semester. This has been of little help for the student.

— It’s pretty frustrating to sit here and see them posting «Welcome to a new semester on campus with one-metre distance», as if everything’s normal. They haven’t said a single word about the situation for all international students who will start their studies. That makes you feel pretty excluded, says Grapengeter.