By Silma Suba

Fees for accommodation in Education City’s Student Residence Halls (RH) are set to rise by 7.5% starting next academic year, according to Jamil Karam, director of Housing and Residence Life (HRL).

In August 2013, Qatar Foundation opened its new residences for students – with upgraded, fully furnished apartments, new staff – and a new fee structure.

“From 2007 to 2012 we did not increase the housing fees because we were not happy with what we provided the students,” said Karam. “But now, we’re able to give them good living conditions and quality services, and to maintain the cost that we invest in the residence halls, we need to increase the fees.”

According to Karam, the decision to increase the dorm fees was made after meetings last January and February and consultation with the student affairs heads of each of the branch campuses, the RH council management of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and Housing Liaisons.

The increase will be of an average of QR 600 for every housing room, so the new fee structure will look like this per semester:

“No one’s going to be happy when they hear that they have to pay more for anything,” said Karam. “But, if a student chose to live outside the RH in Doha, they would have to pay approximately QR 3000-QR4000 per month—that’s without the Wi-Fi, TV and other services that they get here.”

“In the near future we will be providing the students with extra services like cable TV, we aim to give the students an out of classroom experience here, but with the rising cost of living (in Qatar) we need to increase the fees,” added Karam.  

But most students who live in the RH are international students who depend on financial aid for their tuition and housing fees.  Ashraf Al Sharawi, a junior at Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMU-Q), said that he was not expecting an increase in housing fees for the next two to three years and the decision has made him worry about his finances.

According to Karam, the financial aid for students will be adjusted accordingly to the increase in fees.

“Students can seek financial aid if they feel they cannot afford the housing fees. The aid will also be increased to adjust to the rise in both tuition and housing fees,” said Karam. “The students can also work at different places around Education City.“

Asma Ul Hosna, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCU-Q), has lived in the residence halls since her freshmen year, and said she prefers the new residence halls to the old student dorms. However, she feels that students are being given a luxurious life that they might not find after graduating from EC.

“The previous apartments had a feel of community living with 5 other girls in the same apartment. Despite the struggles and differences, we learned to deal with each other,” said Hosna. “I had established a stronger community bond there than living on my own in an individual apartment (in the new RH).”

“The most important thing in the new residence halls is that they give the students their privacy. They don’t have to share their bedrooms with other roommates, so they can decorate it to their personal taste and live in privacy,” said Karam. “The fees will increase annually to accommodate the rising cost of living, but we’re planning alternative ways to earn back (what has been invested) without burdening the students.”