Over 1,500 Novi Sad students demand to stay in dorms over summer

More than 1,500 students at the University of Novi Sad are demanding the right to remain in their dormitories throughout the summer months. They have launched a petition to abolish the mandatory summer eviction policy and allow them to stay at the regular, subsidized accommodation price.

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Additional concern is the fact that mandatory student eviction during the summer is a practice that, according to available information, is carried out exclusively in the dormitories of the University of Novi Sad. The question arises why students in Novi Sad are placed in a disadvantageous position compared to their colleagues in other university centers in Serbia?

The students highlight that this mandatory eviction practice appears unique to the University of Novi Sad, questioning why their peers in other Serbian university centers are not subjected to the same requirement. They point out that the current deadline of July 5, or July 15 for those with academic obligations, conflicts directly with ongoing exam periods, final thesis defenses, and internships that necessitate their presence in the city.

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Students are expected to pass exams while simultaneously packing their belongings, arranging transportation, and finding temporary housing. For many students who come from other cities and towns, the student dormitory is not a convenience, but the only way for them to study.

"Students are expected to pass exams while simultaneously packing their belongings, arranging transportation, and finding temporary housing," the petition states. For many students from other cities, the dormitory is not a convenience but their sole means of pursuing higher education. Last year, students were permitted to stay, demonstrating that flexibility is possible when there is willingness.

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Students are offered accommodation at an economic price, which for those two months totals 23,522 dinars, while the regular subsidized accommodation price for the same period would be 5,580 dinars, meaning students are forced to spend as much as 17,942 dinars more to stay in the city where they study.

Students are being offered alternative housing at an economic rate, which amounts to 23,522 dinars for July and August. This is significantly higher than the subsidized rate of 5,580 dinars for the same period, meaning students would have to pay an additional 17,942 dinars to remain in Novi Sad and complete their academic duties. The students are appealing to the authorities for understanding and a solution that does not jeopardize their right to education and livelihood, emphasizing they seek fairness, not privileges.

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We are not asking for privileges. We are asking to be allowed to finish our exam periods without the fear of being left without accommodation in the middle of our academic obligations.