Phenomenon Living in Off-Campus Accommodation among UiTM Students

Living in accommodation provided by the university will make life easier for the students to attend classes and to be actively involved in the university’s activities. University Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Malaysia have been providing accommodation within its campus for the students. Despite these facilities, there are students who stay in private accommodation. A study has been conducted among UiTM students who stay off-campus to determine the reasons for living in private accommodation. Data was collected from online questionnaires to students of UiTM who live off-campus in the areas of Penang, Tapah, Seremban, Kuala Pilah, Segamat, Samarahan and Kota Kinabalu. Findings shown that in terms of the type of private accommodation, most of the students prefer rented houses more than rented rooms and family houses. Race and distance from the university greatly influence the students to stay off-campus during studies since they can enjoy cheaper rental, free from university rules and regulations and having choices to stay in one house with their friends. This study recommends that UiTM collaborates with private developers to provide a near off-campus accommodation which is more relaxed in regulations yet fulfilling the needs of the students.