Residential Contract
Abbey College is a long-stay college for postgraduate students studying at the University of Otago.
Abbey College is open for 365 days per year and welcomes long term residents (for one or more years), and shorter stay residents during the November-February period. We are a small college with 75 bedrooms rooms of four types, and often have a waiting list for rooms.
Abbey’s Academic Year
Abbey College’s Academic Year runs each year from mid-February until early November, coinciding with the University of Otago Academic Year (except that it finishes a week or so earlier than the university final exams). Over this period preference is given to students who meet the study criteria and are committed to stay at Abbey College for at least the Academic Year.
Research students who hand in their thesis may then leave, or stay for an agreed further period of time depending on the circumstances.
Stay can be extended at either end of the Academic Year
Arriving students are able to begin their residence up to 3 months before the Academic Year begins.
Residents who stay for Abbey’s Academic Year may choose to leave at any time from the end of the Academic Year (early November) until the new Academic Year begins (mid February), or to remain in residence for the entire new Academic Year.
Conditions for all residents 2012
There is a non-refundable resident placement fee of NZ$312, and a deposit required on booking of NZ$500. For residents who are offered accommodation for less than 3 months, the resident placement fee will be charged at $25 per week.
Residents who reside at Abbey College for twelve months without a break will, from the anniversary of their arrival, be entitled to a discount of $15 per week on the cost of their accommodation while their stay remains unbroken. This rebate is to encourage long-stay residents. Together with the rebate for absences, this should allow residents to take short breaks for research or leave purposes over their stay, at times of their choosing.
Residents with a University of Otago PhD Scholarship, will receive a discount of $1000 per year pro-rated for the duration of their stay at the College.
A sample of the 2012 contract is available here.
Your arrival date
The Abbey College Accommodation contract is a legal document. There is an obligation to pay accommodation fees from the date you have advised us you wish to arrive. If you are unsure that you will arrive on that date (for example, you have not yet got your student visa) then we ask you to consider carefully whether you should withdraw your application until you are sure of your date of arrival. Note, if you withdraw your application, we are unable to keep a room for you.
Visiting Academic Staff
Abbey College is able to take a small number of academic staff visiting for one to six months. Applications for these would normally come through the academic's department.
Residents with families
Abbey College has a number of rooms suitable for couples.
The College does not have facilities for children. Postgraduates with families are encouraged to seek help with accommodation through the University of Otago Accommodation Office.