UOW asking Illawarra families to help host students

As accommodation becomes harder to find, the university has emailed past students and members of the university community asking if they would consider hosting one of the 1000-plus students who live with Illawarra families.

In Keiraville's Maureen and Dave Burt, there is a family which has already hosted 10 students, aged from 15-24, from countries including Oman, China and Japan.

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"We're empty nesters, our children have moved out of area, and we like having young people around," Ms Burt said. "We have met some amazing young people - and also some of their families have actually come and visited us. That has been very emotional - because we see the students as being part of our family.

"We have three children. We would like to think if they were young and went overseas to study and stay with a host family, that they would be treated well and respected.

"We see it as a privilege. Any family thinking of doing it, I'd say just give it a go."

English language student Keishi Sasaki, from Nagasaki in Japan, is staying with the Burts for two weeks, one of several young scholars they have welcomed.

Mr Sasaki, 20, was glad to be living in the community so he could improve his English and his job prospects after completing study - and also try different foods.

"Some food she has made I've never tried but it is very tasty, I like it," he said.

UOW's homestay program started almost 30 years ago and has hosted thousands of students in Illawarra homes.

"The overwhelming majority of students using the Homestay service are from Asia, and in particular from Japan, China, Vietnam, India and Pakistan," a UOW spokesman said.

"Occasionally a student will request a family who speaks their first language, but the majority want to practice English and gain the full immersion experience.

"Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic we hosted more than 1,000 students each year, and we are close to returning to or exceeding that number this year.

"Due to the pandemic we were unable to recruit new families to the program for a couple of years, while some families dropped out of the program due to a change in their circumstances. Therefore we are keener than ever to recruit new families."

Homes that are close to public transport are preferred, and families are paid for their efforts. They need to provide meals, a clean and private room, and a safe, supportive environment.