Have you got room in your life to help someone?

You could help the next gen achieve tertiary success.

With a shortage of safe affordable accommodation, both in Sydney and around the world, we are calling on our alumni to help address this situation.

Here at Macquarie we love to stay connected to our Alumni, and often reach out with requests on how you as alumni can continue the learning journey. Whether that be mentoring first year students and sharing your story, volunteering at graduation ceremonies to usher in the newest alumni, or even networking with recent graduates, there is always new opportunities for connection.

There is another way to give back; and it addresses an issue affecting all of our community. Some of our students in 2023 struggled to find somewhere to live due to the current accommodation crisis. This trend is set to continue in 2024, so we are reaching out to our local alumni and asking them to consider registering to become a home stay provider.

We are assisting students in need of accommodation to find safe options,” says Dean of Students, Professor Mariella Herberstein. “You can help these students by registering to become a home stay provider.”

If you live in Sydney and have a spare room that you could rent (tax free) to one of our students, please consider registering with one of our three preferred homestay providers:

These well-established providers have a successful track record of matching students with suitable homestay accommodation.

Homestay hosts receive a tax-free income to help cover the costs associated with hosting a student. Homestay students, in turn, gain access to safe accommodation that enables them to achieve their academic goals during their time at Macquarie.

Of course, many of our alumni are spread far and wide across Australia and beyond. However, as this is an issue in many major cities across Australia, and indeed the globe, the idea of opening up your home to a young person is an innovative way you can ‘give back’ while also helping to address a global issue. Similar organisations exist world-wide, so wherever you are in the world, consider contacting your local university to see whether they are experiencing similar accommodation challenges.

You might just be providing a home to one of the next generation’s great minds, or perhaps forge new friendships along the way.