As a form of protest, Howell hasn't been paying his weekly accommodation fees but fears there may be repercussions later on for not doing so.

"It's obviously a charge on my account and it's still there, but I haven't paid it because I don't think we should be paying for something that we don't have access to, we don't have the facilities we were promised.

"I understand it's a difficult time for everybody, but I don't think students should be forking out nearly $300 a week - that's discounted, albeit, from the $400 per week - for something that we're not even getting when lots of us aren't even in work during the lockdown."

He hasn't received a late fee penalty, but says it's clear in their contract there is one for people who don't pay on time.

"I'm cautious that there might be some repercussions that come up from that."

Howell, who works as a casual worker, is relying on his weekly student loan payments to help pay for his hall, but that still isn't enough.

"I get $238.54 a week which doesn't even cover the amount I'm expected to pay. So the loan that I can take out doesn't even cover the accommodation I'm paying for, which is a bit bonkers really."

He says he doesn't qualify for the student allowance - a weekly payment to help with expenses that doesn't get paid back - and instead receives his weekly payments under student loan living costs which he's required to repay. He believes students have once again got "the short end of the stick".

"I don't understand why students are still having to pay when some workers are already benefiting from the Government's handouts.

"Our workers around the country are getting a wage subsidy, we have businesses getting subsidies from the Government... but students, all we got was the opportunity to take out more of a loan."

The Government announced earlier this month that course related costs would be increased by $1000, bringing the total that could be borrowed this year to $2000. Course related costs must be repaid as part of student loans.