For some, their health has deteriorated to the point of having to be admitted to the hospital, coughing up blood and struggling to breathe.
Students have broadcasted their experiences all over social media, which include Wi-Fi connection issues, rat and roach-infested dining halls and an unresponsive administration.
One, Gemma Robinson said she's five weeks behind her classes because she has not had working Wi-Fi for a month in a TikTok video that's gone viral.
“I can’t say that I’m really being educated just because students are tired, and so is faculty. The faculty made it very clear that they are struggling also. Being five weeks behind in my classes is very difficult. It’s very difficult to catch up," she said.
In response to the issues, students have occupied the Blackburn University Centre for nearly two weeks and they are prepared to protest for the remainder of the school year until the issues are addressed.
For 19-year-old Jasmine Joof, her reason for demonstrating is personal, as mould from her dorm room gave her respiratory issues.
“There was a point when I thought I had covid,” she said.
Howard University's vice-president of communications, Frank Tramble told NBC News the accounts had been exaggerated.
“Our housing isn’t deplorable at all. It is nowhere near the way the students are portraying it,” he said.
The university released a statement last week saying they were working with campus housing providers toward “actively addressing the concerns our students have raised.”
Join Tom Tilley with regular rotating co-hosts Jan Fran, Annika Smethurst and Jamila Rizvi on The Briefing, Monday - Saturday, for the day's headlines and breaking news as well as hot topics and interviews. Available on Listnr.