The University of Alberta has made an offer to an international student who says her possessions were thrown out over the summer.

Siying Chen, a fourth year design student at the University, has lived at the HUB Mall residences on campus and pre-paid her rent before heading home to China each summer.

However, when she returned this fall, she found that all her belongings were gone.

“I never thought they would throw all my things away,” Chen told CTV News. “I have been doing this for a few years already, so every year before I left I prepaid four months’ rent.”

Her 51’ television, computer, snowboard equipment – in addition to handmade furniture and paintings she had made were all gone.

She told CTV News she received an e-mail from a building administrator saying cleaning had to be done, they had tried to contact her, but it was not clear when she would be back, and she had been required to tell them if she was leaving for more than 14 days.

Chen said while she was overseas, she wasn’t able to receive e-mails, saying her Gmail account was blocked by the Chinese government.

Now officials at the University said they have offered Chen $3,500 cash and will also waive her rent until the end of May.

Chen’s legal counsel has not responded to the offer.

More to come…

With files from Julia Parrish