2008 Woodie Awards
Is campus living worth price?
Students weigh in on pros, cons of on campus housing from price to accomadations available
Katie Jones
Staff writer
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: News
University housing is in the midst of its Fall 2008 housing campaign and insists living on campus is worth the price, while students vary in their opinions.
"We try to offer the most competitive prices we can and still meet the budget needs for housing and support the infrastructure for housing, which are the facilities," said Darryl Davis, director of Business and Information Services.
David Grigsby, a first-year business student, lives in the Preston Hall, located in front of the Russell House and the Thomas Cooper Library.
"They charge a lot, but you get more of a sense of community than off campus," Grigsby said. "It's a little expensive, but in the long run you get your money's worth."
He said he enjoys living on campus and is willing to pay the price.
For other students campus housing is simply out of their financial reach.
First-year anthropology student Alex Trim lives off campus in Lexington. She said the cost of living on campus was a factor in her decision to live off campus.
"My scholarship covered tuition, but not enough for housing. They should lower it," she said of the housing rates. "But I don't see that happening. I don't see how."
For upperclassmen, living on campus means paying close to $4000, or more, for the nine months of the academic year.
The Quads and the Horseshoe apartments, although significantly different in layout, amenities, size and age, all cost $5,940 to live there for both the fall and spring semesters.
"Those are all fairly compatible units," Davis said. "Although the units may be small, they are highly desirable units to be on the Horseshoe. I think that is where we ended up at the same rates."
Housing rates are determined by a number of factors, said Gene Luna, associate Vice President for student affairs and interim director of university housing.
Market rates, operating costs, the costs of supplies, construction and staffing are all taken into account.
Luna ensures that the university is not out to make a profit from student housing.
"We operate as a nonprofit," Luna said. "Any surplus that we might have, we reinvest into the buildings and renovations program."
With a campus that spans the distance that USC does, some residence halls are bound to be farther away from the center of campus than others.
"Obviously, The Roost and Bates House are perceived to be farther away from the center of campus than the other halls, but actually they're pretty similar to where Capstone and Columbia Hall fall as far as distance to the center of campus," Luna said. "There's a misconception there."
The Horseshoe apartments are closer to the Russell House than The Roost or Capstone, and location also plays a part in determining the rates.
"There's a large demand to be on the horseshoe, of course most of that is honors," Davis said.
"We try to offer the most competitive prices we can and still meet the budget needs for housing and support the infrastructure for housing, which are the facilities," said Darryl Davis, director of Business and Information Services.
David Grigsby, a first-year business student, lives in the Preston Hall, located in front of the Russell House and the Thomas Cooper Library.
"They charge a lot, but you get more of a sense of community than off campus," Grigsby said. "It's a little expensive, but in the long run you get your money's worth."
He said he enjoys living on campus and is willing to pay the price.
For other students campus housing is simply out of their financial reach.
First-year anthropology student Alex Trim lives off campus in Lexington. She said the cost of living on campus was a factor in her decision to live off campus.
"My scholarship covered tuition, but not enough for housing. They should lower it," she said of the housing rates. "But I don't see that happening. I don't see how."
For upperclassmen, living on campus means paying close to $4000, or more, for the nine months of the academic year.
The Quads and the Horseshoe apartments, although significantly different in layout, amenities, size and age, all cost $5,940 to live there for both the fall and spring semesters.
"Those are all fairly compatible units," Davis said. "Although the units may be small, they are highly desirable units to be on the Horseshoe. I think that is where we ended up at the same rates."
Housing rates are determined by a number of factors, said Gene Luna, associate Vice President for student affairs and interim director of university housing.
Market rates, operating costs, the costs of supplies, construction and staffing are all taken into account.
Luna ensures that the university is not out to make a profit from student housing.
"We operate as a nonprofit," Luna said. "Any surplus that we might have, we reinvest into the buildings and renovations program."
With a campus that spans the distance that USC does, some residence halls are bound to be farther away from the center of campus than others.
"Obviously, The Roost and Bates House are perceived to be farther away from the center of campus than the other halls, but actually they're pretty similar to where Capstone and Columbia Hall fall as far as distance to the center of campus," Luna said. "There's a misconception there."
The Horseshoe apartments are closer to the Russell House than The Roost or Capstone, and location also plays a part in determining the rates.
"There's a large demand to be on the horseshoe, of course most of that is honors," Davis said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
xerren
posted 2/14/08 @ 8:39 AM EST
Just imagine what graduate students pay to live in the awful graduate student apartments. The prices are significantly higher for outdated and run down apartments that have seen no signs a true improvements. (Continued…)
Rich
posted 2/14/08 @ 9:16 AM EST
I realize a majority of graduate students choose to live off campus, but this decision could be in part due to a lack of options. So much time and so many resources have been spent on undergraduate housing, while graduate housing has remained neglected and unimproved. (Continued…)
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