Limited On-Campus Housing Leaves students Stuck On the Waitlist
posted by Bria Battle | December 5, 2018 | In NewsSome Fayetteville State University students remain on a waitlist for on-campus housing as the options become fewer throughout the academic year.
Beginning in August, several students were forced to either live on a couch or commute many miles from home. This left those students in a bind to focus more on living arrangements, finances, and transportation instead of succeeding academically.
Other than not having a living arrangement, a few students lacked transportation to make it to and from campus. Living on campus makes everything more accessible, but not having that option put a strain on many, including student Carlin Ashford.
Ashford, who shares a vehicle, was living with a friend on campus to make it easier to attend his 8 o’clock classes. After sleeping on the couch, he was forced to leave and tried applying to nearby apartments but ended up going back home without consistent transportation. According to Ashford, the instability impacted his academics and made it “a hassle to get around to campus.”
Junior Chantara Willoughby, made her decision to commute for the semester after finding out that she was placed on the waitlist. With all her classes falling on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Willoughby travels from Wadesboro, NC, which is approximately an hour and 30 minutes away from campus.
“I didn’t really complain about it,” shared Willoughby. “It’s been something that you would have to adjust to because I live a long distance away.”
The Department of Housing & Residence Life had eight residence halls operating this year, five of which are upperclassmen communities. Rooms in those communities began to fill up back in March when the applications for the new year first opened. Interim Director, Adrina Russell, shared that students on the waitlist for the 20182019 academic year “were very late applicants for campus housing.” Some students waited until June or July to pay their $125 non-refundable application fee. Once the fee is received, they are sent links to select open rooms for housing.
While the office listed local off-campus housing options for students on the website, they are planning to refer students to the waitlist as other students decide to move out during Spring 2019. Also, the Division of Student Affairs joined with Business and Finance to plan to improve future housing plans.
“They are working together now to update the campus housing master plan to incorporate longer range housing options with better amenities,” stated Russell. “However, this project and new construction may take a while.” In the meantime, the Department of Housing & Residence Life will continue to stress the importance of securing housing accommodations before leaving in the spring semester instead of waiting for the summer.
As students remain on the waitlist, their other goal is to remain positive.
“I just hope that my experience can be a little different next time,” shared Willoughby.
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