One of the major selling points of Washington University is that almost 80 percent of students live in University-owned housing for all four years. And since 60 percent of undergraduates receive some sort of financial assistance, it is safe to assume that money is a factor for Wash. U. students making housing decisions. Recent housing renovation and construction projects, however, do not seem to reflect this reality.

Let’s say a freshman requests a triple room in a traditional-style dorm. He or she will pay $5,558 for the year. Sophomore year comes around, and this somewhat more affordable housing option is no longer available. The next cheapest on-campus option is a traditional-style double at $7,360 a year. If by junior year, that student wants to live in Millbrook, he or she will have to pay an extra $1,000 for a double or an additional $2,000 for a single. These numbers do not even include the newest housing options offered by the University. The brand new Village East is the most expensive housing option yet, offering only singles at a whopping $10,906. Over the course of those three or four years, the student’s housing costs have essentially doubled. Why is the University only building more expensive housing instead of making the effort to cut costs and provide more affordable on-campus options? How do these new housing options pave the way for a debt-free student body (a goal of the University’s new Plan For Excellence)?

The Office of Residential Life consistently urges for diversity and community in on-campus housing, but how much diversity is there if students in financial need are being driven off campus by exorbitant housing costs? Nine months of rent (plus utilities) for an apartment two blocks away is about $5,000. That’s less than half the cost of a room in Village East! Tuition and food costs are only going up; shouldn’t the University be striving to keep prices down wherever possible? And even if financial aid often goes toward minimizing rising housing costs, it would be money better spent on a more practical housing option. The new Village East housing offers dishwashers, bath tubs, big beds and leather couches—sounds great—but which students are really going to be able to afford this new deluxe style of living? Where’s the diversity now?

Instead of attempting to boost its image through fancy housing, perhaps the University should be seeking to accommodate all students from every financial background. Instead of on-campus housing being split between new and old or expensive and less expensive, housing should be uniform and cost-effective in order to be affordable to as many students as possible. Only after taking these steps can the University claim to be building a truly diverse on-campus living community.

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Tags: affordable, dorms, financial aid, housing, new dorms, old dorms, on-campus, price, university-owned

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 8th, 2008 at 4:19 pm and is filed under Forum, Staff Editorials. You can follow any responses to this entry through this feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.