Students are paying the same amount to stay on campus at ETSU in the spring semester as they did last fall.
“The housing rates for spring 2015 were the same as they were for fall 2014,” said Bonnie Burchett, director of Housing and Residence Life at ETSU. “Every year students have the option of signing back up for on-campus housing, and we are in that process now.”
Burchett said the university did not ask for a housing rate increase for the 2015-16 academic year.
Burchett also said an equal number, or even more students have already signed up for on-campus housing next semester than this time last semester.
“Being closed so many days has put us behind a bit, but we will catch up,” Burchett said. “The numbers of students signing back up for next year are running about the same or a little better than this time last year, but we are still signing up students each day.”
There are 10 residence halls at ETSU. Five of those halls are co-ed, while three of them are for females only and two are for men only.
The gender exclusive dorms are less expensive than the co-ed dorms, with the cost of the cheapest private room costing $3,910, while the co-ed dorms can be as expensive as $5,140.
For fall of 2015, students will only have to pay one and a half times the rate for private rooms in Powell, West, Dossett and Lucille-Clement halls. This will make it cheaper for those who want a room to themselves but still more expensive than living with a roommate.
Students who live on campus interact more with other students than those living off campus.
“I think that students who live on campus are more involved on campus, and especially with their network of friends,” Burchett said. “They live with and are surrounded by other students who they can network with and develop life-long friendships.”
Burchett also said most students appreciate on campus living for the extra conveniences – such as saving commute time, and saving the money it takes to make that trip.
However, staying on campus is the way to go, Burchett said. “I think that students appreciate on-campus living for many of the services provided in terms of a caring staff, better opportunity to develop friendships and emphasis on student success.”
