Enrollment has increased, and so has the demand for living on campus.
In years past, such as 2020, campus housing was easily available due to the start of the pandemic. In 2021, a steady increase occurred. In present day, campus housing numbers have grown exceptionally.
Bonnie Burchett, director of Housing and Residence Life, discussed what housing at capacity means for the students who are affected.
“This is the first time since fall of 2017 that we have had full capacity and place students in hotels for a few days to a week until we could move them onto campus,” Burchett said.
Burchett also stated that while freshmen applicants were the most prominent, an increase in upperclassmen were applying as well.
“We have had the most freshman housing applications,” said Burchett. “3,000 students in total will be living in housing this year.”
There are currently three hotels housing students, and as of Aug. 17, 70 of them are on the waiting list to be placed in on-campus housing.
“Quality Inn was the earliest hotel we could get the students who wanted to participate in Preview in,” Burchett said. “We also have some rooms set aside in the Carnegie Hotel and if we need more space, we also have the Hampton Inn.”
Even though the hotels are only reserved for two weeks, Burchett stated that she believes that majority of the students living off campus in the hotels will be able to move onto campus soon or choose to find a space off campus.
“Generally, we will have students not show up,” Burchett said. “We have had some defer to spring because of illness or other reasons.”
Students who wanted to live on campus started applications early this year. Burchett expressed her excitement for the growth.
“We got through COVID-19 changing dorms into singles, and this year 14,000 students are enrolled at the university,” said Burchett.
For more information on the numbers on housing, email Bonnie Burchett at bonnie@etsu.edu.
