With costs of the economy rising and the job market at an extreme low, it becomes more and more difficult for individuals to pay for a higher education. Many costs are combined along with classes, but the most expensive other than classes is living within the dorms. Sure, two-year degrees are less expensive, but what if a student wants to attend a four-year school and have to pay thousands just to live there?
College tuitions, especially private campuses such as University of the Cumberlands, a four year private Baptist university, can cost families up to almost $25,000 per year. Costs include classes, meal plans, and housing. All students on the UC campus must live on campus unless they are commuters or married.
Housing alone costs up to $4,000 per semester, which makes the cost approximately $8,000 per year. Since students are not allowed to live off campus, much of their money is being paid toward the dorm facilities.
Most colleges and state universities allow their students to begin living off campus after their first full year of college. Campuses like Cumberland do not allow off-campus living because of the amount of money that would be lost due to students wanting to live on their own.
When students begin the journey of college and getting prepared for the real world, Cumberland holds the authority of informing students what they are capable of, but when students feel as though they are being treated like babies, they begin to transfer to schools where they are able to live on their own.
Living off campus is about $2,500 cheaper a semester than living in one of the dorms. With parents being able to barely afford to send their kids to school due to room and board, the option of living off campus seems to be a pretty sweet deal compared to shelling out that extra $2,500. On average, an apartment per semester costs about $1,500 plus utilities.
So the question remains, should students on this campus be given the option of living off campus after their freshman year is completed? On most college campuses, students, upon completing their freshman year, are able to move off campus and live on their own. Most students would agree they should at least be provided that option so they can make that decision for themselves. If someone just tells them what they can or cannot do, most are not going to listen.
Having the option there and provided, does not mean everyone on this campus will just up and move out of the dorms. One reason they would not is due to the lack of apartments or housing around the Williamsburg area. Another reason is that there are few jobs here, so a lot of students would not be able to afford living on their own.
The administration on this campus have been around for many years and have no plans on changing their minds about the housing situation because it does provide a great deal of money to the university and it also gives them the right to check up on every student living in the provided dorm.
If students were given the option to make their own choice on the matter, sure some would move off campus and find a way to pay making it less of a burden on their parents, and some would just continue living in the dorm due to scholarships they received.
Even though the likelihood of students being provided that option is very slim, students will continue to find their own ways around this little problem. Eventually the enrollment of the campus will likely dwindle due to students not feeling like they can think for themselves.
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