Approximately 7,400 USF residents moved into their dorms over the weekend, according to USF Newsroom. The road to moving in wasn’t easy for some students, however, as they faced price increases and a long standby list to secure housing.

Students, such as biomedical sciences junior Asha Moultrie, were afraid they would be forced to move off campus due to the uncertainty caused by these changes.

“I had great difficulty securing housing. As you know, there are designated times for people to choose housing. By the time it was my turn, everything was gone,” Moultrie said. 

“It was a stressful time because it would be impossible for me to live off campus.”

Moultrie managed to find a dorm in the Village after a month of waiting for the next round of room selection. 

“However, when the second round came, I was just barely able to get a dorm in Summit,”  Moultrie said.

Many students, like Moultrie or behavioral healthcare sophomore Rana Ali, do not have a car that would allow them to commute. Ali said the approximately six minute drive to campus by car can turn into an hour-long bus ride because of the stops the bus has to make on the way and because the nearest bus stop is a 20 minute walk from her apartment. 

“I kept trying [to get on-campus housing], but nothing opened up. I had to use off-campus housing without a car, which was [very] damaging financially and for my mental/physical health,” Ali said.

Other students, like microbiology sophomore Jamie Powers, want to live on campus for the convenience of being close to classes and campus life. 

“I like living on campus because it is easier to go to classes everyday because they are right here,” Powers said. “Also, it is easier to join clubs for the same reason.”

Business freshman Gianni Fratarcangeli was not placed in a room until a few weeks ago after he realized USF had lost his housing application.

“They just said they lost it. So, I was like ‘I still need a room,’” Fratarcangeli explained. “It ended up working out but I could have been screwed over very easily.”

While many students were on the standby list for housing, every student on the standby list was placed in a dorm before the grand-opening, with the final student being placed in a room on Aug. 16, according to Housing and Residential Education Associate Vice President Ana Hernandez.

“We certainly did see an increase [in demand] this year. We have been navigating and managing a standby list since March when we paused the access to the space for our returning students to allow our first-year students to get some of the spaces,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said there was an increase in demand for on-campus housing due to how quickly beds filled up. Last year, USF housing did not have a standby list until the first week of May, but this year’s list began forming nearly two months sooner.

“We saw almost a doubling of the demand from our returning students, which was really great to see because that is an indicator that they are having a great experience as part of a residential community and they just want to stay,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez said her office focused on being “very communicative and very clear with the students.” 

“The assignment staff on the Tampa campus was really doing incredible work with just trying to reach out to students,” Hernandez said.

Business freshman Gianni Fratarcangeli wasn’t placed in a room until a few weeks ago after he realized USF had lost his housing application.

“They just said they lost it. So, I was like ‘I still need a room,’” Fratarcangeli explained. “It ended up working out but I could have been screwed over very easily.”

Moultrie said she wished there was more communication from Housing about alternative solutions for spots filling up so fast.

“All I received was an email saying how all the housing had been filled. No suggestions for alternatives. Just them essentially saying ‘Better luck next time,’” she said.

In addition to challenges securing a room, students faced an average of a 4.5% increase in prices for on-campus housing this year, according to Hernandez. She said the increase is a result of increased operational costs to USF, including utilities and employee pay.

This semester’s new housing rates range from a low of $767.50 to a high of $1532.50 per month, whereas last spring’s housing rates ranged from $748.75 to $1,487.50.

This increase is the first since a 1% increase in 2019. USF did avoid increasing prices during COVID-19, unlike many off-campus accommodations that saw between a 10% to 58% increase in prices, according to Hernandez. However, she admitted it was no longer sustainable and students can expect another 4.5% increase in fall 2024 as well.

For Moultrie, the increase in prices influenced which style dorm she could choose.

“The price impacted my decision because, while my scholarships cover a lot, a very expensive dorm would not be entirely covered…I already knew that getting an apartment style would be impossible because of the costs. The Village only had a few rooms left, so I had to choose from there,” she said. 

Scholarships and financial aid made the cost increases manageable for some students, like mathematics major and sophomore Logan Simpson.

“I transferred from a Colorado college. So, coming here as a transfer, I really needed a place to stay. On-campus housing was better financially as I have financial aid for school related costs that don’t really cover an apartment,” Simpson said. 

Price increases will force some students, such as Moultrie and Fratarcangeli, to get a job that they may not have needed if dorm prices had stayed the same. Fratarcangeli said without the increase, he may not have had to look for a job that would impact how he can balance his coursework. 

Nursing senior Angel Wayton said she might have considered living on-campus if the prices were cheaper than her off-campus accommodations, which cost her $850 per month compared to over $1000 for an apartment-style dorm.

Chemistry sophomore Jenny Blasko lived off-campus last year, but the increases to dorm prices influenced her decision to stay in her apartment.

“I chose to live off-campus last year because I was told on-campus housing was unavailable and new spots could open up right before school, but there was no guarantee,” Blasko said. 

Off-campus living presented challenges as well for some residents. Blasko had health and safety concerns, such as broken locks and black mold, at many of the places she considered. 

Hernandez advised students to stay connected to the communication from Housing and Residential Education so they know the timeline for applying for and selecting housing. She also suggested students complete all the necessary steps as soon as possible to avoid being placed on the standby list and missing key deadlines.

Moultrie said better systems should be implemented to help students deal with the difficulties they face when securing housing each year.

“[I hope USF makes] more opportunities for students to secure housing,” Moultrie said. “Specifically for those that are really in need of housing.”