Higher housing costs unwanted but unavoidable

Students will have to pay 2 percent more for housing if they want to stay in UT’s on-campus housing for the 2016-17 academic year. We did the math, and the 2 percent increase in room rates means students can expect an additional $108.24 – $185.08 to be added to their bill.
UT reported that the raised prices were put in place to combat increased operating costs from more necessary maintenance and upkeep fees. While we don’t like the unexpected change, we can’t begrudge UT their choice if it means students will have better-maintained facilities. After all, no one wants to be stranded without hot water in the winter or with a broken elevator all year in Parks Tower because we skimped on spending for infrastructure.
It’s important to note that UT has made attempts to lower housing costs for students in past years. A couple years ago, the fee to apply for housing was waived if you were already in a residence hall, and this past year there was a 25 percent discount on room and board for students who were returning to on-campus housing. Maybe this was just to increase the number of people living in the dorms, but the students greatly appreciated the discount. It seems that UT is willing to work with students and understands the monetary struggle.
Keeping this in mind makes us wonder: will this 2 percent increase prompt the university to offer more scholarships for students?
Many students receive scholarships, but some of those scholarships don’t cover room and board. Having additional options may allow more students to afford on-campus housing. With both the number of students and residence prices increasing, the availability and quantity of financial assistance from UT will decide exactly how much students are affected by this change.
Certainly, the number of students affected will reflect last semester’s updated housing policy, which requires students to live on campus for their first two years. New sophomores who may have had plans to move off campus will now have to plan for another year of dorm life and pay for the fee that comes with it. Again, though, UT does seem willing to compromise by offering a waiver application for students who have reasons for not wanting to live on campus, and it’s possible financial reasons could exempt a student from having to live on campus.
It’s also possible that the 2 percent increase is so small that it may not affect a student’s decision to stay in a residence hall. After all, it’s less than $200, which is microscopic when compared with the entire bill for tuition and a meal plan and extra fees and the previous cost of housing. On the other hand, that amount of money would pay for a textbook or a few weeks of food.
However, the students already struggling with the housing bill will be forced to scrounge up the extra money somehow. Only time will tell the long-term effects of this on the university. On one hand, the increase in students staying on campus will likely lead to increased revenue for the university. On the other hand, these new policies could potentially affect the choice of students to enroll at UT in a negative way if there are students who don’t want to have to pay the extra money to stay on campus.
One of the main costs that college students worry over is room and board, so the increase in housing costs — no matter the amount — is definitely not a pleasant situation. If there was a way to avoid it, we would recommend that UT not raise student costs, but we realize the increase is minimal. It seems to be a justified amount to pay for good operating services and equipment in the dorms.