Students who intend to live on campus next year should anticipate slightly higher dining and boarding rates.
Katie Austin, the director of Housing and Residence Life, joined the Oct. 18 Student Government Association (SGA) meeting to outline the proposed room options and rates for The Flats, The Suites and Shocker Hall for the fiscal year 2024-2025.
According to Austin, most units saw an increase between 2.02% and 3.01%, with the exception of the triple two-bedroom, one-bathroom suite in Shocker Hall, which did not increase. Shocker Dining Hall services saw a 3% increase.
Austin said the rise in fees is due to the increasing number of students, especially international students and upperclassmen, who want to continue living on campus after their freshman year.
“It’s really a supply and demand scenario,” Austin said.
Before the projection rates and budget are presented to the Kansas Board of Regents, they undergo review by two student constituencies: the Resident Assistants and the Student Senate.
Sens. Aaron Haynes and Garett Knight questioned if the housing rates were increasing due to limited on-campus housing capacity, which Austin dispelled.
“We were able to accommodate every single student who requested housing this year,” Austin said. “We’re seeing that there is a demand for that (student) housing and that our price point isn’t too high that folks are considering that still to be a value that they’re opting int,” Austin said. “They might not have gotten the room type they wanted, but we do have rooms. We started the semester at our high point of 1,405 students… our capacity is 1,450 students.”
Dining plans are anticipated to regularly increase by 2% or 3% each year, according to Austin and the Housing and Residence Life contract with Chartwells.
Along with replacing all twin XL mattresses and beds in the summer of 2024, Austin announced a $2,000 scholarship for international students and another new scholarship – the Reside and Thrive Scholarship – to provide aid for up to 50 residential students exhibiting financial need. Recipients will also have access to mentors and extra social programming.
“(We’re) really trying to provide … beyond the dollar to give some extra support to those students,” Austin said.
The housing rates will be proposed to the Kansas Board of Regents in November. If KBOR passes the rates, they will go into effect by next fall.
Austin’s complete presentation to SGA can be viewed on the SGA YouTube.
