Comparing the costs of off-campus and on-campus life |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Feb 06 2008 at 6:08 PM |
Photo by Garret Ritonya
Dorm living offers convenience but often at the expenses of extra space.
Shelly Fox
Antelope Staff
To live on campus or to live off campus, that is the question.
UNK policy states that traditional freshmen are required to live on campus for their first year, although some exceptions do apply.
After that, however, students are free to live anywhere they please.
While some students love the community and convenience of living in the dorms or Greek houses on campus, others long for the independence and freedom of living off campus.
For most students, what it usually comes down to is cost.
Rick Larsen, director of Residential and Greek Life at UNK said the average cost to live on campus is about $1550 per semester in the older dorms such as Randall, Stout, Mantor, Conrad and Martin.
Dorms with break housing such as the Centennial Towers and Men's hall, as well as the Greek houses URN and URS are approximately $50 to $100 more per semester.
The new dorms (Antelope and soon-to-be Nestor) vary in price, depending on the number of bedrooms.
A two-bedroom costs $2100 per semester, while a four-bedroom costs $1900.
These prices may seem high at first, but they also include staffing costs, wireless high-speed Internet, cable, heating and air as well as all utilities including electricity, plumbing, etc.
Most apartments and houses off campus do not come with high-speed Internet or cable, which means students have to pay installation fees and the monthly bill, which can average up to of $77 per month.
Tenants are also usually expected to pay for at least one or two utilities, in addition to an average $350 to $400 monthly rent, not to mention the cost of food.
"Students living on campus are required to have a meal plan," Larsen said. "While they may complain about the price of food, I think they also appreciate the convenience of it."
Off campus living does have its advantages, however.
There are no "quiet hours" to obey off campus; students are free to be as loud as they want for as long as they want.
Also, since UNK is a dry campus, students who are of age are free to keep alcohol in their off campus house/apartment, which probably has the biggest appeal.
Larsen said students who live on campus generally tend to have a higher GPA, and are more involved in campus activities and events.
On campus students also don't have to worry as much about parking as commuter students do, or depending on roommates to pay their share of the rent on time.
But, we can't all live in the dorms forever.
Larsen said living off campus is a good way for students to transition into the real world while still college.
Students can get a taste of the responsibility of paying rent and bills without the extra worry of finding a career right away or struggling to land their dream job.
While Larsen isn't saying that students should necessarily live on campus for their entire college career, he believes they should stay on campus for at least the first two years.
"It's a comparison point," Larsen said. "Living off campus can be cheaper, but it is a very good value to live on campus."
