Housing prices here at UTM leave students coming from a lower socioeconomic background at a disadvantage.
Because of the lack of an affordable option which balances amenities with financial attainability, many students from lower-income brackets are either taking on more debt to cover the cost of living or staying in sub-optimal conditions that may adversely effect their academics.
While living on campus longer increases the likelihood of graduation, not all students can afford the prices offered at UTM. Between the dorm-style and apartment-style housing, there is no option that meets in the middle for quality and cost.
Which housing option a student chooses is important to their academic success.
When an incoming freshman comes to UTM they are required to live on campus. This requirement is a campus policy which research (such as a 2018 study by Graham, et al, in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice) shows leads to higher graduation rates and community involvement with other students.
Housing options at UTM are split between traditional dorm-style or apartment-style. Browning and Ellington Hall costs $1,460 a semester, Cooper Hall costs $1,750, University Village Phase One costs $3,375 a semester and University Village Phase Two costs $3,210 a semester.
The jump-in cost between the dorm- and apartment-style living is $1,925 with only private rooms in the dorm-style as a middle ground. The cost spike in housing forces students in lower socioeconomic situations to remain in the dorm living. Seldom are lower-income students found in the Phases due to this price difference.
The housing options for students from families with lower incomes are limited compared to those with higher incomes. To overcome these limited options, students may have to turn to student loans or work longer hours, pulling them away from their studies, to pay for housing.
Quality of living is the bottom line when choosing housing. Living in the dorms and in the apartment-style housing are two completely different worlds. The Phases are secluded and quiet, and full of amenities like a stove, fridge, full bathrooms and a full living room.
The traditional dorms are alive with community involvement, full staff, programs led by enthusiastic RA’s, yet, there are many downsides not always publicly mentioned to living in the dorms.
Dorm living comes with its own list of issues that are ultimately avoidable. The older buildings need renovations, repairs, frequent exterminations and maintenance visits.
“Comparing Browning to the Phases is like a motel to a hotel, the difference is extreme,” said Brannon Kelly, a senior Graphic Design major from Memphis.
”I wish the people at housing would put themselves inside of the dorms and live there for a month and see the horrors of campus housing.”
Kelly lived in Browning Hall for his first two years. The experience for him was one full of financial problems. He noticed that he paid a lot more for a lot less and that and said it shouldn’t be like that. According to him, the bed was a painful size, a common complaint amongst students.
He shared a small bathroom with four other men, something that he says was a struggle to achieve. “Something has to change for the sake of the future of students who actually want to live on campus,” said Kelly.
Ryan Martin, Assistant Director of Resident Life, said the campus cost of housing is relatively cheap. “We’re not rolling in money. Any other college campus you’d be paying a lot more,” said Martin. According to him, the cost of housing at any other university would be comparatively $400-500 more expensive at the bottom line.
The administration is currently trying to find a way to renovate the dorms without raising rates. Future plans include new maintenance, painting Cooper and Ellington, new beds in Ellington and new desks and chairs in Cooper and Browning.
Martin said their goal is to get it “up to par.” According to him, it would be extremely difficult to completely renovate the dorms and that they will always be traditional-style housing. There are no plans at this time to create a third middle option for students.
The dorms have been a part of UTM’s history since the 1960’s, and the cost of renovation and upkeep is steep. A new roof for one dorm alone costs upwards of a million dollars, according to Martin. To fully restore all the dorms and modernize them would require a substantial increase in rates.
“Browning started as a place I loved,” said Kelly. UTM has a duty to provide a clean, reliable and safe place the students can call their home away from home, even if that place is not the Phases. No matter what the financial background, all residents deserve an equal housing experience where they can grow, learn and live.
Photo Credit/University Relations
This is a great article, and an issue that many don’t consider. Thanks for covering it!