The Tuition Is Cheap, But The Options Will Kill You
While many critics have been pleased with the recent freeze in student fees, Business Week has pointed out that it still is getting more and more expensive to be a student. Last week there was the SF Chronicle study on rising book costs - this week, it’ s time to talk about the dorms.
An annual College Board report on pricing trends in higher education estimated that students will pay nearly $400 more for this year’s room and board than they did last year. It also stated that on-campus housing expenses now average $6,636 and $7,791 at four-year public and private universities, respectively.
The crown for most expensive housing belongs to the University of California-Berkeley. Its tuition may not be as high as at the priciest private schools, but room and board will ring up at $13,074 for the 2006-2007 academic year…
The magazine also brings up interesting rent statistics:
On-campus: $13,074
Off-campus estimate: $9,121
Percentage of students living on campus: 35%Area Rental Costs:
House share: $500–$800
Studio: $900–1,500
1 bedroom: $1,100–1,850
2 bedroom: $1,450–2,500
It’s important to note that while state and federal financial aid do take housing costs into account, dorm rates have increased, and a great deal of that is burdening the construction costs of new projects, particularly the expansions on Unit I & II.
Ultimately though, this reflects another example of the university putting its own public relations strategy above student interests. How can the administration continue to claim it is reaching out to all Californians when it quietly makes it more expensive to simply be a student?
Ben, I agree completely. Some of the increases are also because of the Parking Replacement Policy.
But rents are very high off campus and the University is not providing affordable housing options for its students. So many have moved to areas outside of Berkeley.
Housing is central to the academic mission of the University and it is critical that it be treated as a priority. This is something we were arguing during the LRDP discussions.
Unfortunately, housing could become even more expensive and could be an impediment to students coming to UC Berkeley if the Condo Conversion Initiative that is on the Berkeley ballot in November is passed.
It would allow for the conversion of 500 apartments to condos and make it easier to evict tenants. Those that will be adversely affected are low income people and students. For those students that are forced out or are new to Berkeley, the rents will be so incredibly high because there are fewer rental units and more demand.
Overall, not enough is being done to provide affordable housing to students. The co-ops do a good job, but they do not have enough rooms to meet the demand.
It is time that people start focusing on this problem and not only stave off the disaster in this ballot measure but try to get some state funding for student housing so it wont be so high.
Comment by Jesse Arreguin — August 14, 2006 @ 11:59 pm
Please thank the housing department (RL/OSD or popularly known as RFL) for the robbing and pillaging of freshmen students by housing fees. i used to work for them and they honestly raise prices on students “because they can.”
The rooms in the unit are air conditioningless in the hot weather of early fall. And they do this simply because they know non bay area students have no other options but to live in the residence halls.
At UOP, for example, the rooms cost about 8,000 a year and most are air conditioned. And this is a PRIVATE school. They also treat employees horribly, especially if they are Asian.
Comment by Anonymous — August 15, 2006 @ 12:02 am
They meaning Berkeley not UOP
Comment by Anonymous — August 15, 2006 @ 12:03 am
the International house is sort of expensive - unless people are coming from a country in europe where the Euro is rising against the dollar. The single versus double price difference isn’t so great though http://ihouse.berkeley.edu/l/room_info.html#rates
I can’t tell if apartments are becoming cheaper recently or not.
Comment by wart — August 15, 2006 @ 6:54 pm
Housing in berkeley is very tough to come by. Part of the problem I think is that so much of the housing is in the form of dilapidated houses turned into apartments and apartment buildings that were built in the 50s.
During my sophomore year I lived in a house that was built in 1912. This year I live in an apartment building constructed in the 60s.
The only new buildings going up seem to be condiminiums, and the only new apartment buildings have very cramped rooms and are priced to require doubles in rooms obviously not meant for it.
I’m not complaining about living in old buildings, but I think it suggests that the problem is that no new housing is built and no old housing is ever torn down and replaced with better stuff. Probably if we all come back for our 25th reunion most of the same decrepit houses serving as student housing will still be there, maybe with new paintjobs. And by that point they’ll probably all be declared landmarks so no one can touch them.
Comment by Simon — August 16, 2006 @ 2:20 pm
Oh I almost forgot.
We’re Number One! We’re Number One!
Woohoo!
Comment by Simon — August 16, 2006 @ 2:34 pm
The ballot measure I was talking about is Measure I, please vote NO on MEASURE I and protect our housing.
Comment by Jesse Arreguin — August 19, 2006 @ 10:54 pm