Moving out of their parents’ house and leaving on campus is without a doubt one of the most exciting things about starting college. Students enroll in a 4-year college or community college after high school or while still in high school to pursue their further education and obtain a degree in order to enter their desired field of work. However, nowadays the prospect of having a great college experience and saving money has students keen on applying to community colleges, according to Parminder Jassal, an immigrant from India who earned her bachelor’s degree from a community college and her Ph.D. from a four-year university. Even though most community colleges were established to serve local students with affordable higher education, many community colleges are now increasingly providing on-campus housing to provide students with additional academic, social, and networking opportunities. Jassal described in her article “Community Colleges Dorms & Housing Accommodations: A Complete Guide” how Community colleges have evolved dramatically over the years, tailoring their college experience and offerings to the areas they serve, including how they now provide athletics, honor programs, student-centered activities, and, most crucially, dormitories!
Many people who enter college become preoccupied with having an authentic college experience. They imagine late nights spent poring over textbooks, engaging in classroom discussions, and even wild parties on the weekend. But the truth of the matter is that there is no one true college experience. Each college and each student is unique. But there are certain things about going to college that can enhance or detract student’s experience. One of them is on-campus housing. (Barrington)
On-campus housing is clearly crucial, not only for 4-year college campuses but also for community institutions. On-campus housing, in particular, is vital for America’s 553 rural-serving community college districts. Rural community college campuses that offer houses can provide convenience and possible savings to students whose circumstances enable them to reside on campus. In this day and age of high gasoline expenses, many rural-serving community college students may benefit from cost reductions by living on-campus. Furthermore, as the authors state in their research, institutions may possibly generate funds that may be used to expand the quantity and quality of services available to on-campus and commuting students(The Availability, Prospects, and Fiscal Potential of Rural Community College On-Campus Housing).
According to the study “Campus Accommodation in the Community College Setting: Benefits and Challenges for Residential Living,” demand for on-campus housing continues to rise at both two- and four-year colleges. Based on this article, the rising expense of higher education at a four-year university has prompted many students to pursue a less expensive path to a post-secondary degree through community college. Increased community college enrolment offers up the possibility of on-campus housing choices. On-campus housing alternatives are a means to both accommodate and advocate for community college students.
But over the last couple of years, having living accommodations at community college is slowly becoming more of the norm than the exception. This is in part due to the acknowledgment, at various levels of government, that at community colleges across the nation, the challenge for the students is not tuition, as it is already subsidized, but in fact, it is accommodation. An increasing number of students, unfortunately, have had to resort to couch surfing or living in their cars in the college parking lot. This situation has brought up heated debates among state lawmakers on whether community colleges should urgently provide provisional solutions such as free on-campus parking. As of right now, to circumnavigate draconian laws prohibiting community colleges from providing affordable housing, colleges are following a process administered through a local housing authority or a non-profit organization. (Jassal).
According to a recent poll conducted by the American Association of Community Colleges, about 25% of community colleges in the United States offer their students on-campus housing. This number has risen dramatically since 2000 and it continues to rise(Barrington).
Data shows that 64.2% of community college students are part-time students, 14% of students are enrolled exclusively online, and over 2 million community college students in the United States are parents of children under 18. This data suggests that a lot of students already have some sort of non-dorm housing figured out. And that makes sense since community colleges are built to be at the center of each community, usually at a reasonable commuting distance. With increasing income inequality, young students are struggling to find affordable housing. “Our students are struggling; they need housing,” says Compton College president, Keith Curry. He believes that providing housing removes the obstacles that can prevent students from graduating(Jassal).
Additionally, the colleges may be able to maintain revenue that will allow them to expand the quantity and quality of services available to on-campus and commuting students. Beyond enhanced access and convenience, further research is needed to discover how particular community college students may benefit from housing choices. Research, particularly the studies reported by Pascarella and Terenzini (1991, 2005), has shown that living on a 4-year college or university campus has a positive impact on student learning and persistence. It intuitively follows that the same benefits would accrue to community college students who live on campus as well. However, at present, this is merely conjecture, because virtually no research has been conducted on the impact of on-campus housing on community college students.
Ultimately, whether attending a community college or a four-year institution, there are certain pros and cons to on-campus housing that students should consider. Some of them are as Barrington mention in her article are
prons
- Living on-campus is something of a safety net for many first-year students, helping them make the transition from living at home to living on their own.
- On-campus housing options are usually available for double rooms which means that students get to form a bond with a roommate- some of these friendships can last a lifetime.
- On-campus housing means that students are in the middle of the action at all times – they have easy access to campus activities, amenities, and services.
Cons
- Campus housing can be more expensive than renting an apartment – according to College Data, the average annual cost of room and board at a four-year school was $10k in 2015. Room and board for community college range from $2.5k to $8k per year, in most cases.
- Most on-campus housing solutions are limited in terms of space and students will probably have to share a room with someone else, not to mention a floor with many people.
- Many residence halls have shared bathrooms – they might share with a few suite-mates or with an entire hall of students. Bathrooms are also sometimes shared between both sexes.
Work cited
Barrington, Kate. “The Pros and Cons of On-Campus Housing for Community College | CommunityCollegeReview.Com.” Community College Review, www.communitycollegereview.com, 22 May 2020, https://www.communitycollegereview.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-on-campus-housing-for-community-college.
“Community Colleges Dorms & Housing Accommodations: A Complete Guide – Unmuddle the Skills-to-Jobs Marketplace.” Community Colleges Dorms & Housing Accommodations: A Complete Guide – Unmudl the Skills-to-Jobs Marketplace, unmudl.com, 6 Oct. 2021, https://unmudl.com/blog/community-college-with-dorms.
“The Availability, Prospects, and Fiscal Potential of On-Campus Housing at R…: EBSCOhost.” The Availability, Prospects, and Fiscal Potential of On-Campus Housing at R…: EBSCOhost, web.a.ebscohost.com, https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=8&sid=72ba5abf-f793-46e6-b2b1-bb7960ccca5e%40redis&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWlwLHNoaWImc2l0ZT1laG9zdC1saXZlJnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=eric&AN=EJ781134. Accessed 12 Apr. 2022.
Taylor, F., EdD., Buck, K., M.S.Ed, & Kane, T., M.S.Ed. (2019). Campus housing in the community college setting: Benefits and challenges for residential living. The Community College Enterprise, 25(2), 77-93. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/campus-housing-community-college-setting-benefits/docview/2343014491/se-2?accountid=11226