Housing for fall 2013 begins early, students weigh wants and needs

It may seem that the 2013-14 academic year is far off in the distance, but Indiana University of Pennsylvania students are already beginning their search for both on- and off-campus housing. 

This fall, IUP’s total student enrollment increased to 15,379 students, breaking its previous enrollment records. With enrollment, including undergraduate and graduate students, increasing by 1.6 percent, one question can be asked: Where is everyone going to live? 

IUP freshmen are required to live on campus in any of IUP’s 11 residence halls. Without the addition of new on-campus residence halls, what are the rest of IUP’s students to do? 

Upperclassmen are looking to alternative options such as off-campus housing and even commuting.  Despite this, some prefer to live in the dorms which add to the need for more on-campus housing. 

 Shawn Rooney (sophomore, political science/geography) lived in the residence halls for his freshman year and chose to do so for his sophomore year. 

“I love living in the residence halls,” Rooney said. “On-campus housing makes it easier to get to classes on time.”  

For those who are not clinging to on-campus housing, one problem that seems to be on the minds of students looking to live off campus is simply knowing where to look. 

“It would be so much easier,” Stephany Flynn (junior, history education) said, “if somewhere there was an actual list of places available off-campus to live.” 

Rooney described this problem as “lack of marketing” by property owners. Rooney said the reason finding off-campus housing is so difficult is because no one knows where to look.

Stephanie Harrod (junior, hospitality management) said the biggest problem with off-campus housing is finding the perfect place, then having someone “snatch it from under you.”

“I get all excited about a place,” Harrod said, “and then someone comes and takes it from us.” 

Acquiring off-campus housing operates under a first-come-first-serve basis. This is why many students are beginning to “hunt” for off-campus housing much earlier - over a year in advance.

Owner of B&G Brothers Rentals, Dennis Bray said that he begins showing his apartments to prospective renters when the renters start looking. 

As a solution to this problem, Steven Weible (junior, criminology) advises students looking for off-campus housing not to procrastinate.

“Don’t wait around,” Weible said. “It goes fast.” 

Kevin Kennedy (senior, disability services) believes students should definitely begin looking early. 

“A full year in advance,” Kennedy said, “is never too early.” 

Generally, the location of an apartment affects the price.  Apartments closer to campus are generally more expensive than apartments located blocks off of campus.