“U C” UC freshman unable to live on campus
A record high of 842,000 students applied to at least one of the nine renowned public universities in the UC system for the fall 2023 school year. As more and more students migrate to their colleges to do everything their parents forbade them from doing and maybe get an education on the side, the UC system is running out of dorms. Although these colleges are trying their best to expand their campuses and student housing, pushback from the respective cities and communities surrounding them makes the rapid expansion needed to accommodate incoming students almost impossible.
On Feb. 29, 2023, the official UC website announced, “No incoming first years will be offered on-campus dorm housing without a sizable and unrelated donation to the great UC campus in question.”
This may come as a shock to many current seniors reading this as it has barely been spoken about.
“We intentionally waited to make this information available until now so it would not affect the number of applications we receive for the fall 2023 year…the last thing we would have wanted was frustration and stress at an important time in the college process,” said president of the UC system Michael V. Drake in his press release.
Many seniors disagree with the decision to wait until now to inform future students of their housing options.
Senior Cameron Huyhn said, “I feel cheated. Michael V. Drake can catch these hands.”
But this is not the end of the world for future first years. Many elderly homes surrounding the UC campuses are offering discounted rent for underclassmen students. Co-president of Seniors for Change in Santa Cruz Sehr Alt said in the same article, “Living in an elderly home can get boring, some young faces will really freshen up the place.”
All UC campuses are implementing new and innovative ways to house more students. Campuses such as Irvine, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles are planning on implementing new “Quad Dorms” short for quadruple dorms housing four people where there would usually be two as well as new “Sex Dorms” short for sextuple dorms housing six people where there would usually be three.
Some unconfirmed solutions rumored to be implemented include a “bring your own tent” policy, as well as turning the unused sports stadiums into sleeping commons at night.
Although this news is disgruntling, these things have a way of working themselves out. Keep your heads high, seniors. College is a magical place, even if you don’t live there.