Students exchange dorm life for home life

By Rachel Williams 

Flash back to a few years ago and the average American college student lived on their school campus. Well, not anymore.
The price to experience the traditional college life has greatly increased since then and families are making changes in order to adjust.
According to a recent Sallie Mae study on "How America Pays For College," students are forgoing the dorm experience to live at home in order to save on financial strain. This includes middle-class and affluent families, who are even shopping around for more affordable colleges and looking to cut extra expenses.
UCF, also known as a large commuter school, is no stranger to these statistics. Approximately 80 percent of students at UCF live off-campus, which includes at home or in a local apartment.
According to the UCF Housing and Residence Life website, the price to live in the most basic dorm was $2,024 per semester in the 2006-2007 academic year. This year, the price for the same basic dorm is $2,420 per semester.
The cost of tuition has also jumped. In the 2006-2007 year, the cost per credit hour for an undergraduate student was $116.40. Currently, tuition is $167.35 per credit hour. These rising prices are forcing students to look for cheaper alternatives, such as their living quarters.
Morgan Casselton, a sophomore hospitality major, is one of many who had to make living adjustments due to financial constraints. Casselton, who once lived in a dorm, is now a resident at The Edge apartments, located just minutes from campus.
"Living off campus in an apartment saves me about $100 per month in rent," Casselton said. "I also benefit from having my own room, bathroom and choosing who my roommates are."
Many students are now going the same route. The sense of independence attracts numerous college students to living on campus. However, that independence is not lost, and Casselton agreed that is a vital experience in college.
Still feeling a sense of independence, but also a sense of contemplation may rest in the minds of many students living directly on campus.
Ryan Winkler, a sophomore business administrations major, said he has debated whether he should live off campus in the future. Winkler currently lives in the Towers, and according to his calculations, he could be saving nearly $4,000 living two minutes away.
Despite the dorm's convenience, Winkler said he is facing the reality that a student loan may be in his future if he continues living directly on campus. If he decides to move, however, he doesn't want to lose his independence.
"I would not live at home because living independently gives you more of a college experience," Winkler said.
For some students, keeping independence by living on their own isn't much of an option. Taylor Reyes, a sophomore biology major, passed up the dorm experience in order to live at home.
"It is just more cost-effective living at home," she said. "Also, I benefit from having home-cooked meals, no roommate issues and I don't need to worry about homesickness."
The average price of living on campus is currently $8,574, give or take depending on the student, according to the UCF Financial Assistance website.
That amount of money may make home-cooked meals look more appetizing than before.
But money aside, it wouldn't be enough for Reyes. Saving money is only one component of why she chose her living situation.
"I would not live on campus ... it would be convenient, but I enjoy staying at home and not having to get adjusted to a new living environment," Reyes said.