On Monday, Oct. 28 at approximately 4:30 P.M., Salisbury University students received an email from housing. This email contained an alarming message. At the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, anyone who has lived on campus for six semesters or more will not be able to renew on-campus housing.

Upperclassmen students who currently live on campus are worried.  Alicia Blackwell, an SU junior majoring in Early Childhood Education, is concerned over affordability and employment issues.

“I can’t afford to live off campus. I don’t even have a meal plan because tuition is already so high,” Blackwell said. “It’s hard enough to find a job on campus and most of those jobs won’t even cover a $600 rent.”

The parent’s page on Facebook has been worried as well. Many parent commenters are upset and uncertain where their children will live in the future. Some student commenters are frustrated with the university continually increasing the admission size of incoming classes.

As Blackwell stated, housing options are expensive. A lot of the options also require vehicle ownership, as they are too far away to reasonably walk to class. A chart breaking down these facts is provided below. 

For upperclassmen without cars and without means to afford housing, this news is alarming. To be forced off of campus without feasible transportation to classes, many are considering transferring.

“If I can’t live on campus, I’m going to transfer,” one student, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “I won’t be able to reliably get to class on time with no car.

“Plus, if I did get a car, car payments are at least $150 a month, which would take from both my rent and food budgets.”

Students remain in a state of uncertainty about their futures.

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By ZOE CLARKE

Editor

Featured image courtesy of Zoe Clarke