University Housing Faces An Expanding Student Body

April 25, 2024

Auburn University’s Housing Department faces a record-breaking number of student applicants this year. 

According to Auburn University's Office of Communication and Marketing, the university received 55,000 first-year student applications for the fall of 2024. This year tops the 48,000 applications received for the fall of 2023, which was the university’s previous record. 

With an influx of first-year students, Auburn University attempts to manage the high demand for on-campus housing. However, many students are frustrated by the lack of available space. 

Bentley Ann Beckham will be a freshman this fall. Beckham, along with her prospective roommate, completed the “Auburn First” program. The Auburn First program allows students who meet the program requirements to take two Auburn University classes while still in high school. Once completed, the program offers automatic admission into the university. 

Beckham, along with many others, believed she would be in the first round of housing selection because of her early admission. She was shocked, however, when selection dates were released. 

“My roommate Jessie and I had the same date of March 27th, but because housing opened on the 20th, our desired residence hall was completely full by day two,” Beckham said. 

Jenna Arendsen, a student housing ambassador, explains who gets first priority on housing selection. 

“We are emphasizing first come, first serve,” she said. “We try to prioritize students that have done the initial things as soon as possible, like filling out the housing application as soon as they can.” 

Arendsen highlights a common misconception among in-coming students. Students must complete the separate housing application after being accepted into the university. 

Another obstacle for students wanting to live on campus is the limited number of beds available. 

Nyerere Tryman, the executive director of university housing, said, “For new students, I have about 3,300 beds. There are approximately 2,300 students that are in the mix of potentially not having housing.” 

The university does have a plan to increase the number of beds available. Auburn’s Facilities Management Department is currently working on Phase I of the University Housing Project. In March, construction began on a new freshman dorm along the Haley Center Concourse. The dorm will be 125,000 square-feet and four-stories high. Construction will end in 2026. 

While talking about the project, Tryman said, “As of 2016, the bed shortage was around 1,300 and that number has only grown. These 317 new beds will alleviate some of the pressure that is there.” 

The entire university felt the weight of the housing shortage in August when Cambridge Hall abruptly closed. According to the facilities department, attempted repairs on flooding damage revealed extensive mold issues that caused the university to close the dorm. The closure left 305 students without housing. 

Tyler Mitchell, an Auburn University freshman, was one of these students. 

“The email about Cambridge’s closure was sent out a week before classes started,” Mitchell said. “They provided some information about helping students find other housing, but the University Housing office was not much help when my parents called to get more information."

Helping students find off-campus housing is difficult because the housing office cannot indorse locations that are not partnered with the university. However, this may soon change. 

“I am in the process of getting a new position approved. It is an off-campus housing coordinator,” said Tryman. “This person will interface with the Auburn community.” 

An off-campus housing coordinator would provide students with valuable information about vacancies and living conditions in off-campus locations. Additionally, in recent years, Auburn University has begun partnering with several off-campus apartments. 

The university is partnered with three apartment buildings: 160 Ross, 191 College, and The Union, which was purchased this year. 

“They are considered on-campus housing and all university housing policies apply there,” Tryman said. 

While Auburn University continues to face struggles with on-campus housing, the major strides the housing department has made is evident. 

“Auburn’s retention rate is 92 percent,” Tryman said. “Even those students who unfortunately cannot live on campus are finding success at Auburn."

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