BOCA RATON, Fla. — Parents of students who attend Florida Atlantic University are frustrated and turning to WPTV for answers.
Many students who are juniors and seniors are just learning they are on a waitlist for housing — even though they've lived on campus since they were freshmen.
WPTV looked into the housing situation at FAU and why these parents said they cannot afford off-campus living.
"I am so frustrated I contacted you, which is out of my comfort zone to do that," Kimberlee Dion, who is a parent of an FAU student, said.
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Priced Out of Paradise
When Dion's daughter chose to attend FAU for her four-year undergraduate degree, housing was a big part of her decision.
"They said any student who wants housing will have housing," Dion said.
Fast forward two years and the situation has become complicated.
"We just didn't know she would be forced into living off campus," Dion said.
Students who are being waitlisted for housing received an email telling them they'll get a status update on March 13.
FAU said it gives housing priority to freshmen and sophomores. This year the university said, "an unprecedented number of our current students, approximately 75 percent, participate in our residential contract renewal process."
That's a 20% increase compared to previous years, according to FAU.
Living in North Carolina, Dion feels helpless. She said right now her daughter and friends are exploring roommate-renting scenarios.
On Zumper.com, multi-bedroom homes for rent near the campus cost more than $3,000 a month.
"However, moving costs were upwards over $9,000 to move in, and then we have furnishings, then we have utility deposits, and they could not sign the lease themselves," Dion said. "We really cannot afford for her to live off campus."
In Central Florida, Alice Carchi finds herself in a similar feeling of desperation.
"That's what he and his friends are doing right now. They are trying to figure out how they can do five of them in a three-bedroom, two-bath, possibly," Carchi said.
"If he can't afford to live off campus, what options is he weighing right now?" WPTV reporter Michelle Quesada asked.
"He's weighing about leaving paradise," Carchi responded. "He's weighing the option of actually changing schools now."
The university said later this month when students get an update on their waitlist status, it will also release details on off-campus housing resources.
Below is the full statement from FAU regarding housing:
"Florida Atlantic University developed a housing occupancy management plan in anticipation of increased housing demand for the 2023-2024 academic year. As a part of that plan, we must set caps for our current residents, giving priority to our freshman and sophomores followed by our upper-classmen and graduate students. Research has shown that on-campus housing and services helps new college students better transition from high school to college. Many universities prioritize freshman and sophomore on-campus housing for this reason.
We saw an unprecedented number of our current residents, approximately 75 percent, participate in our residential contract renewal process this year. In past years, the averages were closer to 55 percent. More than 3000 students successfully completed their contracts on the first day of the renewal process. This means some students did go on the waitlist.
On March 13th, we will communicate with all our students who are currently on the waitlist. That communication will include a waitlist number and provide a better understanding of the process. The update will also share off-campus housing resources, including information regarding the university’s off-campus housing fair on March 15th."