Leasing applications for South Campus Commons and The Courtyards at University of Maryland spiked this spring, which likely was impacted by changes in university housing policies, Resident Life officials said.
The Department of Resident Life is giving freshmen and sophomores priority for on-campus housing, prompting upperclassmen to look into the campus-affiliated, public-private partnership student apartment communities.
Students turned in 2,716 leasing applications for Commons and Courtyards this spring, the highest number since spring 2011, said Kelly Ridings, Resident Life’s Housing Partnerships manager. The Housing Partnership staff also saw 2,430 open-leasing appointments, the most since 2011.
“[Leasing] went pretty much how we were expecting it to,” Ridings said. “Whenever people would ask for predictions, I said, ‘We really think we’re going to fill, and we think it’s going to be mostly rising juniors.’”
Of the 1,523 students who signed new leases for Commons and Courtyards for the 2015-16 year, 1,382 are rising juniors, Ridings said. There were also 97 rising on-campus seniors, 11 on-campus rising sophomores, 11 rising fifth-year seniors and 22 off-campus students, she said.
“Last year, rising juniors made up about 73 percent of our new residents,” Ridings said. “Now, they make up about 90 percent.”
Katie Faulkner, a sophomore enrolled in letters and sciences, said she applied for a lease in Commons or Courtyards after learning about the new housing policy. She said she had planned to move off the campus as a junior, but the change in on-campus housing “was kind of a push.”
“A little bit more warning would’ve been helpful, but [Resident Life] gave us enough time to figure out, ‘Oh, we need to find off-campus apartments,’ so it was all right,” said Faulkner, who will be living in Courtyards next year.
Ridings said for juniors who learned they might not be able to live in on-campus dorms next year, Commons and Courtyards are viable options, while still offering a connection to the campus. The next few years probably will see similar results in terms of leasing numbers, she said, as Resident Life continues to give priority for on-campus dorm space to freshmen and sophomores.
“Price-wise, Commons and Courtyards do tend to fall in the lower-cost realm and, in that regard, could be a better option for some of our students than some similar off-campus properties,” Ridings said. “People are looking for their own bedroom and a good location. … Also, I think students and parents do like the idea of students still living in campus-affiliated properties.”
Resident Life Assistant Director Scott Young said about 62 percent of all rising, on-campus juniors will be living in Commons and Courtyards apartments next year.
“We are disappointed that we won’t be able to offer housing at this time to more of our students,” Resident Life Director Deb Grandner said. “We are pleased that so many people, especially sophomores, want to return … and we are glad we are able to get many juniors into the public-private partnership apartments.”
