Cianna Hope Reeves
The Blue & White Flash / Managing Editor
The JSU Housing Department recently announced they are requiring a $75 reservation fee for returning students and a $100 non-refundable room fee for freshmen and first-time transfers, and many students are not buying it.
I’m sorry but compared to other HBCU’s and PWI’s, this is not a hefty chunk of money they are asking for. It’s a fairly reasonable price in order to reserve a room; however, I do realize how it can be an outrageous cost for some.
I know many peers feel like the amount of money they are spending on room and board is not worth the experience, which is unfortunate. As a student who has spent two years living in on-campus housing, I have witnessed a lot and have undergone situations that could have been prevented. This is why I decided to reside off-campus for the remainder of my college tenure.
Meanwhile, I believe some of you don’t understand the intention of the reservation fee. Let me help:
The reservation fee is to confirm your room of choice, so you will not have to worry about not having a place to live. To dead the rumors, it is not an additional $75 you are paying; this amount is subtracted from your overall housing fee which depends on where you choose to reside for the year.
Now, if you choose to stay in the most expensive dormitory on campus, you should not be complaining about how much it costs to reserve because everyone wants the best room there is. I state that to say: the fact that you want a nice living space, you should know it comes with a cost—that’s anything in life! Cough up the cha-ching.
I believe JSU’s Housing Department is also requiring a reservation fee in order to obtain the average number of students they are expecting to house during the academic year.
Since JSU has witnessed a down-size in student-life and attendance, the demand for reservation fees have become a new method to substitute the funds they once received. This charge is also to prevent the situation that occurred my freshman year from happening again.
It was a day marked as the most horrifying day and it became the longest dreadful experience for many freshmen and incoming students. During this time, students only had to pay a $100 housing deposit their freshmen year and reserve their room on first-come first-serve basis.
With it being my first time staying on-campus, I immediately followed instructions by paying the deposit and filling out my housing application soon after. However, it was not that easy for others. The first day of move-in left a handful of freshmen girls without housing that year. As a result of this tragic ordeal, they had to commute from hotels to school until a room opening was available, some waited for months.
It was a sad situation, but it took that experience for new leadership to transpire.
In closing, before you say it’s unnecessary or too expensive, please be thankful that we have a leader in charge whose mission is to provide a superior residence life for students. Also keep in mind that the housing charge could be much more than what it is!!
Look, JSU may not have the best housing situation, but they are making a way. So, when submitting your reservation fee, smile with gratitude!
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