Reporter

Some students wonder if their money is being used to maintain empty dorm rooms and pay off the borrowed loans and bonds that were used to build the new Student Housing East dormitories.

This concern increases with the possibility of rising tuition.

Miquaya Patterson, a nursing student, said student housing at CSUB is too expensive, even with financial aid available.

“Student housing fees are not fair because it is too expensive to live here,” said Patterson. “If financial aid is available, you have nothing left over at
the end.”

With the price of housing being expensive for some students, the vacancies have some students concerned for the housing situation.

However, Housing Director Crystal Becks said the vacancies don’t have any direct corrolations to tuition.

“Even if we’re under-occupied, it doesn’t affect students’ tuition.  That is 100 percent the truth,” Becks said.
  Ashley Scott, associate director of student housing, said that student housing is a self-funded auxiliary.

“We are completely self-funded and have other sources of housing revenue… none of the money is state money,” said Scott. “Halls are paid for by a portion of the rate previous residents and current residents pay.”

Money Matters

The $43-million project opened its doors to students in January of 2015.

“They were sized for 500 students, plus RAs, and they’ve been up and running ever since,” said Patrick Jacobs, Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Management.

Jacobs shared the budget reports confirming the construction project of $41.3 million for project costs, plus an additional $2.5 million for total basic and additional services, bringing the total cost of the project to $43.8 million.

The funding of the new Student Housing East was possible through, “…borrowed money, which enabled us to sell bonds to come up with funds to build it. And the repayment of the bonds is paid for by the revenue coming in from the students that live there,” Jacobs said.

Becks added that the state revenue bond used to fund the project is to be paid for in a 20-year period.

A request for documents regarding Housing’s budget, reports of the total cost, payments and the dorm’s revenue was denied, and the budget report remains undisclosed.   

Becks said that these reports are confidential, “because there are pieces of information that are not public record that are included in the budget.”  

However, Becks said that “there is a semester debt payment to the Chancellor’s office that is sent in May and in November… we have 20 years to pay, and we are absolutely on track to pay it back.”

Scott said that there are room vacancies, but these do not negatively impact CSUB students.  

“We are not at any risk. Everything is fine,” Scott said, about debt repayment.  

“One of the things that happened this year, and why there looks like there are more vacancies is because Student Housing West was being re purposed as something else. This year, though, we were able to take back the second and third floors… we had about 60 or so students go there,” said Scott.

Planning for the Future

Jacobs said plans exist to expand Student Housing, but this will happen with time once there is a demand for it.

“We do have it in our master plan long-term goals of building out about 2,500 student housing units or ability for beds over in the same area where we just recently built the first phase,” said Jacobs.

“It’s all a function of demand. Once the demand [is] there Crystal [Becks] would come to me and we would start talking about the funding and construction. It’s purely a function of how quickly they’re full, and have a waiting list,” said Jacobs.

Student Housing West has an occupancy of 58 students out of 60 total beds available, but there are more vacancies in Housing East. 

“We have a capacity for 480 beds, and 70 percent of these are occupied,” said Becks. “The old dormitories have been converted on the first floor to offices, and are still being used as student housing units,” Jacobs said.

Student Housing West is only available to upperclassmen, graduate students and students over 25.

Scott said that the rent paid by Student Housing West residents is only used to maintain those facilities, and is not used to pay off the loan for building Student Housing East.
The Bottom Line

Becks assures students that their tuition is not affected by the loans acquired by Student Housing East.

Student Housing is an auxiliary that is funded by the rent fees of past and current residents.

According to Becks, costs are also alleviated by special groups that stay in the dorms during the summer for conferences, sports competition and other events. 

“We don’t out-price our students. We want it to be affordable to live here,” Becks added.

According to Becks, affordable housing allows students to enjoy their university experience.

Some students, however, think that housing costs are too expensive.

However, some believe the fees are worth the experience.  

Business Administration student Angel Aguiar said, “Compared to apartments, student housing is too expensive, but it is convenient to live here. They have events and activities that allow us to meet people.”

Sandy Campos, Nursing student, disagrees, and said that she lives in a triple room, and is forced to have a meal plan.

“I am only here for this year because I have nowhere else…apartments are more affordable.”