RICHMOND, Va. — On Monday, thousands of new Virginia Commonwealth University students gathered in Monroe Park, greeting classmates in what’s expected to be one of the largest freshman classes in VCU history.
While most students have moved into residence halls, about 80 students are settling into a nearby hotel because of a lack in available housing. Among them is freshman Ryan Tran.
“First they were like you’re on a wait list and there’s nothing we can do about it,” Tran said. “I just sat there like man, that really, really, really sucks and then boom! Out of nowhere — you have a hotel you can stay.”
The students are staying at the Graduate Richmond Hotel, about a six minute walk to campus. The hotel has full amenities, including a pool and gym at the cost of roughly $9200 for a nine-month lease. The same cost as student housing.
“There’s two queen sized beds, a full bathroom and a closet and there’s a TV and fridge,” sadi one student living in the Graduate.
In the fall of 2018, the largest VCU class had 4,600 students. While official records won’t be released until later in the semester, VCU said the university is welcoming more than 4,500 first year students this year.
The university has 12 residential buildings, with a capacity to house 5,700 students, but, in 2021, VCU had to close Johnson Hall because of mold levels and desired expansion has been slowed by the pandemic.
Students living in the Graduate said while they must share a desk and closet space with a roommate, laundry facilities are offered at a nearby dormitory.
“Laundry is a little weird because you have to go down to Grant, I believe, but the funds were taken care of so that’s one less thing to worry about,” said one student.
Tran said students are being offered the chance to move into a dormitory once a space opens. While some students said they wouldn’t mind living in the Graduate for the academic year, Tran said he believes on campus housing is better suited for students.
“Since we’re students we have to have good internet, right? For our computers, phones and we don’t have good internet whatsoever,” Tran explained.
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