New off-campus living options excite students and look to alleviate overflow housing circumstances.
On March 2, Residence Life made the announcement that they will be allowing a limited amount of students to put in requests to potentially live off-campus during the 2020-2021 academic school year.
However, Residence Life will only be releasing a limited amount of students from the on-campus Housing Contract.
The on-campus housing contract has guidelines stating that Virginia Wesleyan requires all students to live on-campus in the residential housing facilities unless the student elects to live at home with a parent/guardian etc.
Now, students at Virginia Wesleyan will be able to fill out an application that was sent out through email to live off campus next year. This application is due no later than April 14 at noon.
In order to qualify for off-campus living, students will still have to fill out and be a part of the housing selection process.
Residence Life encourages the students who have already signed up, or are planning to sign up, not to sign any lease form for off-campus housing until the student has an explicit, written approval from the Residence Life office that the student is exempt from the residency requirement.
The application link was sent out through an email from Residents Life. The application consists of basic info from the students as well as checkboxes with additional information.
Making sure that the student is aware that their financial package will be altered, and that the applicant is financially ready along with the student acknowledging not to rush and sign any off-campus lease form until the applicant is approved.
Anikka Jones, who currently lives on campus but put in an application for off-campus living next year, said, “I feel like living off-campus will give me the opportunity to become more like an adult.”
Anikka then said that preparing to live on her own will help her get ready for life outside of college. She said, “I like living on campus but as a junior I would like to have a bit more freedom.”
Anikka went on to state, “I think it’s a good thing that students will still have to fill out the housing requirements to qualify for off-campus living so if something doesn’t work out, the student still has a place to live.”
Many students are excited for this opportunity to be considered to potentially move off campus. Whether it be for adulting reasons or to have more freedom, this is going to be an option for a limited number of students.
Along with Residence Life giving students the opportunity to live off-campus, there are new buildings being built for potential housing for some students.
Oxford Village is currently being built and is scheduled to be finished by the year 2020.
Virginia Wesleyan and The Franklin Johnston Group first broke ground on the new Coastal 61 buildings, June 2019. Oxford Village is located on the north side of campus on Wesleyan Drive.
The community will be open to the public and is also envisioned as a living space for Virginia Wesleyan students and faculty.
Kimberly DeHart
kmdehart@vwu.edu
