The increase in Boston University residence and dining fees is proportionally lower this year than it has been in previous years, but BU students said they are still feeling the pinch during trying economic times and have raised questions about the increasing cost of living on campus.
Despite student complaints about rising fees, BU Housing Director Marc Robillard said fees have increased at a rate lower than in years past.
‘This year’s increase is lower than last year’s,’ he said. ‘There has been a 3.9 percent increase in room and dining costs, and I believe that in previous years the increase for housing was in the 4 percent range.’
Dormitory-style multiple-occupancy rooms, such as those in Warren Towers, have gone up in price about 3.76 percent from $7,420 to $7,710, and apartment-style dorms for two or more students increased 3.78 percent from $9,920 to $10,310. The generic dining plan rates increased by about 3.38 percent from $3,998 in 2008-09 to $4,138 in 2009-10.
Robillard said the increases were relatively modest, considering the fluctuating cost of materials such as food.
‘The price is really determined by the expenses that the university has,’ he said. ‘On the dining side, that’s very modest. Food prices have gone crazy.’
Increasing costs were not only tied to materials, Robillard said.
‘The university has a lot of costs that are related to salaries, wages, fringe benefits and utilities,’ Robillard said. ‘If the cost of labor goes up, all those costs have to be passed through housing. Our money only comes from one place, and that’s room and board fees.’
Although room fee increases have fluctuated in size since 2000, they have increased at an average rate of 4.8 percent every year, making this year’s increase rate lower than average.
Despite this, room fees have increased at a rate much higher than the Consumer Price Index between 2000 and 2009, which was 2.9 percent per year. Calculated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI is a monthly measure of a how much a set ‘basket’ of goods costs the Average American household, and it is a good indicator of pricing in the rest of the economy.
College of General Studies sophomore Afton Ojury said she chose to move off-campus in large part because how much money she was able to save by doing it.
‘I’m saving about $5,000 for the year, and I’d rather just get an apartment than deal with sharing a bathroom with 30 girls in a communal dorm,’ Ojury said.
College of Arts and Sciences junior Dave Kim said money played a large role in his decision to move off-campus. Kim said he wanted to live in an apartment, but the prices for on-campus apartments, such as those in Student Village, were too high.
‘StuVi is really expensive,’ Kim said. ‘And I don’t think that StuVi is that nice to be worth a lot of money.’
Kim’s comments come at a time when BU administrators are pointing to the StuVi buildings as a way to keep more students from moving off-campus. Student Village Phase II is set to open in the fall, with hopes of housing about 960 sophomores, juniors and seniors.
‘Students who stay in university housing are more engaged,’ BU spokesman Colin Riley said in a Nov. 2008 interview. ’10 Buick St. was designed to increase retention of upperclassmen, and the response to the needs of students led to the design and successful implementation of Student Village.’
Still, the rates at which costs for StuVi apartments have risen since 2000 have exceeded the increases in fees for large-dormitory housing. StuVi apartments have risen in cost at the rate of 5.3 percent over its nine-year existence, while multiple-occupancy dorm fees have increased at an average of 4.3 percent.
SMG sophomore Euri Uchiyama said she is frustrated with the continuously rising costs.
‘We don’t have money,’ she said. ‘It’s ridiculous.’
Staff writers Christina Braccio, Laura Horton, Eileen Reslen and Crystal Rim contributed reporting to this article.
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The data in the previous comment does not present a fair representation. The former guest visitor policy is no longer in place. Last year the combined room and board increase at BU totaled 4.3 percent. For next year the room rate will increase 3.9 percent and the board rate will increase 3.5 percent, for a combined room & board increase of 3.7 percent.<br/> <br/>Last year a number of Research University’s who already had higher room and board rates also had larger rate increases than BU. For example, Northeastern’s rates increased 4.6 %, American U increased 5.1%, Syracuse was 4.8%, NYU was 5.0%, Boston College was 5.0% and there are numerous other examples. The economic realities are what they are. <p/>An off campus apartment will not include a staffed dining facility, 24 hour security in the building and police response units just minutes away. Nor will a rental unit include heating, electrical, gas, cable TV, Cable and wireless internet service, safety inspections, repair and maintenance services 24/7, easy access to study group spaces, a free shuttle bus service and proximity to a vast array of other campus services, all of which exist to support students’ educational experiences and make campus living more convenient. There are real people performing these services who are well trained and paid to perform these functions, and they are very committed to the students who live on campus.<p/>When comparing the price of housing students should consider all of the services that are provided for their benefit and which services they are willing to forgo or pay for directly if they move off-campus. Many students also will find that having to commit to a 12 month lease will pose a problem once the summer comes around and their plans change. Students may freely choose but it would be wise to make an accurate comparison.