Kenny Greer/The Lantern
Dorms like Morrill Tower (foreground) are becoming more popular to upperclassmen around the nation.Associated Press - CHARLESTON, W.Va.
Living on campus isn't just for freshmen anymore.
Colleges and universities across the country say an increasing number of sophomores and upperclassmen are living in dormitories or university-operated apartment complexes. It's been a growing trend for the past decade, said Kevin Kruger, associate executive director of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
Some schools even promote the back-to-campus move, saying the rewards include higher retention and graduation rates, better grades, increased involvement in campus activities, and more character-building interaction and mentoring among students. A campus police presence and an uncertain economy are other reasons students are staying on campus.
"Students who say 'I can live off campus cheaper' often look at the rent but forget or underestimate what the utilities will be," said Ruth Gerstner, spokeswoman for student life at the Ohio State University. "When you get that $400 bill for heating an apartment in an old leaky Victorian, it can come as quite a shock."
While many universities mandate that only freshmen live on campus, Ohio's Miami University will be requiring both freshmen and sophomores to live in university housing starting in the 2009-2010 school year.
Colleges tend to lose students between their freshman and sophomore years or at least see declining grades because of the distractions that come with living off campus, said Miami spokeswoman Carole Johnson.
"What we're trying to do is keep the adrenaline and the excitement created in the freshman year with on-campus activities moving into their sophomore year, keep them more engaged," she said.
About 3,750 of Miami's 7,200 campus residents - 52 percent - are non-freshmen this year, including about two-thirds of the school's sophomores, said Andrew Beckett, associate dean of students, so only about 400 to 500 sophomores will be affected by next year's change.
2008 Woodie Awards
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