UT housing is tight so a new lottery system is in place. Here's what students need to know

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is trying to find a solution to on-campus housing capacity issues for both first-year and returning students.

On-campus housing is tight for the next academic year because of the anticipated incoming first-year class. UT had record enrollment this year, with almost 5,948 first-year students on campus, a 7.9% increase from 2020.

This led the university to change its housing policy to a "lottery-style" process for current students living on-campus. But the change left upperclassmen feeling less valued than current freshmen and those who aren't even on campus yet.

"The new housing policy of a lottery system completely undermines upperclassmen," Victoria Leichtman, a junior living in Laurel Hall, wrote in a petition to UT. "UT doesn't problem-solve or invest wisely, and instead of doing so, they want to undermine their upper class students' money, time and work at UT."

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But with an first-year on-campus living requirement, the university has no choice but to make room for the huge incoming class.

"We understand the frustration and concern caused by campus housing capacity, and we are working to address capacity issues to accommodate as many continuing students as possible," UT Assistant Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of University Housing Chandra Myrick said in an email to students last week. "Thank you for your understanding and patience as we address concerns to better support you."

Here's what the new room selection policy means for UT students.

What is the new policy?

In an email sent out by UT University Housing on Nov. 22, students learned about the new room selection process for the upcoming academic year.

On-campus housing eligibility for returning students would be "determined through a weighted randomized lottery process that will include some favoring toward current first-year students," it said.

That means rising juniors, seniors and beyond aren't guaranteed on-campus housing next year. Students who are not selected in the initial lottery will be placed on a wait list that will be updated as vacancies and cancellations arise.

Myrick sent out a follow-up email on Nov. 24. Continuing students were asked to submit a request for on-campus housing by Dec. 6 so that University Housing can "determine demand, plan for next fall, and adjust the room selection process."

How many students can UT dorms house?

For returning students, there was a "same room, same dorm" policy in place before this year. This allowed returning students to maintain their living situation without much hassle.

UT requires nearly all first-year students to live on-campus "to ensure the quality of the first-year experience," according to its website.

There are 14 residence halls that can accommodate 8,071 students, according to the University Housing website. This number represents typical capacity usage.

If every first-year student from this year's incoming class was living on-campus, that means there are only 2,123 beds for returning students.

First-year students are already spilling into traditionally upper class students' residence halls, such as Leichtman's dorm, Laurel.

In June, the university offered voluntary off-campus relocation options to some students in Laurel at a reduced on-campus price of $3,525 per semester to accommodate for the record number of first-year students.

"They accepted way too many of us freshmen," said Kaitlyn Pilcher, a first-year student at UT living in Brown Hall. "I honestly feel bad for the upperclassmen."

While the university can't predict exactly how many students will enroll for the upcoming fall semester, it does know its yield rate.

A yield rate is the percentage of students a university admitted that ended up enrolling for the fall. The university's yield rate for 2021 was 27%. This means that of the 22,413 students UT admitted, 27% enrolled in the university.

Off-campus housing options

Finding off-campus housing isn't necessarily easy these days, which complicates the issue. Brandon O'Connor with Knoxville Apartment Guide said that demand for rentals is higher than ever.

"Demand is through the roof, not just for student properties, but for conventional properties," O'Connor said. "And, you know, the two definitely affect each other."

The off-campus student occupancy rate is nearing 100%, according to O'Connor. He encouraged students to start looking for off-campus housing if they haven't already.

"It's almost never too soon in this environment, and (renting) will become increasingly difficult given the demand," O'Connor said.

Unfortunately, there aren't as many affordable housing options or programs for students.

"It sounds like that might be kind of an underserved demographic, to be honest with you," O'Connor said. "And I wish there was a silver bullet for the high rental rates, but there's not — not with the demand. I mean, it's really unprecedented."

According to Apartment List's estimations for November, the average rent for a Knoxville apartment is $1,314 per month. Meanwhile, the average cost of on-campus housing is $4,296 per semester, based on the housing rates for 2021-2022. Price varies depending on which dorm and room you are in.

To help students find off-campus housing, UT's Center for Student Engagement, in partnership with Apartments.com, has an off-campus housing website at offcampushousing.utk.edu.

The current rentals featured on the site range in price from $495 to $2,600 per person per month. These rentals are in neighborhoods near campus such as Fort Sanders, Cumberland Avenue and a few across the river in South Knoxville.

Students can also visit UT's Center for Financial Wellness to help with budgeting off-campus expenses.

Returning student concerns

Victoria Leichtman, a junior living in Laurel Hall, started a petition with a group of people in her dorm via change.org. More than 1,800 people had signed it as of Tuesday afternoon.

The new housing policy brings up concerns from students who might not be able to afford off-campus housing.

"So for me personally, but I know as well as for others, it comes down to financials, especially for first generation students like myself," Leichtman said. "Off-campus housing prices keep going up, which is part of UT's housing crisis because (students) keep coming back to UT housing because they can't afford off-campus."

Pilcher said that she planned to live on campus for all four years of her undergraduate career. Her financial aid and scholarships only apply to on-campus housing.

"I wouldn't have a choice but to move colleges," Pilcher said. "My only option is transferring. And I'm already looking into what I have to do in the future."

Emory Dinsmore, an English student from Greeneville, Tennessee, said they hope UT does more to help students who might not have the same resources that they have.

"I care so much about this, because I've been homeless before," Dinsmore said. "And I know that this is going to lead to kids being homeless. I was very lucky; my parents lived an hour away. ... A lot of kids aren't going to have that. A lot of out-of-state students aren't going to have that. There are a lot of people who are not going to have a safety net like I did."

Becca Wright: Higher education reporter at Knox News
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee's new housing system values underclassmen