In response to COVID-19, NC State Housing has made some significant changes: Move-in dates are now staggered, and students are encouraged to take extra safety precautions, such as wearing masks in public and sanitizing personal spaces. Additionally, the Fall 2020 Housing Agreement states that residents must be prepared to vacate campus at any time, even without notice, due to the unpredictable nature of COVID-19.

Currently, there is a housing waiver for students who meet special conditions, such as proximity to campus, financial hardships and marriage. However, even under normal circumstances, this is still very limited. COVID-19 has disrupted almost every aspect of normal life for traditional students, including this upcoming fall semester. While college tuition has always been out of reach for many, the economic devastation caused by COVID-19 has led to financial instability for many students and their families.

A common argument for the live-on requirement is that it allows students to have the traditional college experience. However, in recent years the number of nontraditional students has increased. Now, many incoming students have families, are returning to college later in life or are financially independent.

For these students, the traditional college experience often means juggling multiple responsibilities and work to take on the monumental and difficult task of earning a degree. While the first-year experience is certainly beneficial for many younger students, giving them a chance to explore their interests and broaden their horizons, the reality is that, for many, the idealistic first-year residential experience is impractical and unnecessary. 

While it might seem convenient to require freshmen to live on campus, the cost of housing combined with the already exorbitant cost of tuition could result in even more financial instability, especially among more vulnerable populations, such as first-generation students and international students. This means that more students who don’t receive enough aid to cover housing will likely have to take out loans or work multiple jobs for longer hours, which makes having any resemblance of a college experience incredibly difficult.

While being able to engage in campus life as a freshman is certainly important, the reality is that college simply isn’t going to be the same this year, and this means that universities have to adapt. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the “college experience” is completely out of reach. There are still many ways for students to stay connected through virtual groups and classes, and we all might have to get a little more creative to continue building and maintaining the social connections that are a huge part of why people choose to go to a traditional four-year school rather than taking online classes. 

Instead of providing a waiver for students who meet special circumstances, NC State needs to make living on campus completely optional. While this may result in a loss of revenue, this also means that students won’t be forced to abruptly move out of dorms if there is a second outbreak of COVID-19, and it means that those with underlying health conditions or those who simply don’t want to be exposed to the virus won’t have to put their physical or mental health at risk.