The Clemson student experience is unarguably unique to each student at the University. With abundant clubs, majors, resources and activities, students have the opportunity to experience Clemson University in their own distinct way.
This being said, there are many similarities that Clemson students face together, both for better and worse, as a unifying experience. For example, many students can reminisce about their experiences at a football game or their favorite or least favorite meal at the dining hall.
One universal experience that students at Clemson can all relate to is, unfortunately, the perils of finding off-campus housing.
Clemson University only offers student housing — beyond Douthit Hills West apartments — to freshmen and, for the most part, forces its other, larger population to fend for themselves when it comes to housing. This is not an uncommon phenomenon among college students nationwide; however, the extent to which the Clemson housing epidemic has extended has gotten out of hand.
On top of the expenses that students are having to pay for tuition, they are expected to pay unreasonable amounts of rent month after month. Students do not have any other option but to pay the rents set by these corporations, which are profiting off of students’ needs for a place to live near campus.
Clemson, South Carolina, being the small town that it is, does not offer many alternative housing options to the complexes that are marketed directly towards students who have little to no other options but to spend absurd amounts of money on rent.
The rates of rent are only increasing and though it would be easy to simply blame this on nationwide inflation, this is not necessarily the case. As The Tiger has reported, the recent increase in rent in many of the most popular apartment complexes in Clemson does not mirror inflation and instead rises high above what would be expected.
Tyler Hey with University Village at Clemson explains that their raise in rent is due to the amount of improvements that they have been making recently, such as faster internet, plans to renovate amenities and general repairs to the infrastructure.
Though this is understandable, it puts students in a difficult position in which they have to either pay more for rent or restart the impossible search for affordable housing because the owners of these developments want to make an extra dime.
Another possible factor to explain the rent increase would be the demand of students looking for housing. As the University accepts more students, more students need housing, and finding a place to live becomes more and more competitive.
This increase in the demand for housing and limited options for students is also becoming a more prevalent problem for students on top of rent issues. Freshmen are expected to search for an apartment within the first couple of months of being at school just to be able to find a preferable housing option before they fill up for the following academic year.
Finding a good place to live, without even factoring in a reasonable price, is a difficult task for many students due to the population of students at the University. This makes the transition of moving and settling more difficult for students who are already attempting to settle into a new place.
These numerous obstacles that students face when attempting to find a way to live and attend University are ridiculous. The increasing rent rates, on top of already unreasonable rent prices, make it nearly impossible for students to find preferable and affordable housing accommodation. With an increase in demand and an increase in student population, this issue is only going to continue to plague Clemson.
Kylie Tutterrow is a sophomore political science major from Spartanburg, South Carolina. You can reach her at [email protected].
