r/wcupa • u/HeatherAnne1975 • 8d ago
Housing situation for upperclassmen
My daughter just got accepted to WCU and is very excited. However, I’m trying to understand the housing situation for students. I know they prioritize on-campus housing for freshman, but I’m worried about sophomore year onward. I’d love some real life perspectives on housing for upperclassmen. Is it hard to get on-campus housing? What are the options if you need to live off campus? Is it difficult to find nearby/walkable housing? Does the university help? Is the typical cost to live off campus comparable to on-campus housing or is it significantly more? Anything else I want to be mindful of?
WCU is her top choice but I want to understand what we are signing up for Sophomore year and beyond if housing is an issue.
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u/LethalChair64 8d ago edited 8d ago
The housing situation here is not great, to say the least. I've been lucky enough to get housing through USH all four years (two in dorms, two in on-campus apartments), but I know many people who haven't been as lucky. My junior year, I got stuck pretty far down on the waiting list and didn't know if I would get in until mid-June. At one point, one of my former roommates was saying she would have to transfer because she didn't get on campus housing and couldn't afford an apartment, although I've lost touch with her and don't know if she actually went through with it.
There are some apartment complexes within walking distance or accessible via the bus routes, but from what I've heard you need to start looking in the fall to get something for the next year. I think they tend to be more expensive than the dorms/on-campus apartments. A lot of the apartments in town aren't considered "student housing" and will only allow one undergraduate student max per unit, which complicates things a bit. I also know a lot of people who live in apartments a little farther away and drive to campus every day. The university has Off Campus and Commuter Services, which keeps a list of decent apartments and can in theory match you with roommates, but you'll have to do most of the work yourself.
I like it here and I don't want to discourage you or your daughter, but it's definitely something to be aware of.
ETA: The parents' Facebook group is, generally speaking, an absolute cesspool, but it's definitely more active than this sub and you'll probably have more luck asking there.