On-campus room rates to rise 3 percent

But the University will not increase the price of student meal plans for the upcoming year. For the second consecutive year, students will shell out a little more for their on-campus apartments and suites. Room rents in all campus dormitories will increase by about 3 percent -- a 1 percent climb from last year's 2 percent increase, Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta announced yesterday. Rents remained stable in 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-97. For the fourth consecutive year, there was no increase in the cost of meal plans. "This means that the net impact to a student using both housing and dining plans is under 2 percent," Moneta said. As in years past, however, students complained that rent increases were announced after the close of room retention period, which ended February 6 for most residences. Students who signed up yesterday for arena, the housing lottery, also did not receive the new rent information. Although last year's increase was attributed to rising utilities costs, Moneta said residential renovation plans accounted for this year's modest climb. The 10-year renovation process -- to be launched this summer -- includes supplying Hill House with new furniture and replacing its "faulty" hot water system, along with resealing windows in the high rises and building a fitness center in the rooftop lounge of High Rise South. "We're not a private business that has other revenues," Moneta said in explaining why students must foot the renovation costs. Additionally, Moneta announced a "more uniform room and board rating system," which will consolidate rates so that similar room types will cost the same. The system will use seven different prices rather than the current 19. Moneta described prices in the existing system as being "all over the place." For example, two-bedroom apartments in different buildings often have different rents, he said. The University will also eliminate the distinction between unrenovated and renovated room rates. According to Moneta, the "renovated" label is a bit of a misnomer, considering that certain "renovated" sections of the Quadrangle have not been renovated for 20 years. He added that some unrenovated room rates will increase, while a number of renovated room rates will decrease. According to last month's preliminary tallies, retention is down by 30 to 40 applications in the high rises, Associate Director of Occupancy Administration Ellie Rupsis said. These numbers do not include students who chose to switch rooms within the high rises or students who will select high rise rooms in the arena. About 900 students retained their rooms in the high rises last year. Rupsis refused to comment on the the final number of retention participants or the number of students who had requested room switches, explaining that her superiors forbade the release of further numbers until the end of the room selection process. Hill House, King's Court/English House and several residences in the Quadrangle also received applications for residence before the rates were made public. As of February 12, 31 people had applied to live in the Quad's Community House, 106 to Hill and 100 to the Quad's Ware College House, which will include the Speakman, Bodine and Class of 1928 buildings under the new college house plan.