Students need to be careful when reviewing their housing contracts. Photo: Nick Kumpula

This year, UNL residence halls will be home to more than 6,000 students, a slight drop from last year. While this year's official tally will take some time to finalize, university officials believe the current figure will represent about a 1-percent decrease from last year.

University Housing says the number of students who will need to be placed in temporary housing this semester has dropped significantly from last year. "The university has added three residence halls in the last few years, which means an additional 1,050 beds," said Keith Zaborowski, associate director of Housing Residence Life. "We have kept up with the growth very well."

Susan M. Gildersleeve, associate director of Housing Business and Fiscal Operations, believes the drop in occupancy is being caused not by students' declining interest in living on campus but by students making better financial decisions. "People are being more careful," Gildersleeve said, adding that fewer students have cancelled rooms so far this year. "I just think a big part of that ... is that people are being smarter with their money."

Students are always encouraged to read the terms of their housing agreements carefully. Penalties for cancelling a dormitory contract vary from one residence hall to the next, but fines begin at $100 and can soar up to 40 percent of the remaining housing bill to be paid. With such steep financial consequences and an unsteady economy, Gildersleeve believes students are making sure they want to live on campus before signing the dotted line.

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