IU Approves Room And Board Increase
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana University trustees have approved a bump in on-campus room and board rates for the 2015-2016 academic year. The school says the most commonly-requested package will increase by 3.2 percent.
February 20, 2015
News Release
Indianapolis, Ind. — Indiana University trustees have approved on-campus room and board rates for the 2015-16 academic year.
At IU Bloomington, where about 12,600 students live in residence halls and apartment housing, the cost of the most commonly requested room and board package — currently $9,493 — will increase by 3.2 percent, or $302.
This package includes an air-conditioned, double-occupancy room in a mid-amenity residence hall and a standard meal plan. Demand for housing on the IU Bloomington campus remains strong, with occupancy nearly 95 percent this year.
The new rates will vary, depending on which facility and meal plan is chosen. Room increases range from 0.5 percent (for several one- and two-bedroom and efficiency apartments) to 4.0 percent for standard and enhanced residence hall accommodations.
The standard meal plan for 2015-16 will increase by 1.6 percent, or $50, to $3,250.
In her presentation to the trustees, Provost and Executive Vice President Lauren Robel said the increases in Bloomington are necessary to cover depreciation, maintenance and utility costs. They also reflect the need for ongoing improvements to older residence halls as well as future capital projects that will enable the university to reach its goal of updating all of its residence halls by 2020.
The largest current project at IU Bloomington is the renovation of Read Residence Hall. The project includes a full stage for student events, new classrooms, a seminar room and new restrooms. Further renovations, to begin in the summer of 2015, will include air conditioning, new windows and upgrades required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Summer projects also will include the renovation of the north end of Hillcrest Apartments.
Additionally, in recent years the university has introduced on-campus student housing at its campuses in South Bend and New Albany. University Tower at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is a multi-use facility that provides resident rooms with contemporary furnishings, modern amenities and access to dining, fitness and social spaces. A new 700-bed residence hall also will open at IUPUI this fall.
Despite the rate increases, IU Bloomington’s student housing costs are expected to remain relatively low when compared to other Big Ten schools. Robel noted that the cost of Bloomington's most prevalent room and board rate is currently the ninth-highest among all Big Ten universities.
Rate increases for the most commonly requested room and board package at other IU campuses are as follows:
• IUPUI: 3.3 percent
• IU South Bend: 2.1 percent
• IU Southeast: 2.0 percent
Source: Indiana University