South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Students weigh back-to-campus options
State university attendees to live at home, at school?
Students at UCF and other state universities are weighing whether to live at home this fall or move back into apartments or dorms, even though most or all of their classes will be online.
Challenges come with whatever decision they make, from concerns about how safe campus will be to apartments not willing to budge on breaking leases.
Eric Pettersen said his daughter, Carmen, 21, signed with Knights Circle apartment complex for the
2020-2021 year in October
2019, months before the pandemic hit.
Her apartment has served as a “glorified storage unit” for the past few months, as she moved back home to Broward County when classes went online in spring. And she’s planning to continue living at home and taking her UCF classes online in the fall.
But breaking her lease with Knights Circle, which is across the street from UCF and marketed to college students, is proving difficult.
“There has to be some sort of consideration for an act of God,” Pettersen said.
Knights Circle did not return respond to requests for comment.
Students nationwide struggled to pay the thousands of dollars it costs to uphold or break a lease after campuses shifted to online classes in the spring, leaving them to pay for an apartment or room they don’t or can’t use. Now, students and parents are scrambling to sublease apartments for the upcoming school year.
Mickele Dausman of Sanford said her daughter is staying home this fall as she starts her second year at Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville.
“When this started happening in March, I felt really strongly that this wasn’t going to go away quickly,” Dausman said.
Her daughter Karly, 19, was able sublease her place — luck that not everyone is experiencing.
Students deciding to live on or off campus are also concerned few will truly abide by social distancing.
Mitch Reid, 17, graduated from Winter Park High School in the spring and plans on living off campus in Gainesville when he begins his first semester at the University of Florida. Mitch, who put money down on a place before coronavirus cases spiked in Florida, is worried people coming from different areas will be COVID-19 carriers.
“Almost immediately after I signed the lease, we became the global epicenter,” he said.
State universities are allowing
A student crosses the street Thursday outside the Addition Financial Arena at UCF.
faculty and students to return to campus in the fall with safety restrictions. According to UCF’s campus return plan, there will be “enhanced” cleaning and disinfection, face coverings will be required in university buildings with a goal of 50% capacity at the start of the fall semester.
Students, staff and faculty returning to campus are required to complete training to ensure their understanding of university procedures and protocols, according to the plan. Students can return to on-campus housing with a reduction in occupancy, such as making some doubles into singles.
And there will be a “hybrid” strategy for virtual participation for events and activities to limit face-toface interaction and frequency.
Aidari Riera, who came from Venezuela in 2017, is starting her junior year at UCF and will be living off campus.
“I’m uncomfortable that our generation is not being safe, not taking the precautions as they should be,” she said. “… it might create another spike in cases; we will see what happens.”
Already, a bar that caters to UCF students, The Knight’s Pub, had its alcohol license suspended after failing to abide by proper health and social distancing guidelines and at least 28 customers tested positive for COVID-19.
Some students are considering taking online classes at colleges, such as Valencia or Seminole State, instead of paying higher tuition at a university.
For recent high school graduates, in particular, colleges like Seminole State are a good way to save tuition and work remotely from home, said Georgia Lorenz, president of Seminole State College.
For the 2019-2020 year, one total credit hour at Seminole State for Florida residents was about $100 and about $380 for nonFlorida residents. At UCF, tuition and fees for one credit hour were estimated to be a little more than $200 for in-state students and nearly $800 for out-of-state students.
“If they go to Seminole State, they can easily transfer to a university of their choice and have the campus university experience they are seeking,” she said.
Students can get a degree at Valencia College for a much lower cost than traditional universities, said Kathleen Plinske, executive vice president and provost.
“It’s a very affordable option for families,” Plinske said.
Karla Sanabria, 21, an aspiring educator going into her senior year at UCF, lives in Orlando and will be taking classes remotely. The organizations she’s involved with are already planning virtual events and meetings.
She said she hopes college students who are returning to campus will be careful.
“I believe when you’re at a university level, you are there because you have the abilities to make good choices and you have expectations for yourself,” she said.
Kari Dickson, 18, will also begin her collegiate venture this fall, but is doing so remotely.
The incoming UCF student’s initial plan was to move to Orlando with a group of roommates, but she decided to postpone the move until next year.
Financially, and physically, it just made the most sense to remain in her South Florida home in Pembroke Pines.
“It was kind of a tricky decision because you don’t want to miss out,” Dickson said. “It’s more worthwhile to hold out and see where this goes.”