JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Dorms are full and off-campus rent is on the rise for students at the University of North Florida, and it’s forcing some to reconsider whether they can afford to attend school at all.
As part of News4JAX’s Addressing Affordability series, we’re taking a closer look at how rising housing costs are reshaping the college experience.
A recent report shows the cost of college, including room and board, has jumped 42% over the past two decades.
Incoming freshman Landon Purdie says he is rethinking starting school at UNF this fall because of the high cost of living.
He initially planned to live on campus this fall - decorating his dorm, meeting new friends, and settling into college life.
“I started buying things for my dorm because I was really excited to set everything up,” he said. “And then I ended up getting an email… stating that I wasn’t going to get a dorm and that I was placed on standby.”
Purdie says he was No. 88 on a waitlist that included more than 500 students who didn’t get a spot in on-campus housing.
With that door closed, his only option now is to rent an off-campus apartment, which is a much more expensive choice.
“If you’re off campus, you’re paying more than what you will pay for a dorm for a year,” he said.
According to data from Rent Café, the average monthly rent in Jacksonville is $1,501 for a 981-square-foot unit. Over a 12-month lease, that adds up to more than $18,000, or about $9,000 annually if shared with a roommate. That doesn’t include furniture, deposits or utilities.
By comparison, a double-occupancy dorm at UNF costs $3,474 per semester, or $6,948 for the school year. That price includes utilities, furnishings, and can often be covered by financial aid.
“Staying on campus will be a better option for a lot of students,” Purdie said. “It’s that one-time payment… instead of paying $1,000 or $1,200 each month.”
The affordability gap isn’t unique to UNF. According to a recent national survey by The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, 59% of college students nationwide faced basic needs insecurity in the 2023–24 school year.
That includes:
- 48% of students who experienced housing instability
- 14% who experienced homelessness
“These are incredibly large numbers, and it’s a function of the housing affordability crisis across the country,” said Mark Huelsman, director of policy and advocacy at The Hope Center. “Students often don’t have the same options others do. They can’t always work full-time while being enrolled full-time, right? There aren’t enough hours in the day. They sometimes can’t afford security deposits.”
When off-campus housing is available for students, Huelsman notes that it’s often luxury housing well out of their budgets.
“Students are really stuck,” he said.
Back at UNF, some out-of-state students told News4JAX they are now considering dropping out or returning home to attend school closer to family.
“I’ve talked to some people… they’re considering going back home,” Purdie said.
While the university has plans to renovate and expand dorms in the coming years, students like Purdie say they need more timely solutions. He received a pamphlet for student housing options, but by the time he called, everything was already full.
“They filled up pretty quick… by the time I got that pamphlet and was looking into it, all the spots were pretty much taken," Purdie said.
As for affordable options near campus, Purdie says they’re hard to find.
“When you think of UNF, you think of the Town Center,” he said. “Apartments out there are expensive… you wouldn’t think [of affordable housing] being the first thing in your mind.”
For now, he’s still trying to figure out his next move, whether that’s commuting, taking a year off, or finding a last-minute lease.
“I was actually expecting to have that campus experience at college,” he said. “It was a little disappointing to realize that I wasn’t getting it.”
Currently, UNF is in the middle of a major renovation at Osprey Landing, one of its largest housing facilities. The project has taken about 422 beds offline temporarily.
At the same time, construction is underway on Osprey Ridge, a new Honors residence hall set to open this fall. Once renovations at the Landing are complete and Osprey Ridge opens, the university’s total on-campus capacity will increase to just over 4,000 beds.
The new dorm hall will bring 520 beds to campus. That means this fall, 3,700 housing spaces will be available for students, an increase of about 100 since last year.
