JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As the fall semester approaches at the University of North Florida, hundreds of incoming students are still without a guaranteed place to live on campus, with about 500 students currently on a housing standby list, according to university officials.
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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, Housing and Residence Life officials told the UNF Spinnaker that the university’s total on-campus capacity will increase to just over 4,000 beds.
UNF says housing contracts are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. According to the student-run UNF Spinnaker, about 1,350 freshmen met the May 15 deadline to secure housing and participate in room selection. Those who applied after that date are now on standby.
James Edward, a South Florida parent, says his daughter is finishing her first summer term at UNF, but her future at the school is uncertain due to limited housing. He says he’s worried she may have to transfer if a room doesn’t open up.
The university is sharing regular updates with students on their housing status as well as providing off-campus resources for those exploring alternative options, saying the following in a statement sent to News4JAX.
All first-year students who applied for housing by the May deadline, as well as returning and transfer students who applied by the April deadline, have been admitted to housing and are now eligible to select their rooms.
Students who applied after these deadlines were accommodated as space allowed, and others have been placed on a standby list.
Spokesperson for the University of North Florida
Additionally, UNF said it will be hosting a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, July 16, at the new Osprey Ridge residence hall, where UNF President Moez Limayem and other officials will provide a tour of the facility.
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.