PITTSBURGH — While many families had hoped for a traditional dorm room for their incoming freshman, hundreds learned on Tuesday that their students would instead be staying at the Hampton Inn, located on Hamlet Street. The hotel is off campus and is nearly a twenty-minute walk to the dining hall, library, and many academic classes.
A map of the University of Pittsburgh campus shows that the traditional freshman dorms are located near the academic buildings, main library, and campus dining halls.
According to the university, this school year will welcome a record number of incoming freshmen to campus. To accommodate the larger class size, the university will repurpose existing properties to create additional beds and lease space for more accommodations at locations such as Webster Apartments, Pennsylvania Apartments and the Hampton Inn.
Parents in a public Facebook group have been waiting for weeks to receive their students’ room assignments, only to learn that with less than a month until the August 17 move-in date, their child will be living off-campus at a nearby hotel.
Channel 11 News located social media posts from frustrated and confused parents. Many are worried about security, laundry, storage, dining options, and the overall cost. Parents discovered they will be paying hundreds of dollars more for a location they feel is less than suitable for their students.
The Hampton Inn is priced at $5,135 per semester for a double room, compared to Litchfield Towers, another freshman dorm, which is priced at $4,385 for the same room layout. This results in a difference of $750 per semester, or $1,500 per year.
Another major concern is the distance from the main campus. A quick Google search indicates that the walk from the Hampton Inn to the Cathedral of Learning could take nearly 20 minutes.
In a statement, the university addressed these concerns. The statement reads in part:
“All locations are less than a mile from the heart of campus and meet the university’s standards for safety, amenities, and access to campus resources. We expect additional housing assignments to be sent to students later this week. Students admitted to Pitt for the fall semester of their first year are guaranteed on-campus housing through their junior year, assuming they meet the academic and eligibility requirements.”
Parents who were too frustrated to speak on camera or who preferred to remain anonymous expressed that their children have not yet received their roommate assignment for this location or any move-in details, which means they will miss out on key shipping deals offered by the university.
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