The LSU class of 2029 is taking the university by storm. With the previous class holding well over 7,900 students, this year’s freshman class has them beat by roughly 250 more students. This has raised concerns within the student body with worries of overpopulation and a lack of housing.

LSU Residential Life has been working with the administration to accommodate the incoming freshmen and the upperclassmen already living on campus. However, with the intake of students being greater than the space available, they have had to find alternatives.

Policies such as guaranteeing freshmen housing if they apply by the priority deadline make on-campus housing a scarce resource.

For the past four years, Peter Trentacoste has been the executive director for ResLife. He says the next steps to opening campus doors for more future residents depend on the new dorms that are currently under construction.

“One thousand two hundred and sixty-six beds that will be ready by fall 2027, and we’re aggressively getting that project off,” Trentacoste said. “And you can see there’s dirt being moved, right across from the business school down there.”

The dorms are currently being built on top of Touchdown Village where a major commuter lot was held. They will hold 1,200 students and cost over $215 million.

‘Melt’ strategy

One strategy being used is what Trentacoste explained as the “melt” strategy, which utilizes The Cook Hotel on campus as alternative housing. ResLife has put aside 100 beds in the hotel to house roughly 80-100 students for the first two weeks of the semester.

These students will move into on-campus housing as space opens up. Trentacoste estimated 100 students on average cancel their housing plans last minute.

“We’re already getting those cancellations right now,” Trentacoste said, “So we’re gonna start making those phone calls and getting assignments made for those students, so that by the time this week is done, they’ll be moving into their assignments for the fall.”

ResLife partnered with the Ion Baton Rouge apartment complex for a more extended time period. ResLife obtained 100 beds at the Ion for a semester-long stay for freshmen who cannot move on-campus due to lack of dorms.

The melt plan is considered a success by staff, Trentacoste said, and is in the works to be reused for the next academic year. They are planning to reserve more beds to allow more students to move-in and are hopeful that it will be the last time doing so before the new dorm is built.

But students have reported issues with their accommodations, with some freshmen posting on TikTok about having roaches in their rooms at the Ion. When asked about the alleged infestation, Trentacoste said it is not a widespread issue across the complex.

“There’s not an infestation. We had one single incident that we worked with,” Trentacoste stated. “So again, everyone can speak on what they want but for us, anytime we get a complaint, we’re gonna work on it. We’re gonna take care of it very fast and certainly that’s one we did right away.”

Unlike last year, freshmen placed in these two off-campus locations will not be provided a shuttle to and from campus. Trentacoste says this is because the locations chosen are within walking distance from campus.

“Last year, we did have a shuttle that went in and we are not there this year… same thing with Lod Cook – it is definitely walkable,” Trentacoste said.

For reference on the distance freshmen will walk, it would take 16 minutes to walk from The Cook Hotel to the LSU Library and about 11 minutes from the Ion, according to Apple Maps.

How is housing priority determined?

Freshmen almost always have the first pick of on-campus living, followed by out-of-state students. Trying to accommodate everyone is not realistic, and others like upperclassmen have a harder time.

“There’s definitely a lot of people that are still hoping to get in,” Trentacoste said. “We are doing our very best to get as many upperclassmen in as we can.”

Incentives were not introduced this year. Last year, many in-state students were offered financial compensation to live off-campus to make room for the class of 2028.

Students may have noticed this year that housing cancellation fees were not disbursed. That was done purposefully because the demand for space outweighed the money lost from cancellations.

“When we need cancellations, we don’t actually usually hold that whole lot. So we did delay that,” Trentacoste said.

What to do if you want to relocate from your housing assignment

ResLife assures students they will be able to request a move from one on-campus dorm or apartment to another after the first two weeks of the semester. A hold is placed on switching temporarily to account for no-shows, cancellations and last minute arrangements.

This also applies to students placed in the Ion with a year-long lease with ResLife. It is recommended to reach out to ResLife with any concerns with your current living situation.

“Now, somebody comes to us and is like, look it’s just not working out, just like with any of our options, come talk to us, we’ll tell you what’s available. We’ll try to work with you.” Trentacoste said.

That applies to LSU students of all classifications, not just freshmen. Upperclassmen are equally encouraged to reach out to ResLife with any concerns. Housing may be limited, but Trentacoste says the staff is working diligently to accommodate everyone.

“We absolutely care about all of our students,” Trentacoste said, “and all students that have a situation that needs to be accommodated.”

Contact Information
Email: [email protected]
Number: (225) 578-8663
Address: 99 Grace King Hall Baton Rouge, LA