The convenience of living on campus and new renovations have increased the demand for on-campus housing.More than 50 percent of undergraduate rooms are renovated or new, according to Jay High, Residential Life communications manager.”In improving the facilities, we feel we have increased the demand to live on campus,” High said.ResLife began putting students on its standby housing list March 31, a month earlier than spring 2009. The department had received 3,502 applications for housing before the standby list.West Laville Hall, originally scheduled to reopen in fall 2009, will reopen next year. But it won’t add to the number of rooms because East Laville Hall will close for renovations soon after.Annie Boyd Hall is also scheduled for renovations in 2012, High said.In the last 12 years, ResLife has invested $168 million in the maintenance and upgrade of on-campus buildings, Walker said.There are currently a total of 3,515 beds within the residential halls.In 2008, 265 beds were added with the construction of Blake Hall, and 380 beds were added with the construction of Residential College South and Residential College West.Residential College North is also being constructed, which High said will add about 370 beds. It will be a mixture of live-and-learn students with traditional students.About 700 places will have been added to on-campus housing by 2012 after the new construction and East Laville’s renovation, High said.More than a quarter of University students currently live on campus in either residential halls or apartments.”Students do academically better on campus,” said Steven Walker, ResLife director. “They become engaged with the University and community.”Many residential halls also hold study sessions. The Honors College often holds study sessions in the lobby of the dormitory.”There are study groups that you can find on campus, which in a big apartment building might be harder,” said Andrew Holley, civil engineering freshman.”Square footage is the main thing that determines the cost of the buildings,” High said.The current cost for East Campus Apartments and West Campus Apartments can be up to $3,805 per semester for a two-bedroom apartment. They have the largest square footage on campus and are the most expensive.Miller and Highland halls rent three-student rooms for $2,305 per semester, the least expensive on campus.Sumit Kumar contributed to this article.—-Contact Jeanna Zimmerman at [email protected]