Housing Lottery Information for Seniors
Here are some frequently asked questions (with answers) we receive from Seniors prior to the Housing Lottery. We hope you find these helpful. If you have other questions or need additional information, please feel free to contact the Residence Life office by either calling or emailing Mrs. Beth Wilson (864-833-8277 or bhwilson@presby.edu).
Please note that in order to qualify to live in Senior Housing spaces, you must have 90 PC credit hours and/or be scheduled to graduate in 2012. Refer to number nine (9) below if you have less than 90 hours and will be graduating in May 2012.
Please note: The City of Clinton has determined that they will not provide a waiver from their zoning laws for us to continue to use Calhoun House, Liberty House and Alumni House for student housing for the 2011-2012 academic year. Therefore, the senior housing choices will be Scottish Arms, Senior Hall, and the Townhouses.
1. What advice does the College have for senior students approaching the lottery?
Because the Housing Lottery is geared to maximize the opportunity for "Senior Only" housing while allowing students the opportunity to choose their roommates, it will be crucial that students consider their options based on the probability of openings when their lottery number comes up. Students must also remember that not all seniors will have the opportunity to live in the Senior Hall, Scottish Arms, or the Townhouses. Here are some hints:
(a) Review the available number of spots for locations found in the descriptions below, and consider what may be open when your lottery number will be called.
(b) Get an early start finding a group of roommates and, if you have a high lottery number, start looking for a group with an individual with a low lottery number.
(c) Develop a back-up plan! If you arrive with the idea of getting a six-person location and all six-person units are filled when your lottery number is called, you will forfeit your opportunity to select a location. A good idea for groups of individuals with mid-range lottery numbers is to compile a group of six individuals with two of those individuals knowing that if all of the six-person units are filled when the lowest lottery number is called, then two of the group will have to drop off. The remaining four will sign up for a four-person unit. You might be able to find two individuals with high lottery numbers to agree to this. Remember, you need to have a back-up plan in case your desired location is already filled.
2. Tell me a little more about the Senior Hall!
With room for 71 students, the Senior Hall offers comfortable, apartment-style housing for seniors. Information detailing the hall amenities as well as the living requirements for the facility are published on the PC web site, and students are expected to be familiar with these requirements upon sign up. The Senior Hall will only be open to groups of senior students who wish to live together. Below are the housing options in the Senior Hall:
- 12 apartments for four (4) students.
- Three (3) units for six (6) people.
- One apartment for five (5) individuals.
The 2010-2011 housing cost for each student in the Senior Hall is $3025 (housing costs have not been set for 2011-2012) per semester, and this covers cable television access, local phone service, fiber optic internet, electricity, and gas.
As noted above, the Senior Hall costs more than a traditional residence hall room. PC academic and athletic scholarships only pay for the costs associated with a traditional residence hall room and will not pay the difference in price between the townhouses/senior hall and a traditional room. The student will be responsible for paying any amount over the scholarship. Specific questions on this topic should be directed to financial aid before the lottery.
3. Tell me a little more about the Townhouses!
With room for 68 students, the Townhouses are only open to groups of senior students who wish to live together; below are the housing options in the Townhouses:
- Eight (8) units for four (4) students.
- Six (6) units for six (6) individuals.
The 2010-2011 housing costs for each individual in the Townhouses is $2910 (housing costs have not been set for 2011-2012)per semester and covers cable television access, local phone service, fiber optic internet, as well as electricity and gas. The housing cost amount is subject to change.
As noted above, the townhouses cost more than a traditional residence hall room. PC academic and athletic scholarships only pay for the costs associated with a traditional residence hall room and will not pay the difference in price between the townhouses/senior hall and a traditional room. The student will be responsible for paying any amount over the scholarship. Specific questions on this topic should be directed to financial aid before the lottery.
4. Tell me a little more about the Scottish Arms Apartments!
The Scottish Arms Apartments are owned by the College, and have traditionally held faculty and staff members. The apartments are located only minutes from campus on Cedar Street. The College offers senior students the opportunity to live at the Scottish Arms through the Campus Housing Lottery. Only groups of two will be allowed to sign up in an apartment.
The 2010-2011 housing cost for each student living in the Scottish Arms Apartments is $1695 (housing costs have not been set for 2011-2012) per semester. This rent covers water, sewer, trash pick-up and lawn care. Expenses that are NOT covered by this cost include the following: gas, electricity, cable, phone and any Internet costs. Individual students will be responsible for connecting to these utilities and paying the costs of these services. While the apartments have washer and dryer connections, the units themselves do not come with a washer and dryer - those must be provided by the students. The average monthly utility costs at the Scottish Arms Apartments are: gas ($70), electricity ($70), cable ($45), and phone ($30). These are the average costs, and individual costs may vary based upon consumption. The average costs are provided to give the student an idea of the full living expenses at the Scottish Arms Apartments and are not a guarantee of monthly costs.
If you have additional questions about the Scottish Arms Apartment, please contact Beth Wilson at 833-8277.
5. Can I sign up to live in the Senior Hall, Townhouses, or Scottish Arms if I will be abroad one of the semesters or if I will graduate in December of 2011?
Students can sign up for Senior Hall, Townhouses, or Scottish Arms if they are graduating in December 2011 and have not lived in senior housing previously. However, the College reserves the right to place a student in those spaces during the spring semester. Students who are planning to study abroad in the fall may participate in the lottery; however, they will be responsible for paying for that space in full. You may contact the Office of Residence Life with additional questions about the possibility of paying for a room on campus while you are away to hold your place.
6. Can a person live in Senior Hall, Townhouses, or Scottish Arms for more than one year?
No. Since we have only a limited number of spaces in these areas, the College does not allow students to live there for more than one year.
7. What if I am a senior who wants to live in the Senior Hall, Townhouses, or Scottish Arms but that location is full when my lottery number comes up?
In this case, the student and roommate(s) will need to sign up in another location. The students can sign up in another residence hall for spaces that are open when the lottery number comes up. The ORL will allow students to sign up for a wait list that would enable students to receive their desired location after the lottery if circumstances change. Notification to those students on the wait list may not occur until sometime in the summer. Signing the wait list does not guarantee that a student will ultimately receive permission to change rooms.
8. What if I am a senior who wants to live in a traditional residence hall? Can I have a younger roommate?
When a senior’s lottery number comes up, he or she can choose any room on campus that is open. You may choose to room with a younger student in any non-senior housing. That student must accompanying you (or provide a proxy) to the lottery. Students should remember, however, that only students of senior-status can live in the "Senior Only" locations (Senior Hall, Townhouses or Scottish Arms).
9. What if I don't have 90 hours and qualify for senior housing but will graduate in May, 2012?
You will need to complete a Senior Hours Waiver Form. This form must be accompanied by a Major Card with expected graduation date of May, 2012, and signed by your advisor.
In order to be able to participate in the lottery for senior housing, you must submit these forms no later than Wednesday, March 30, by 5:00 p.m., to the Office of Residence Life.
10. How many students will receive permission to live off campus during the lottery?
The college requires all full-time students to live on-campus. (Exceptions are students meeting the criteria for commuter status: married student, independent student or student who lives with his/her parents.) We do not anticipate granting permission for any students to live off-campus for the 2011-2012 academic year.
11. Policies for Senior-Only Housing
There are policies and information related to Senior Hall , Townhouses , and Scottish Arms available on the Residence Life web site. Please refer to these documents prior to signing up for housing during the lottery.
*Please note that housing assignments confirmed through the housing lottery process, in rare cases, may be changed due to enrollment needs for the institution. As much as possible, these changes will be communicated in a timely manner and alternate arrangements considered.