When people are asked what they like best about Saint Anselm, one of the most common responses is, “the community”. And it is true, the closeness and the sense of community at ours is truly remarkable. Of course, this is not surprising considering over 90 percent of the student body lives on campus and spends every moment sharing the same space. What does come as a surprise, however, is the fact that 90 percent of the students do live campus despite the extreme expense of on-campus housing.
It cannot be denied that living on campus is convenient. This campus is small; and the furthest walk is to NHIOP, which is nothing in comparison to the journeys other college students have to make.
Living on campus has other perks, like easy access to Davison, the Coffee Shop, the gym, the library, and other campus resources. Plus, being able to live with one’s friends is a lot of fun.
But these benefits cost a bundle. Next year, students living in the dormitories will be charged $12,690 per person, and 2,465 of those dollars go towards a student’s meal plan. So, to sleep at Saint Anselm College, each student will be paying roughly $10,225, or $1,278 a month.
Highwood Village Apartments is less than half a mile away from campus. The apartments are only a seven minute walk away. Highwood Village offers a few different options for apartment shoppers. Two of these plans are ideal for a college student looking for a cheaper way to live:
Plan A offers an apartment with 460 square feet, a spacious kitchen and bathroom, as well as a bedroom that measures to be 11 by 16 square feet. This bedroom alone bigger than the 11 by 14 square foot rooms Saint Anselm places freshmen doubles and forced triples into. This apartment costs $760 a month, and roughly $7,000 per school year. This is considerably different from the $10,225 students will be spending next year.
Plan B offers an apartment with 740 square feet, featuring a large bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom for $880-$910 per month. This totals to a worst case scenario $7,280 a school year. An apartment this size could easily house two people, bringing the split rent down to just $3,640 a school year. While a meal plan is not offered, one can be almost certain the nearly $7,000 a year a student saves is more than enough to cover the cost of food.
Generally speaking, room and board fees at most American universities are a big source of income because the amount of money they charge significantly outweighs the cost of actually housing students. College is getting more expensive every year, and while some of this price increase can be blamed on inflation, a lot of it is for the sake of increased school profits. While one can almost expect to amass a large amount of debt paying for school here are ways to get around some of the expenses and still get an excellent education.
Living on campus is a beautiful thing. There is something to be said about being able to wake up a few minutes before class, and still make it on class on time. Easy access to Davison, the gym, and the library are also major perks. Most importantly, the relationships a person can build with their roommates and friends is unlike any other. Students do not live here, they have a home at here. So much of the Saint Anselm College experience relies on this sense of community and this homey atmosphere.
Whether you sleep here or not, the sense of community here always prevails. While one’s college experience off campus might differ a little, the campus still has so much to offer and the amount of money saved is quite significant. Both living on campus and off campus have their drawbacks and their perks, and regardless of where they choose to live, students can find happiness and get an excellent education either way.