Fort Lewis College is reporting a 35% increase in the number of students requesting on-campus housing this fall – another sign of how expensive and difficult it has become to find housing in Durango.
First-year students are required to live on campus, so the 35% increase in applications is from non-first-year students. The college did not specify the exact number of additional students seeking housing, or how much housing the college is able to provide.
The college is trying to accommodate the increase in applications the best it can, including by working with a local hotel, said FLC spokeswoman Lauren Pope.
“We’ve actually partnered with an off-campus hotel and an apartment complex close to campus for upperclassmen and returning students with transportation,” Pope said.
FLC declined to say which hotel and apartment complex are being used for housing.
In the La Plata County Unhoused Count and Survey conducted by Project Moxie and Neighbor in Need Alliance, FLC students responded to questions about the difficulties of living off campus.
One student complained about landlords who won’t rent to college students, while another said it was difficult to balance work hours to pay rent while also devoting enough time to school.
“There are also many jobs that don’t pay well without having so many years experience,” a surveyed student said. “How can I achieve this when I am barely in college?”
The median rent in Durango was $1,496 per month for a one-bedroom apartment as of late June, according to a report released by Region 9 Economic Development District of Southwest Colorado.
FLC Director of Career Services Jeff Saville said he recognizes the dilemma some students face when living off campus. He said the Career Services Office does whatever it can to help students find paid internships that not only help students afford housing but also create employment opportunities in the future.
The internship is often only 150 hours per semester but allows students to gain experiences that can lead to part-time and full-time employment while going to school.
“Our leadership have really given us the tools and the wherewithal to be able to help our students focus on that experiential learning piece,” Saville said. “And that’s really where we’ve made the most inroads in helping our students.”
Career Services also connects students with part-time or full-time employment options to help with cost of living if needed. Saville said the college has a job fair every year at the beginning of the year. The jobs at the fair are mostly part time, but more than 20 employers usually attend the event. He said the college also offers between 600 and 800 students employment per semester.
Career Services also helps students with resumes and optimizing LinkedIn profiles to better their chance of finding quality employment. For example, Saville said some accounting students have been offered jobs by their junior year because of internships and quality of resume. He said sometimes these firms will offer to pay for the last semester of college if students choose to work for them once they graduate.
“We take a lot of pride in introducing our students to the people they want to meet,” he said.
FLC also helps students with other cost-of-living items such as food. Through Manna soup kitchen and Grub Hub, FLC offers free food options at the Student Union. While this may not change the cost of housing, Saville said it could take some economic burdens off students.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
