Some UK students still without housing assignments

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) — We’re weeks away from classes starting back up at the University of Kentucky and only 18 days away from students moving in.

Some incoming and returning students still don’t have a housing assignment.

We’ve been telling you all about the dorm room shortage the university is experiencing after a record first year enrollment of incoming freshmen.

The university says it had around 400 more applications then available rooms.

Because of the housing shortage the university says resident advisors will have to live with incoming freshmen.

UK spokesperson Jay Blanton says they’re converting study rooms into dorm rooms.

He says the converted study rooms will all have bathrooms with showers and one room will house four. All the others will have the standard two.

The incoming freshmen will have some perks to living in a converted study room – a discounted rate for housing, free laundry services in the building and additional flex dollars  used for campus dining.

RA’ will have some incentives as well.

“A Visa card with about $900 on it for the semester. They’ll get it in two installments, $450 they can use that when they need to. And then also free laundry service for the semester,” says Blanton.

For some RA’s this isn’t enough.

A petition started by one concerned RA states “RA’s living with their residents is a recipe for disaster”. It’s been signed over 4,000 times.

And incoming freshmen are reacting as well. One wrote on Facebook “We deserve a private room we were PROMISED.. Imagine rooming with an RA who is constantly telling you what you can and can’t have,” writes Lazarus Robinson.

Blanton’s response to these concerns:

“I think parents will probably be assured in many cases of that kind of living arrangement. But I think they’re gonna find these are students just like them. They have some additional responsibilities but they’re there to safeguard our students. They’re there to protect them and offer some counseling and advice when they need it.”

Blanton says some returning students have the option to live off campus at the Hub.

He says the university plans to have all housing assignments made by the end of the week.