West Texas A&M University requires students under age 21 who have completed less than 60 post-high school credit hours to live in on-campus residence halls, and few exemptions to this requirement are available.

With an ever-increasing student enrollment, WT should lessen its housing requirements to reduce crowding on campus and better fit students’ needs.

By restricting students from off-campus living for an average of two years, the university places an unnecessary financial burden on its attendees. This rule prohibits students from seeking less expensive housing that might better fit their budget. Left without any other option, the restrictions could force students to go into debt who would otherwise be able to afford their education.

The housing requirement also contributes to the problems of parking and limited space in the residence halls. Allowing sophomores to choose to move off campus if desired could help with both of these issues.

Those in favor of the 60-hour housing requirement support the rule as a necessary source of university income. However, if the university were to decrease the housing requirement, the lessened financial burden could attract more students to the affordability of an education at WT. In this way, easing the housing restrictions has the potential to both help students and grow the university’s revenue through increased attendance.

Proponents of the restrictions also argue that students need the structure and support of residential living. For this reason, staying in the residence halls should remain an option for upperclassmen, but students should have the freedom to choose what type of housing will best suit their needs both financially and socially. By housing only those upperclassmen who have chosen to live in the residence halls, the quality of residential life could improve with more student involvement.

In modifying the housing restrictions, WT should follow in the footsteps of many other universities and decrease the hours requirement to 30 credits.