When they weren't busy approving a permanent dean for Columbia College earlier this month, the board of trustees made at least one decision that directly affects all undergraduates---housing costs for next year are going up. As you probably found out via email, the price of your Columbia dorm increased somewhere between $48 and $62 (or, as the email from housing put it, "approximately $25 to $35 per term"), relative to the estimate you received when you signed your occupancy agreement.
If you run the numbers, that translates to an overall revenue increase of about $299,000 for the University. (Disclaimer: A bunch of estimates went into that calculation, among them that every room is filled and that RAs are paying for housing. Also, it's pretty much impossible to figure out how many first-years will be living in Hartley, Wallach, and Furnald, and the cost hikes are slightly different for first-years than for upperclassmen. Still, the number is in the right ballpark).
Wondering what the University plans to do with the additional funds? We asked Vice President of Student and Administrative Services Scott Wright, who told us that the increase will help fund an "aggressive project plan" for summer dorm renovations. Check after the jump to find out if your dorm is getting renovated, and to see the new and old costs for every dorm.
