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Local
THE BATTALION
TUESDAY, APRIL 7. 1981
Page 5
Spring brings flowers, new apartments, more costs
By DENISE RICHTER
Battalion StafT
A spring ritual at Texas A&M
University has started again — de
ciding where to live next
semester.
But before making a definite
decision, students should be
aware of all of the costs involved in
both on- and off-campus housing.
The obvious expenses involved
include a dorm room and board
fee or apartment rent. But other
costs aren’t as obvious.
Texas A&M students who live
in dormitories next fall face a 20
percent increase in room rates,
making the average cost of a dor
mitory room $488 a semester or
$122 a month.
But off-campus students also
face increases. According to fi
gures supplied by the Off Campus
Center, the average apartment
rate will increase 12.9 percent in
the fall. With this increase, the
average cost of a one-bedroom fur
nished apartment will be $277 a
month, according to a center
brochure.
However, because off-campus
housing costs are computed per
unit as opposed to on-campus
housing which is computed per
person, the cost of living off cam
pus will vary according to the
number of apartment occupants.
For example, with one roommate,
the one-bedroom furnished apart
ment would cost $138.50 a month
per person.
The increase in dormitory rates
was recommended by the Com
mittee for Academic Campuses
last week and approved by the
System Board of Regents.
In a story published in The Bat
talion last week, Howard Vestal,
vice president for business affairs,
was reported as saying that the
dormitory increase can be attri
buted to salary increases for resi
dence halls’ staff and higher utili
ties.
Similarly, the 12.9 percent in
crease in the average cost of apart
ments is due to inflation and the
rising cost of utilities, Louann
Schulze, off-campus adviser, said.
Board rates will increase 8.9
percent in the fall, from $462 to
$503 for the five-day plan and $517
to $563 for the seven-day plan.
Estimated living costs
Housing
Food
Telephone—local service
Telephone — long distance hook-up
Telephone — Deposit
Cable—TV and FM
On-campus
(per month)
$122.00
$126.00
$7.92
(Fall, 1980) $5
N/A
Commons $3.75
Others $2.63
Parking permit
Activity fee
Refrigerator rental
(One semester) $3.75
(Two semester) $3.37
$1.90
(2 cu. ft.) $6.78
(3 cu. ft.) $8.07
Off-campus
(per month)
$138.50
Varies; students can expect a
12% increase next year.
$8.65
N/A
Varies
$4.00
$3.75
$3.37
N/A
N/A
This makes the cost of food $126 a
month for students on the five-day
plan and $141 a month for the
seven-day plan.
There is no way to determine
the average cost of food for off-
campus students because they can
economize by changing their eat
ing habits.
However, the U. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture is predicting a
12 percent increase in the cost of
food from September 1980 to Sep
tember 1981, Carl Anderson, an
economist with the agricultural
economics department, said.
Other fees will eat up more
money. The University is billed
by General Telephone of the
Southwest for local telephone ser
vice for on-campus students. This
charge is passed on to students
through room rates. There will be
a 58.4 percent increase in this rate
next fall, from $5 to $7.92, Bill
Erwin, GTE division manager,
said. This will be the first increase
in this rate since 1967, he said.
It now costs $20 for an on-
campus student to get long dis
tance service. Erwin predicted
that this rate will decrease in the
fall but said it would be impossible
to give the exact rate until the
statewide rate increase request is
approved by the Public Utilities
Commission. GTE filed this re
quest Jan. 23.
Off-campus students now pay
$8.65 a month for local service
plus an instrument charge for a
one-party residence telephone. It
is impossible to tell whether this
rate will increase until the PUG
rate case is settled, Erwin said.
Off-campus telephone deposits
are another factor students should
consider. However, the deposits
are based on local service and tolls
and are not quoted until a service
application is filled out, Lois
Koontz, GTE customer service
representative, said. Since de
posits may differ, it is impossible
to forecast an across-the-board in
crease, she said.
But television rates should stay
about the same. Cathy Pledger,
Community Cablevision office su
pervisor, said cable hook-up rates
for on- and off-campus students
will not change.
Cable rates for Commons resi
dents will be $10 a semester for
television or FM radio, or $15 for
both while all other dorm resi
dents will pay $5.50 for television
or FM radio or $10.50 for both.
On-campus students who want
Home Box Office, a pay-television
service that shows movies, variety
shows, specials and sporting
events, will pay $27 a semester
plus a $25 refundable deposit.
Cable rates for off-campus stu
dents will be $4 a month for televi
sion and FM radio and $6 a month
for HBO.
Both on- and off-campus stu
dents face the same cost if they
wish to park a car on campus at any
time. But there will be no increase
in the cost of parking permits next
fall, Col. Thomas Parsons, dire
ctor of University traffic and
security, said. The rates will be:
one semester — $15, two-
semesters — $27 and for the en
tire year — $36.
However, there will be a 5 per
cent increase in the cost of shuttle
bus passes, from $38 to $40 for an
individual student and $55 to $58
for a student and spouse.
Other optional expenses facing
dorm residents include activity
fees and the cost of renting a re
frigerator for the room.
The average activity fee is $15
for two semesters. Payment of this
fee entitles the resident to partici
pate in any dorm-sponsored
activity.
Refrigerator rental rates are not
expected to rise, Renee Ver-
maelen, manager of University
Refrigerators, said. Current rates
are: two-cubic-foot refrigerator —
$27.15, three-cubic-foot refriger
ator — $32.30.
Other expenses for off-campus
students include the cost of laun
dry services and the amount of gas
used commuting to and from the
campus if they do not ride the
shuttle bus. However, these ex
penses will vary for each student
and it is impossible to determine
the rate of increase.
Peanl'a. fyiUn jbevel&piiKf.
by Fox
1 day service on color rolls brought in by
1:00 p.m.
3837 Old College Rd.
Monday-THlirS. across from the Triangle Bowi-
S ^ ^,7«
APRIL 8
LENTEN SERVICE
11:15-10:50
ALL FAITHS CHAPEL
HOLY COMMUNION
Michael Miller, UCM Campus Pastor
Presbyterians — UCC — Disciples
ACCOUNTING MAJORS
GAAP IS HERE!
Sponsored by Accounting Society
and Beta Alpha Psi
Greater Annual Accountant’s Playday ~
(and banquet)
Thursday April 16, 1981
Events
5-K RUN
TENNIS
GOLF
Students, compete with professors and professionals!
Reception
Awards Banquet
Dance following
More information available at the Ac
counting Department at the Old Hospital
Building. Tickets are on sale from 9:00 -
1:00 everyday.
"COMPROMISING CTHICS IN COUCGC SPORTS"
Don Devine
Former Athletic Director,
Notre Dome University
Jock Gallagher
Houston Post
Sportsujritor
Steve Morgan
SUJC NCflR Representative
8:00 p.m. Wednesday
Opril 8
Rudder Ruditorium
$1.00 A&M Students, $1.50 Non-Students Tickets at MSC Box Office