SENIOR FUTURE HOUSING PLANS

With the end of senior year, many deadlines are coming up. May 1 is decision day, when seniors need to have committed to their selected university or college. Schools have varying deadlines for applying for housing, selecting roommates, dorms, and meal plans. Class of 2026 at Clear Creek Amana High School are locking in to get their housing situations figured out for next year.

A survey was sent to the senior class and the responses showed that choosing to live at home was the most common decision, as students are trying to save money with how expensive tuition, housing, meal plans, and textbooks get at universities and colleges. 

Senior Carlee Budny plans on living at home while attending college next fall. “My mom lives very close to the campus and it will save me a lot of money,”she said. 

TARGET SHOPPING AISLE FULL OF DORM ESSENTIALS; PHOTO BY LILYAN JANECEK

For those attending school close to their home, living at home with their parents is a great way to save thousands of dollars. According to Education Data Initiative, the average amount of money students spend on room and board in college is $12,986 a year. 

Some students are attending schools that are medium distance and have chosen dorms because they do not want to deal with commuting to school daily, especially with snowy road conditions in the winter. Others are going out of state for school so they do not have the option to stay at home with their parents.

Senior Makayla Ratliff will be attending the University of Missouri, and due to her not having family living in the state, she will need to pay for housing throughout her time there. For her first year she is required to live in the dorms at Mizzou. For the years following, she plans on renting an apartment with roommates to save money.

Her roommate, Alexa, reached out to her on the housing portal at the end of March and they have been talking daily ever since. Since making it official with her roomie, she feels more at ease having everything figured out, which allows her to get more excited about dorm planning.

Ratliff is going for a coastal-themed dorm with blue bedding and ocean inspired decor. She has found inspiration on Pinterest and TikTok and browsed HomeGoods for decor and essentials for dorm life.

“Since deciding on the theme, my mom and I have been looking for things to get for my dorm that fits the vibe,” Ratliff said. “It’s been really fun and I’m definitely looking forward to my next chapter.”