EIU Board Sets Room and Board Rates

Eastern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees on Friday approved room and board rates for students living in EIU housing during the 2013-2014 school year.

Students living in EIU’s residence halls and Greek Court will see increases of $81 to $92 per semester (a 2 percent increase), depending on the chosen meal plan.  Room and board rates will range from $4,150 per semester for the 7 Meal Plan Option to $4,679 for the 15 Meal Plan Option.

Four meal plan options each permit students a specified number of dining center meals per week; a specified number of “Dining Dollars” that can be used to buy additional meals in any dining center; to make purchases at Eastern’s Food Court, Java B&B and Panther Pantry in the MLK Jr. Union and at the university’s two residence hall convenience centers; and to provide dining center meals to guests.

Students living in one of the 148 units at University Apartments (designed primarily to meet the needs of student families and single graduate students) will see increases of between $13 and $15 per month, with rent ranging from $448 to $503, depending on the type of apartment being rented (one-bedroom, efficiency or super efficiency).  All utilities are included in the rent price.

Residents of University Court, a 146-unit university-owned apartment complex for sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students, will see no increase in rent costs.  Rates there will continue to range from $2,412 to $3,225 per semester, depending on the type of apartment being rented.

Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs, said he was pleased that Eastern was able to offer the lowest percentage increase in EIU housing rates in more than 35 years.

“We take a careful look at our needs, including fixed costs such as utilities, employee wages and food costs,” he said.  “We also consider the best ways with which to maximize our resources.  We try everything we can to economize while continuing to provide the best service possible to our students.”

According to Mark Hudson, Eastern’s director of Housing and Dining Services, university housing is home to approximately 35 percent of the student body.  Surveys among those residents indicate that “students really feel like they get a good return on their investment.”

In addition to routine maintenance performed annually in all residence halls, Eastern concentrates on on-going multi-year projects, as well.  By the end of Summer 2012, for example, the university finished adding sprinkler systems to all residence halls, including Greek Court, making EIU one of the first post-secondary institutions in Illinois to do so.

Currently, Eastern is adding wireless internet access to all residence rooms.  That project is more than half-way completed.