Tarleton has a student body that is growing in a very rapid notion. Most of Tarleton’s students love the school, and all of the activities that it has to offer. The students truly try to replicate the core values embodied within the school, as they are taught to us starting at duck camp. One of the main things that Tarleton does need work on is the sketchy housing policy. Many students do not understand that when they are signing up for housing as a freshman, they are now obligated to live on campus for two full academic years. This has been a rising problem for the school, as many students cannot afford two years of on campus housing. The school charges you for a meal plan, as well as the dorm the student will be living in. These fees add up to be very costly, and the housing department along with the school have no shame in telling people no. “No” is the word heard most often from a student who is trying to live off campus. There are a few strict ways to avoid the costly idea of being stuck on campus. Many underclassmen apply, yet they fall far from achieving what they need to accomplish.

This happens because the reasons to live off campus must be serious and/or are not the easiest thing to accomplish. Several students do not have the help of their parents. With that being said, they can apply for FAFSA, but in most cases it will not cover everything a student needs. The main thing it will not cover is the housing and meal plan bill. Many students make friends who offer them a free place to stay, or for way cheaper than what the dorms cost. No matter what other option the students find, unless they spend their two years on campus, the will most likely be stuck where they are. The campus should definitely allow more options to these underclassmen to get off of campus. Most universities across Texas only require one year, yet Tarleton sticks with its strict two year policy. The school should be slightly more open to students who cannot afford to live on campus, and find cheaper places to live.

This highly affects the amount of students who leave Tarleton. It is known that most students who attend Tarleton love it, and truly bleed purple. However, when money is an issue, it causes them to attend another school who will let them live off campus. Many people simply cannot afford the on campus housing. People should not have to take out loans to live on a day to day basis, and forcing students to live on campus promotes the idea of living in debt. In a huge conclusion, Tarleton has a low retention rate. This simply means the students that once attended this cherished university, do not attend or return for their second helpings of the school. The number would quickly rise if Tarleton was more prone to accepting the fact that some people do not make the money to live on campus. Sometimes, the grass is truly greener on the other side. By that saying, I mean that parents as well as friends are always offering students and their peers a cheaper place to live. In the end, if Tarleton eased up slightly on its’ housing policy, the rate of students returning would be higher. Money is the number one problem when it comes to college, and young students should not have to worry about paying off their college dorms for the next 20 years; especially when they had the perfect off campus place they could have lived.