Earlier this month, HDH introduced a new pricing strategy for graduate housing, which will bring the graduate housing budget back into balance over the coming decade. The strategy includes capped annual increases of 3% for everyone living in campus graduate housing and also a one-time rate adjustment that only applies to future residents.
Last week, HDH announced an exemption to the one-time rate adjustment for students admitted Fall 2020 or earlier. After meeting with the Senate Administration Council this week, we would like to announce an expanded exemption, which supersedes all previous announcements. We thank the Senate for their feedback and advocacy, and we look forward to future collaboration in support of our graduate students.
Current residents and all students admitted in Fall 2020, or earlier, will continue to be exempt from the one-time rate adjustment, and will pay the current rate with a 3% annual increase for the duration of their housing eligibility.
Implementation of the one-time rate adjustment is now being delayed until October 1, 2021, to ensure that all of our Fall 2021 residents are covered by the exemption. Under this expanded exemption, any incoming graduate student with a housing contract this fall will pay the current rate with the 3% annual increase for the duration of their housing eligibility. Additional information is available on the HDH website.
While the one-time rate adjustment will increase rental rates, on-campus rental rates will continue to be more favorable than the local rental market. UC San Diego’s campus housing prices also remain below the UC average, despite having an inventory that is much larger and much newer. Since 2017, over 3,530 new beds have been added to the campus’s graduate housing inventory.
In addition, the university recently announced it is investing additional resources in graduate support to make it more robust, predictable and equitable. The university is also adding $2 million to the second round of CARES funding for graduate students, to augment the various financial aid programs already in place.
We value the feedback received and the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion.
Pierre Ouillet Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer
Alysson M. Satterlund Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
James S. Antony Dean, Graduate Division
Hemlata Jhaveri Executive Director of Housing, Dining & Hospitality Services
University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093
