Summer savings

Summer enrollment offers affordable options for students

Summer Housing: East Campus Suites are available for students staying on campus this summer. East Campus Suites offer on-campus housing for $600 with summer enrollment. Photo By: Kate Dupon | Photo Editor
Summer Housing: East Campus Suites are available for students staying on campus this summer. East Campus Suites offer on-campus housing for $600 with summer enrollment. Photo By: Kate Dupon | Photo Editor
Since implementing the summer initiative program, Ferris State University continues to see increased enrollment for the summer semester.

Due to FSU’s cheaper on-campus living options and summer semester deals, students save money while remaining on campus to take classes. Since summer 2008, FSU has offered a summer initiative deal which rewards students with cheaper room and board for enrolling during summer semester.

The summer initiative deal provides students who are registered for at least six credit hours a private room and an unlimited meal plan for $15 a day. For this upcoming summer, room and board will cost a student $1,320 through the summer initiative deal.

If a student takes fewer than six credit hours or falls below six credit hours, they will be required to pay the full price for summer room and board, which could cost $3,340.

“In the summer, I only have one bill to pay for rent. I don’t have to worry about utilities, which can get expensive when you aren’t living with a roommate,” said junior Sean Reynolds, a business administration major.

In an effort to save students time as well as money, FSU offers an accelerated course plan in the summer semester. A variety of courses are available in four-week, six-week, eight-week and 12-week sessions.

Students looking to graduate early benefit from the summer semester’s accelerated pace, which keeps students focused on the course material.

Reynolds wants to finish college early and believes summer courses are essential to his goal. Reynolds said his first time taking summer courses was a “blast.” The amount of effort he put in during the semester as well as his resulting grades were so rewarding that he continues to take courses in the summer.

“Being a non-traditional student, the less amount of time I can spend in school means the quicker I can get into the workforce,” said Reynolds. “In the summer, you have no choice but to keep your nose to the grindstone and keep chugging through it.”

FSU has shown a significant increase in summer enrollment over the last two years. In 2010, enrollment in the summer increased to 6,025 students compared to the previous year’s 5,714 students.

East Campus Suites is a recent edition to FSU’s on-campus living scene. The suites are available to students who are at least 20 years of age.

Students must be registered for a minimum six credit hours in order to live in East Campus Suites during the summer semester. Housing for the entire summer semester costs $600.

Residents receive an air conditioned room and suite complete with WiFi Internet connection, a kitchen, living area and several other amenities. n