The Summit, a new residence hall built for first-year students, made its debut on Aug. 5 at Kennesaw State University preceding the fall semester move-in week.
KSU president Kathy Schwaig and others participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially celebrate the opening. The building is located on the south side of the Kennesaw Campus.
The five-story dormitory hosts an average of 100 rooms per floor with fully functional private and community amenities such as lounge seating, study spaces and laundry. The updated layout provides students with options like double-bedroom suites, two double-bedroom suites and single-bedroom suites.
The semesterly cost for each suite ranges between $3,602 and $3,937. Five hundred first-year students will join the 6,000 additional students that are calling on-campus units their home for the Fall 2022 term.
The shared living spaces promote engagement with the Kennesaw community and collaboration with other residents for students living on-campus for the first time. Freshmen transitioning into KSU will also have the support of 18 resident assistants throughout the building and one staff member that will also live in the suites.
Last year, KSU had the largest first-year class enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in the state. Student enrollment at KSU has climbed 4.4% from 2021, making this the third year that the student body has increased at a stable rate.
KSU’s rapid enrollment growth has distinguished the institution as the University System of Georgia’s second-largest rate of increase in student admission. Of the 43,000 students enrolled at KSU this year, 7,507 are first-year students.
The Summit is the most recent of 10 total residence halls between the Kennesaw and Marietta campuses. First-year students now have three housing options on the Kennesaw campus: The Summit, University Village and University Village Suites.
According to an article by the Atlanta Regional Commission, rent in Metro Atlanta is increasing at dramatic rates. Housing demands have driven the average monthly rent up 16% from last year. For comparison, the usual average increase in rent cost for Atlanta since 2016 has been about 4%.
Furthermore, The Washington Post’s article on post-pandemic student housing revealed that these increases in rent demands are driving more students to seek on-campus housing. More and more universities nationwide are scrambling to create more housing opportunities for incoming students while students scramble for places on an ever-expanding waitlist. Some universities have begun to opt for increasing online classes to balance the influx of students.
The Summit’s addition to available student housing will now offer more opportunities to students for on-campus living. The new residence hall is one step closer to managing the ongoing housing crisis faced by KSU students and providing affordable housing during continuous increases in rent.
Awesome article, Rayna Stallings, very informative for incoming and prospective students searching for on campus housing.