Housing Shortage at SC State Leaves Students Scrambling for Off-Campus Options

When Junior Nehemiahus Wardlaw arrived on campus for orientation, he expected to receive the final details for his dorm assignment  something he’d been looking forward to since deciding to attend South Carolina State University. Instead, he was pulled aside and told that no rooms were available, and he would need to look for housing off campus. “That’s not what you want to hear a week before school starts,” Wardlaw said. “I thought I’d be moving into a dorm with everyone else. I had no idea I’d have to find an apartment on my own.”

His experience is becoming increasingly familiar to SC State students. As enrollment grows and residence hall capacity remains limited, more students are learning  often at the last minute that on-campus housing is not guaranteed. What should be a standard part of the college process has become a stressful, uncertain scramble that affects students and families alike.

Students and parents invest heavily in tuition, fees, and campus life expecting housing to be included. Instead, many find themselves searching for off-campus apartments with little warning.

The shortage doesn’t just determine where students sleep. It affects:

• daily transportation

• financial stability

• sense of safety

• participation in campus activities

• academic focus

“For what we pay, I assumed my son would have a secure place to stay on campus,” said a parent. Finding out he didn’t have housing was overwhelming. We had to figure out everything at the last minute.”

Those who end up off campus say the experience is both isolating and expensive. Wardlaw spent days calling apartment complexes, many of which were already full or priced far higher than the cost of a dorm.

“I finally found a place, but it wasn’t easy,” he said. “And now I’m paying for gas, groceries, and rent. It’s not what I expected my third year of college to look like.” Other students share similar frustrations.

 “Commuting makes it hard to feel connected,” one student said. “You miss events, meetings, and the chance to build community. It changes the whole college experience.” Transportation remains one of the biggest challenges, especially for students without cars. With limited public transit in Orangeburg, many depend on friends, ride-shares, or long walks just to attend classes.

Parents say the hardest part is the lack of clarity. Many feel blindsided when they learn sometimes only weeks before move-in that their student won’t receive a room. “You think everything is handled,” one parent said. “Then suddenly you’re searching for apartments, paying deposits, buying furniture, and worrying about safety. It’s exhausting.”

Parents say the hardest part is the lack of clarity. Many feel blindsided when they learn sometimes only weeks before move-in that their student won’t receive a room. “You think everything is handled,” one parent said. “Then suddenly you’re searching for apartments, paying deposits, buying furniture, and worrying about safety. It’s exhausting.”

University officials say they are working on plans to address the shortage, including exploring partnerships with nearby apartment complexes, renovating older dorms, and evaluating possibilities for new residence hall construction.

Students say they want transparency and assurance that their basic needs are treated as a priority. Wardlaw hopes future students won’t have to go through the same stress. “I love being here,” he said. “But housing shouldn’t be something students have to worry about. We’re here to learn, not to wonder where we’re going to sleep.” Until additional housing is built or new solutions are implemented, SC State’s shortage will remain a major obstacle not only to comfort, but to the full college experience students expect when they enroll.