A&M students express concerns about housing on the Hill
NORMAL, Ala. (WHNT) — Alabama A&M University continues to grow, welcoming its largest-ever freshman class in both 2023 and 2024, but with growth comes challenges.
The university has faced complaints from students and their families in recent years over student housing conditions. Now, A&M has to house more students than ever.
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'Sometimes the people who are in power in these situations don't fully understand the effects of what they're doing, especially when they don't fully consider the voices of the people that are under them,' said Alabama A&M student Georghetta Conaway.
Conaway, a senior at A&M, has lived in university housing during her time on the Hill, but she said she needs to know if the school will still have a room for her next semester. She said she reached out to News 19 because she and other students have asked for information about where they will be able to live in August, and the university has been slow to provide it.
'My peers have said they've called the housing office and emailed and all those kinds of things, but nobody's really answering the phones for them,' Conaway said.
According to a housing update sent to Conaway late Thursday, A&M confirmed it will prioritize on-campus housing for freshman students. When those campus rooms are full, upperclassmen will be directed to off-campus apartments leased by the university, which A&M said will be the available housing for more than 55% of their students.
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Conaway is still not clear if students who use financial aid to help pay for housing will still be able to do that, or if they will face bigger out-of-pocket costs.
'They try to provide scholarships for people who may not look the best on paper, but they are trying to give our community, you know, everyone a chance at education,' Conaway said. 'I admire that and I appreciate that. I think of that when I think of this situation, but it also makes me upset because it feels like they're not planning properly to make sure they can accommodate all the people that they are letting into the school.'
Conaway said she has felt discouraged from reaching out to A&M administration. She said she and her fellow students have questions and concerns that she hopes leadership will hear and provide timely responses moving forward.
'It also just feels like the money is not going to places where it would be in the best interest of their current students,' Conaway said. 'Because what is a school without students?'
Alabama A&M currently has two dorms closed for renovations. Morris and Stephens Halls are scheduled to reopen in Spring 2026.
News 19 has reached out to Alabama A&M for comment, but we have not heard back.
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