In a recent interview with Multi-Housing News, Ted Rollins speaks to the current state of student housing.

1. Ted Rollins addresses the state of student housing
In a recent interview with Multi-Housing News, Ted Rollins speaks to the current state of student housing.
Rollins cites that a great deal of the housing stock on campus was built during the original baby boom.
Therefore, it now needs to be replaced or renovated.
At the same time, this is probably one of the tightest
times for state higher education budgets. Statistics
show that thirty-seven state higher education
budgets have experienced a net decrease year-over-
year. Therefore, budgets are tighter.
“People who are running the schools are starting to
look at different ways that they can manage their
capital allocations,” said Rollins. “What we’re seeing
is that schools are being more careful with their
capital, more thoughtful about what they use their
bond allocations for, and they’re seeking private
solutions to things like housing, which is not always
counted as a core asset.”
Despite the budget issues, Rollins is optimistic and said that the student housing market is in good shape.
“There are a lot of things driving that. If you look at it, it really is not only the children of the baby boomers—
which is kind of tailing off a little bit now—but you’ve got longer average stays in college because a lot of
people are going for five years instead of four, and there’s even some six-year people there for an
undergraduate degree,” said Rollins.
“You’ve got a higher percentage of students in high school graduating, and of those graduating high school
there is a higher percentage of those attending full-time college. In addition to that, you have a meaningful
amount of foreign enrollment.”
Rollins explains the reason for that is many of these state schools can take foreign enrollment out, counting it
out of their state enrollment guidelines.
“If I’m a state school, I have to balance my in-state and out-of-state attendance, and foreign enrollment
doesn’t count against that,” said Rollins.