CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Some UNC Charlotte students are saying their fun summer has turned into a housing horror. WCNC Charlotte obtained emails from the university that were sent to students, telling students the university is out of housing.
Fizza Abrahim, a UNC Charlotte student, said time is ticking.
"I am panicked and pissed," Abrahim said, adding, "I’m missing housing, a place to live."
Abrahim is just one of the 440 UNC Charlotte students who were told there is not enough room or housing options.
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The university said over an email to students, "we anticipate that we will not be able to assign you a space prior to the start of fall semester."
“We were literally guaranteed it in the contract," Abrahim said.
There are other options. Students can choose to live off of campus, but that comes at a price. To live in the dorms on campus, the average price is $910 a month. WCNC Charlotte looked at seven other apartment communities and found it would cost a student an average of $1,125 a month.
WCNC Charlotte called apartments around the campus, and many of them were full.
Abrahim said another issue is how a student is paying for school. Abrahim is using grants and student loans.
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“A lot of off-campus places don't take those," Abrahim said.
A spokesperson from UNC Charlotte said they're working with both on- and off-campus residents. The university also said it accepted more students than it could house.
“That is a standard practice that most universities have because -- over the past several years we have had an increased desire from students to live on campus," Spokesperson Christy Jackson said. "What is unusual this year is we haven't seen the same rate of cancellations."
Contact Austin Walker at awalker@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.