For some ASU freshmen, move-in day is a little different than they expected.
"I was a little late applying but, I wasn't really expecting to have to stay in a hotel," says Aiden Chang, ASU freshman.
All dorms at ASU are currently full. As a result, close to 450 students are set up in temporary housing. Aiden Chang is an out-of-state student from Connecticut.
"Yeah, I just brought as much clothes as I could grab," says Chang.
The university is partnering with several hotels close to campus.
"I think I was the first guy to, like, move in and they literally just said, 'the next guy who walks in is your roommate' So, I was like, 'alright,'" says Chang.
Aiden tells us he could be living at the Sleep Inn and Suites, anywhere from a week to a month. Although, there's a lot of uncertainty surrounding that.
"It's just like whenever there's an open space in the dorm, then we'll move into the dorm," says Chang.
ASU says temporary housing is not new but, a year-over-year comparison shows a steady increase. That is due to the university's growing popularity, ASU is projecting a record enrollment this fall semester, with more than 15,000 first-year students on campus. The plan is to have two new dorms built as early as 2024.
"I mean, we have our own bathroom and like, we can do laundry like two doors down so, that's good. But like, not meeting anybody… that's the upside of being in a dorm, as you meet a lot of people," says Chang.
Grace Clark is also trying to navigate this unique situation.
"I was really bummed because I was really looking forward to like, moving in with everybody and having that move-in experience," says Grace Clark, ASU freshman.
As for the price, ASU tells us students are not charged an additional fee. It's the same as what they would pay for living in a dorm.
"We have queen beds; we have a good A/C and hot water all the time and a fridge and a microwave. So, you know, not all dorms have all those," says Clark.
