Parents will see a slight decrease in their housing tab from what UGA describes as “expanded” rooms. For example, a two-bedroom apartment in Vandiver Hall drops from $3707 for two students per semester to $3466 for four students, a discount of $241, said Trevor.

During one tour, parents were told the freshmen class was larger than expected by about a thousand students, but Trevor said, “Although final enrollment numbers will not be available until the beginning of the fall semester, the increase in the number of enrolled first-year students will be nowhere close to 1,000 – in fact, it will be less than half that figure. ”

UGA students are reporting that resident advisers — commonly called RAs — are being assigned roommates in oversubscribed dorms, something rarely done in the past. However, Trevor said, “When RAs sign their agreement, the agreement states that there is a possibility that RAs might have roommates.”

Housing options also narrowed this year with the closing of Russell Hall for renovation. The high-rise on Baxter Street housed 970 freshmen in double-occupancy rooms. With a total undergraduate enrollment of 27,500 students, UGA welcomed 5,475 first-year students last year.

Like many colleges, UGA requires first-year students to live on campus, although it has allowed exemptions in the past for students living with parents in nearby Clarke, Barrow, Jackson, Madison, Oglethorpe and Oconee. However, those exemptions did not come with cash incentives.