Administrators are taking steps to meet the demands of a growing student population as enrollment at Prairie View A&M continues to increase each year.
A low holding capacity and nearly 9,000 students, has led administrators to build relationships with outside housing venues to deal with the overflow of students needing housing
Students who could not obtain on-campus housing were provided with a list of housing options within Waller County. Those who did not have a means of transportation were recommended to reside in Brooks Landing and Brookside Meadows.
Associate provost for enrollment management Don Byars said “a one-stop shop for student services would be ideal on-campus.”
The State of Texas projects yearly enrollment to increase at a rate of two to three percent each year, with administrators expecting even more. Yet, the campus at Prairie View only has the physical capacity for about 1,200 students.
Byars said, Aas a public uiversityty, Prairie View A&M University is funded widely by tax-payer dollars, as well as alumni and outside support, but many fail to realize that federal funds are allocated based on different things.
The state gives each institution an outline of how many students they should have in each major, level, and ethnicity. The school is then funded based on how many credit hours have been acquired by each student, meaning Texas gives Prairie View funding for freshmen at one level and seniors at another.
With the United States facing a budget crisis, it is difficult to meet the need as the state itself is now facing an $18 billion budget deficit, Byars added.
Brooks Landings and Brookside Meadows are now included as stops along the university’s shuttle service route. This service is provided on a temporary schedule from seven in the morning to seven in the evening.