First-year students wait and worry over residence approval at University of Guelph

Many incoming first-year students at the University of Guelph were told last week that they wouldn’t have a guaranteed spot in residence next fall. The situation got a little clearer on Monday.

Many incoming first-year students at the University of Guelph were told last week that they wouldn’t have a guaranteed spot in residence next fall.

Students say the uncertainty has caused anxiety, while parents feel frustrated with the lack of answers. The biggest complaint, they told CTV News, was the length of the waitlist.

The situation got a little clearer on Monday.

Students said they got an email indicating there were 1,356 people on the residence waitlist. However, no further details were shared about what that means for students, and specifically, if that represents the number of people waiting for another applicant to decline an offer for a room.

This isn’t the first year housing has been an issue at the University of Guelph.

In early 2022, the school said they wouldn’t be able to find accommodation for all first-year students. More than 5,000 were welcomed on campus that fall, the largest intake in the school’s history.

To accommodate the increase, the university said they turned double rooms into triple rooms, made singles into double rooms and transformed lounges. In all, the school said they created approximately 400 additional spaces for students.