As Florida Gulf Coast University faces a growing on-campus housing wait list, students like Kemi Makinde are without placement for the upcoming school year and are scrambling to find alternatives as housing options remain limited.
Makinde, a returning student, was placed 333rd on the waitlist for the 2025–2026 housing year. As of April 11, she moved up to spot 261. Yet, still, there is no guarantee of securing a room.
“I feel like there could be a better process,” Makinde said. “I know our school is expanding, but I feel like you guys should be able to find accommodation for us.”
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Makinde is one of hundreds of students impacted by the university’s limited housing space. FGCU offers about 4,748 on-campus beds, according to its housing website, enough for roughly 31% of the student body and 75% of incoming freshmen. That leaves many upperclassmen, like Makinde, struggling to find stable housing as they return to campus.
Limited space, high demand
According to Charlie Braun, director of housing operations, demand for on-campus housing has increased significantly in recent years, particularly following Hurricane Ian.
“We went from approximately 50% of students wanting to return to campus to over 77%,” Braun said. “Today, we have 420 current residents on a waiting list for 2025–2026 housing.”
Housing assignments are prioritized by the earliest consecutive application date. Students who apply earlier and maintain continuous housing are more likely to secure a spot. But still, with the demand for housing outpacing the university’s capacity, even early applicants can end up without a place to stay.
Compared with other major Florida universities, FGCU houses a relatively high percentage of its student population. About 31% of FGCU students live on campus, compared with roughly 20% at the University of South Florida (7,500 beds for about 50,000 students) and just 18% at the University of Central Florida (12,280 beds for nearly 70,000 students).
According to these statistics, FGCU is surpassing other universities of a similar caliber when it comes to housing its students. Yet, with many students still left without a place to call home in the fall, it is not enough.
Future nests for Eagles
Braun said FGCU has hired a consulting firm to study students' housing needs, including their preferences for room types and costs. Survey data has been collected and shared with university leadership, and updates are expected by fall 2025, according to Braun. So far, nothing has been set in stone to make more nests for Eagles in need.
While other Florida schools also face housing challenges, FGCU students like Makinde are calling for more immediate solutions.
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