UIndy ends partnership with College Crossing
By Kim Puckett | News Editor
University of Indianapolis students will no longer be able to use university scholarships or grants at College Crossing apartment complex starting with the 2009-2010 academic year.
According to a statement issued by the university to College Crossing residents and students, the Financial Aid Policy Committee voted to end the use of institutional gift aid at the apartment complex. Mark Weigand, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, said the university can revert to its original policy of only using financial aid for on-campus housing because of additions to campus.
“The partnership with College Crossing was a good one for the two years we had it, but it was always temporary,” Weigand said. “We really want to focus on using university dollars for on-campus living and that is possible now because of the new residence hall.”
The new residence hall, East Hall, will be reserved for upper-class students and is set to be finished by summer 2009. According to Weigand, East Hall will allow the university to accommodate the full capacity of on-campus residence for the next academic year.
“Since we will be able to reach capacity, we can focus university dollars on university housing,” Weigand said.
Binoy Pavagadhi, manager of College Crossing, said even though the end of the partnership will undoubtedly effect leasing at the complex, there are no hard feelings.
“We do understand the decision because it is a business decision,” Pavagadhi said. “It will effect how fast we fill up. Instead of leasing up in January, we might not be full until the summer.”
Pavagadhi also said that the management company hopes to work with the university again if another partnership opportunity arises.
“If the there is overflow from the dorms, maybe the university will want to renew our agreement in the future,” Pavagadhi said.
Many UIndy athletes will be affected by this change in policy, since athletic scholarships could be used for costs at the apartment complex in the past. According to Weigand, though, some coaches were already discouraging their players from living at College Crossing.
“The policy change now mirrors the views of athletics,” Weigand said. “I know some of the coaches were talking about this to their players before the university finalized the decision.”
According to Lynn Griffin, senior associate director of athletics, the athletic department did not make the decision to end the partnership with College Crossing. However, according to Weigand, Dr.. Sue Willey, director of athletics, was part of the committee that made the decision.
The financial policy change will not affect students who receive less gift aid from the school than the cost of tuition and students can still apply for loans to pay for off-campus housing, according to the statement.
“It doesn’t mean that students will not be getting their money to pay for tuition,” Weigand said. “I want to stress that no financial aid will be affected by the change except that for room and board.”
College Crossing notified its residents in a letter last week that the complex is under new management, Hunter Management LLC, starting Nov. 10. According to Weigand, though, the management change had nothing to do with the decision to end the partnership.
Weigand also said even though the financial partnership is terminated, the university will continue to work with the management of the apartment complex to house students.
