When choosing to live on campus or off, students must consider the costs and the benefits of each. “Compared to living in the dorms, living off campus is definitely cheaper to me,” said Jessica Gillian, 20, sophomore and a former campus resident.There are a lot of differences between living on campus and living off campus. Living in the dorms students do not have to pay “monthly” rent. The monthly cost to live in Ornelas Residential Hall is $757 for five months; the price of the older dorms is $575 a month for five months excluding the $100 application fee. Living in the dorms includes a selection of three different meal plans, cable, Internet around campus and in the dorms. Tyler Junior College also offers workout rooms, basketball and racquetball courts, and a swimming pool in the Ornelas Health and Physical Education Center. The Rogers Student Center offers a game room as well as a cafeteria.The Cambridge at Tyler offers fully furnished student apartments. The application fee is $49. The Cambridge offers five different floor plans including free cable, free roommate matching, Internet, and 42-inch plasma TVs in select units. Each apartment has a common area and a kitchen because floor plans with multiple bedrooms are designed to be shared with roommates. The floor plans include: $740 per person per month for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom unit with 526 square feet; $525 per person per month for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit with 857 square feet; $480 per person per month for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit with 1,209 square feet; $399 per person per month for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom unit with 1,349 square feet; $495 per person per month for a two-story four-bedroom, four-bathroom unit with 1,503 square feet.The Reserve is also a fully furnished student housing apartment complex. The application fee is $25. The Reserve offers free cable, free roommate matching, Internet and 40-inch plasma TVs in every apartment. The floor plans include: $530 per person per month for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit with 960 square feet; $535 per person per month for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit with 983 square feet; $515 per person per month for a three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit with 1,207 square feet; and $485 per person per month for a four-bedroom, four-bathroom unit with 1,421 square feet. Neither the The Cambridge nor The Reserve offer electricity so the students have to set up their own accounts. The monthly bill is split up between each roommate. The price of a monthly bill can range anywhere from $40 to $200. “If the students had pay for lights they would turn off the lights more,” said Angela Nunez, Director of Residential Life and Housing. The Cambridge, Reserve, and the dorms all offer very nice amenities, the Cambridge and Reserve offer a 24 -hour fitness center while TJC OHPE center closes at midnight Monday-Thursday and 9 p.m. on Fridays. The Cambridge and Reserve also have swimming pools. The Reserve offers a Jacuzzi along with a movie theater where students can not only watch movies but also rent game systems such as a Nintendo Wii, or a PS3.”I think the amenities are newer, and help the students to interact more with more than just TJC,” said Jeff Arnold, regional supervisor of the Cambridge. A plus for living on campus is the dorm students do not have to worry about paying for gas and food. Students who live off campus spend at least $100 on gas a month, and the cost of food is at least $200 dollars a month.”I personally have talked to the chief of Tyler PD,” said Arnold. All locations keep the premises very secure. The Cambridge has security at the gates at 9 p.m. even though every resident has a clicker to get into the gate. The security guards have a list of each resident’s name and apartment number, while the residents have the guard’s number as well. The Reserve also has constables who ride around the apartments to keep everything secure.To contact the Reserve call (903) 565-4700, The Cambridge call (903) 566-9200, and TJC residential Life at (903) 510-2345.
