120 UMass students to live in motel due to increased demand for on-campus housing
AMHERST – About 120 UMass Amherst students will be spending the fall semester living in a nearby motel due to an increased demand for on-campus living.
The group of transfer students will live in double-occupancy rooms at the Econo Lodge in Hadley, which is about 15 minutes away from campus.
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) buses will run throughout the day to help students get from the motel to campus.
The school said students who have cars will also receive priority for commuter lot spaces and they can park at the motel.
UMass said total undergraduate enrollment is projected to be around the same as last fall, but more students are interested in living on campus this year.
"We find that students greatly enjoy the experience of living on campus, and two cohorts of new students largely missed a full campus, residential experience due to the pandemic over the past two years," a UMass spokesman said. "As a result, we believe that's why more returning students chose to live on campus. So, for instance, we typically meet the on-campus housing needs of transfer students, but were unable to do so this year."