Incoming students this year were more than what nine residence halls could hold.
UT is using several different locations for temporary housing this year.
Ninety eight bed spaces were added to lounges in Carter Hall, Academic House and Parks Tower.
"We removed the furniture in the lounge area and replaced them with beds," said Jo Campbell, director of residence life.
McComas Village was able to house 60 students, and by the end of last week, UT made arrangements for 109 students to stay at the Clarion Hotel on Secor Road.
"These students have already signed a housing contract with UT Residence Life," Campbell said. They were charged at the lowest residence hall rate, which is $2,688 for this semester.
Following the opening of McKinnon Hall, there were an additional 140 beds, which Campbell said she thought were enough to house extra students.
She said the administration brought in more students.
"The figure I heard was 500 more," she said, which the Residence Life office assumed did not need on-campus housing.
"We are in the process of identifying who hasn't moved in yet, hall by hall, to see who hasn't showed up," Campbell said. By the end of that process, the students will move into rooms of students who didn't show up.
According to her, if the students are still in the temporary housing beyond Sept. 15, they will receive $100 credit in their student account.
"I'm anticipating that we'll get those folks placed, I hope, by the first of next month or so, but it could go on all semester," Campbell said.
Last year, Residence Life had the same problem, but they were able to accommodate the students in lounges and in McComas Village. This is the first time they had to resort to locating the students at a hotel.
The arrangement with Clarion Hotel seems to be the right option, Campbell said, because at least the students don't feel isolated.
There are shuttle services for the students, twice in the morning on week days and more frequently in the evening - every hour from 6:20 p.m. to 9:20 p.m. On weekends, the shuttle runs every three hours from 11:27 a.m. to 5:27 p.m.
Whether UT needs to build more housing or not needs to be studied extensively, Campbell said.
"The numbers of 18-year-olds nationwide is dropping," she said.
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