After three years as a commuter student, it’s become glaringly obvious that the University of Hartford either does not consider the needs of commuter students, and it’s hard to attribute that to ignorance. To begin with, the school requires all students to live on campus, making exceptions to those with disabilities, and those that live within 60 miles of the campus. This is not unique to UHart, to be clear, as many universities hold similar policies. The issue is how the university treats those that commute.
When I first came to the university for orientation, incredibly excited and very overwhelmed, very little, if any, information about commuting was provided to me. I never learned about the Commuter Student Association, the on-campus group by and for commuters. Nor did I learn about commuter parking, parking services or even which buses pass the main entrance of UHart. I hadn’t even learned there was a commuter lounge until my second week of school. As welcoming as my orientation experience was, it was wholly designed for the resident student experience.
Another issue that commuter students often struggle with is the lack of truly accessible meal plans. The most affordable meal plan, the 20 Block, offers twenty meals per semester, and 100 dining dollars for $367. For the average commuter who spends most of their weekday on campus, this is by no means sustainable, and the only other meal plan options are almost double and triple the 20 Block.
The assumption here is that commuters have access to dining options off campus, but that isn’t necessarily true. To begin with, many commuters do not have reliable access to cars, taking public transportation or rideshare services, limiting their travel options. Other commuters may not have the funds or the spaces in between their schedules, which leaves their dining limited to on campus options.
Speaking of methods of transportation, commuters are also left shorthanded. Parking spaces are riddled with potholes, and often flood and get thick with mud in rainy weather, which have been repeatedly brought up to UHart administration, who have not yet amended these issues. For commuters who take the public bus, UHart has also done little. There is very little, if any information given on the bus routes that come by, such as which routes connect to UHart and when they come by.
Interestingly, there is a special student pass that allows students to ride several buses around Connecticut, with no cost added to the students. A program like this would not just benefit commuters, but any student attending at UHart, especially if they are not familiar with Connecticut. A number of universities have already joined this program, so what holds back UHart? The university’s website boasts its strategic placement between New York City, Hartford and Boston, so why not give students the ability to access these locations?
This is not to say that UHart gives preferential treatment to its resident students—far from it, in fact. Housing costs have skyrocketed 83% from $14,885 to $17,906. A rise that doesn’t match the quality of life. In the fall of 2024, one of UHart’s housing amenities had issues with black mold severe enough that several students had to be housed in a nearby hotel. Meal plans, which are mandatory, are also subject to increasing costs. The cheapest meal plan, the Weekly 10, comes to a whopping $2,634. This plan offers ten meals a week at Commons, 700 dining dollars and notably, is only available to students living in Park River or the Village. Is it any wonder then that the Nosh Pantry reports 62.4% of students who visit the Nosh are residents?
It’s blaringly obvious that UHart has failed to, and sometimes denied, amending the various issues that its student body faces. And this is a phenomenon repeatedly experienced by its commuter student body, whether that be insufficient information about commuter services, scant support for said services, or consideration of its commuters. UHart may be a resident school, but it still owes each and every student that attends the utmost support and care.
Sources: UHart Housing Requirement article UHart Commuter Information articles, UHart Dining Plans website, the Commuter Student Association as well as commuters and residential students, CTRides U-Pass website, Public Safety, College Tuition Compare’s website, The Nosh Pantry
