Cost to do laundry on campus has gone up

The cost to wash or dry a single load on campus has increased 25 cents. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE

The price for running a single wash or dry cycle at any laundry facility on USF’s campus has increased from $1 to $1.25 this semester.

This is the first time laundry prices have increased since 2008, according to Gregory Bowers, the assistant director of communications & marketing for Housing & Residential Education.

“With new equipment installed across campus and increased costs over the last 10 years, it was necessary to adjust prices accordingly,” Bowers said in an email to The Oracle. “Laundry revenue is used to offset operational expenses and fund residential programs and activities.”

With the new additions to The Village and rising rent throughout on-campus living, some students said raising the price of doing laundry was unnecessary, though overall reaction seemed mixed among residents.

“It seems like everything is getting more expensive on campus,” Kayla Martin, a junior living in Summit Hall, said. “The cost of living on campus keeps rising in small ways.”

For the 2018-19 school year, the cheapest traditional-style campus housing, Beta Hall and Castor Hall, has increased from $695 a month to $735. As the price of living on campus rises, there is some concern about price increases for amenities and services.

“I understand a quarter is a small change, but after the rent to live on campus was raised, it feels kind of insulting,” Mia Brown, a senior living in Summit Hall, said. “It’s like, how much more money do they need out of us?”

Other students were indifferent, saying laundry is not a daily event and the expense does not come very often.

“I don’t think the extra quarter is a big deal,” Carmen Ricci, a sophomore living in Castor Hall, said. “It’s not like you do laundry every day, if I have to pay a little extra every week I don’t think it’s a big deal.”

The price change from $1 to $1.25 is not random, according to Bowers.

“This increase is in line with laundry prices at other Florida institutions,” Bowers said.

According to the University of Florida’s website, a wash or dry cycle costs $1.25 for students using the on-campus facilities. A wash cycle at Florida State University is slightly more expensive at $1.50 per cycle.

“Any price raise is disappointing, but I think we just have to trust that USF has a good reason for doing it,” Deirda Moreau, a junior living in Kosove Hall, said. “You just have to trust the money will go somewhere good.”

Despite the rising cost of doing laundry on campus, the price is expected to stabilize for upcoming years, according to Bowers.

“We do not anticipate any further increases to laundry prices in the near future,” Bowers said.