Madison Kollar/The Mossy Log
Living on campus at Lewis & Clark is not only a rite of passage as a college student, but a requirement — for some more than others. According to the “Residency Requirements” page of the LC website, students are required to live on campus for four semesters because “we believe that your academic experience is enhanced by the learning that goes on outside the classroom.” On paper, this is a nice sentiment; the communities found through on-campus living, from communal lounges to Coop open mics to dining together at the Bon, are often irreplaceable when you choose to live off campus.
However, not all students have this right to choose. Many of our international students are here on the Davis Scholarship, which is offered to students who attended a United World College, an organization of 18 schools around the world. The scholarship can “fund up to the full cost of attendance,” according to the LC website — but it requires students to live on campus for their entire time at LC. If they choose to live off campus, the section of scholarship given to pay for room and board is slashed, forcing them to pay for housing out of pocket. By restricting Davis Scholar students to on-campus living when everyone else has a choice after two years, we are creating an environment of disparity, isolation and infantilization.
I spoke to a group of international students who wish to remain anonymous about their experiences living on campus. As a senior living on campus myself, I can relate to many of the challenges they face. However, I can choose to live, work and drive off campus. Many international students cannot.
“We are only allowed to work on campus, because of our visas — only allowed to live on campus, which is not the case for other colleges … (where) the college gives (international students) money to find an apartment … I am tied here with my classes, with my work, and with my living,” one Davis scholar student told me.
When comparing the financial aspect of living, it is clear that living off campus is simply cheaper. For 2025-26, one semester of living in a double, quad or triple costs a student $4,605, or about $1,315 in housing costs per month — significantly more than many off-campus students are paying to live in single rooms in apartments or houses. On top of the price of rooms is the mandatory meal plan. For freshmen and sophomores who are ineligible for block plans, the cheapest option is for 14 meals per week at $3,382. It is true that this price includes much more than simply the cost of groceries — access to a full dining hall is a privilege that cannot be replaced by cooking for oneself at home. However, a budget of $205 per week in the hands of most college students would be more than enough to pay for essential groceries and then some.
While it is theoretically possible to eat exclusively off of a meal plan with flex points, having meals restricted to one dining hall’s choices and limited opening periods is no way to live your life — especially when you are as busy as most students are. The communal kitchens in the dorms are suitable for occasional use, but for constant cooking? The clutter, disrespect of spaces, lack of privacy and overall confinement of a dorm kitchen makes this task Herculean. Cooking for yourself is more than just a chore: it is a hobby, a link to your culture and traditions, and a beloved gathering time. For international students, who are far from home, family, shared language and familiar cultural traditions, the importance of being able to cook a meal you love increases tenfold.
Then, of course, is the issue of transportation off campus; we all know the ups and downs of the shuttle service, which runs every hour or so and only to a handful of rotating stops. LC provides access to discounted TriMet cards, but it is no secret that bus routes near campus are infrequent, not particularly accessible and slow. A 2.2-mile commute from campus to the grocery store should not take someone 30 minutes by bus. Biking is a popular option for LC students, but given the hills surrounding campus is not very accessible either. ZipCars and personal cars are only an option for some international students; for most, the cost of either is far too high.
How, then, are international students expected to reliably get off campus and into Portland or beyond?
“Mainly, I’m friends with American people who have cars,” an international student said. “I do think it is a pretty common approach … but it costs a lot of emotional labor.”
I also asked these three students about how the school helps them get off campus.
“We have three staff members in the international student office, so if I were to break my leg, they would always be around to drive me (to the doctor) … I prefer to find Americans to ask as opposed to asking staff members, as the three of them — they are overworked, underpaid … it takes a lot of time,” one said.
Anyone who has lived on campus without a car can tell you that the social cost of asking for a ride is draining. More significantly, though, the mental toll brought by relying heavily on systemic support while following systemic rules can be draining for anyone, particularly international students.
“I (am) waking up to go to the bathroom at 3 a.m. and the fact that there is fluorescent light hitting me, and people can see me … takes a toll on people. I did two years of boarding school before coming here, which is common, so that is six years of living in dorms,” an international student told me. “It is super restrictive and suffocating for us not to be able to make our own choices … (over the breaks) they sometimes let us stay if you pay a little bit more, or if you have a special agreement, but it’s not guaranteed. I don’t understand how (LC) can tie us to the campus but then they do not want to take responsibility for the gaps. If they would just give us the money to have houses off-campus that would be so much more secure.”
Living on campus at LC has its benefits. However, those benefits come at steep financial and emotional cost. Students on the Davis Scholarship are only given the right to choose if they take a cut to their scholarships, and as a consequence, these students are forced to work harder, pay higher emotional and financial costs, and rely mostly on each other to make up the difference. It is an honor for American students to be in community with international students — but until they are given equitable support, opportunities, choice and access off campus, we cannot continue to pretend that we are all on equal footing.
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