Normalize Luxury Living on Campus

The college experience is not what it used to be. In fact, schools across the country have regularly announced their strides toward excellence, including academic accommodations, enhanced real-world learning, and even improved dining. The COVID-19 pandemic, moreover, has revealed gaps in higher education that could be filled by normalizing the concept of luxurious living on college campuses.

It all starts with a commitment to excellence, wherein schools consistently achieve their goals through thoughtful decision-making, like at Virginia State University. VSU has solidified its commitment to excellence by providing opportunities for students to receive a quality education at little to no cost.

The VSU Virginia College Affordability Network (VCAN) offers free tuition to local Pell Grant-eligible high school students. Students living within a 25-mile radius of campus have the opportunity to attend college without the added pressure of paying for it. VSU announced in late April that 150 qualified students had already taken advantage of the VCAN initiative, making excellence affordable.

The luxurious life involves paying attention to details, and Tuskegee University knows that college is not just about the four years you spend on campus. That’s why, starting this fall, Tuskegee is launching the Student Freedom Initiative, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization geared toward minority students.

The Student Freedom Initiative creates generational change by helping students in their undergraduate degrees and providing them with enhanced career opportunities as they join the workforce. This initiative, to be launched at a total of 10 HBCUs in the fall, is an example of how paying attention to details can have lasting effects, and result in an overall luxurious college experience.

Promoting wellbeing is another important aspect of luxury campus living, and Coppin State University makes sure to invest in its students’ health. Coppin hosts a large array of wellness programs, including Massage Mondays, cooking demonstrations and Lunch n’ Learns that promote wellbeing awareness.

Coppin also hosts Wellness Week, where each day is dedicated to a different aspect of health and wellbeing. Some of the many focuses include mental health, mindfulness, meditation, nutrition and dieting, relationships, and much more. Focusing on these aspects helps promote a healthier environment for students to thrive in, both personally and academically.

As the COVID-19 pandemic begins to subside, many schools are reworking how they cater to their students by analyzing everything — including meal plans. At Thompson Hospitality, we strive to provide a positive experience to every relationship in which we are involved: one guest, one client, one team member at a time.

The college experience is meant to prepare students for opportunities that will be available to them upon graduation. By normalizing luxury living, schools can display some of the finest lifestyles available to students that continue to demonstrate hard work and dedication.