Bizarre reason college students are moving into retirement communities – and how it’s created ‘family away from home’

COLLEGE living means dirty houses and late nights for many, but that status quo is quietly changing across the country. Scholars are subbing traditional apartments and houses with roommates for a cozier and slower lifestyle giving them a “family away from home.” Students looking for a change of pace from the traditional college lifestyle are flocking to senior living centers Credit: Getty Retirement communities offer intergenerational socialization for those looking for a “family away from home” Credit: Getty Daija Holliday, 25, is one such student who chose to live in the St. Camillus Life Plan Community while taking classes for her counseling psychology degree at Marquette University in Milwaukee, MarketWatch reports. When preparing to move from North Carolina, she prioritized safety, affordability, and the opportunity to build a community in her new home away from home. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! The retirement community gave her exactly that, with Holliday calling them “[her] family away from home.” “I always feel like they have my back,” she added. In addition to the social benefits she’s reaping, Holliday pays just $500 each month for rent in an independent apartment. Comparable units in the area currently go for about three times as much each month, saving her money and sparing her a much lonelier lifestyle. But she says there is one drawback that could be an issue for some, even if it suits her preferences well. “By 7:30 or 8, things get pretty quite here. If you’re looking for more activity at night, this is not for you,” she said. Most read in Lifestyle Marquette isn’t the only college offering such opportunities, with St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, about an hour south of Minneapolis, letting students live in retirement-community townhouses. A common thread in these programs and others like them is the promotion of intergenerational socialization, which experts say can be very beneficial. “When people are living together, there’s the opportunity for spontaneous interaction, rather than formal events,” said Sheri Steinig, director of strategic initiatives and communications at the nonprofit Generations United, to MarketWatch. “There’s immediacy to connecting when people are in the same space.” Loneliness was declared a public-health epidemic in 2023 by former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who added that it’s as dangerous for one’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Specific health problems associated with it include a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death, per Murthy. Marquette officials say the program is open to students of all ages and majors, but participants are mainly those in graduate-level or higher classes. Five students are set to live in St. Camillus starting this fall for the upcoming academic school year, but the school is looking for scholars interested in more than cheap rent. It proves this by encouraging use of the amenities present and doing volunteer work with the seniors living there. Students are also given a monthly credit to use at the community’s pub, encouraging them to eat and socialize with the residents. Comment now