Examining housing experiences among International Students at UTK

Keywords: Housing affordability, race, gender, housing discrimination, experiences, insecurity
Abstract Type: Virtual Paper Abstract

Abstract

As more and more students from across the world enroll in higher education to take advantage of the opportunities it offers, schools and universities are starting to address a problem that an increasing number of their students are experiencing, namely housing insecurity. With an increase in the number of students due to growing interest in higher education institutions, student housing has become a significant area of concern. More overseas graduate students are pursuing their degrees without regular access to their housing needs due to a lack of inexpensive and accessible housing, high tuition prices, and insufficient financial help. To better understand the distinctive lived experiences of students, this study examines the idea of precarity. It places a particular emphasis on accessibility, affordability, and discrimination, as well as how the fact that these students are international has exacerbated their experiences of housing precarity. The study will examine the difficulties that international students encounter in finding housing and shed light on these students' experiences and how these differ based on gender, race, and class, among other factors. It will also delve further into some strategies that international students use to assist one another in their search. The study's conclusion will include some recommendations that the University can use.