The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will end its contract with local hotels that took on student housing overflow more than a year ago.
Interim President Jaimie Hebert said at a Wednesday town hall that the choice to end its contract will save the university around $900,000. The contract is expected to end in January.
“We are turning over every leaf we possibly can to find those kinds of chunks of resources that we can locate,” Hebert said.
In August 2024, the university signed contracts totaling $5.5 million to house students at the WoodSpring Suites extended-stay hotel and Wingate by Wyndham. The university extended Wingate’s lease for the Fall 2025 semester, according to the Current.
At the time, the decision to house students at the extended-stay hotel came as a surprise to the dozens of residents and families living at the Woodspring Suites, who were sent scrambling to find new homes after being evicted shortly before a contract was signed.
The reason for cutting the contract is likely a cost-saving measure for the university, which is currently facing a $25 million deficit. Hebert announced the elimination of six positions on Tuesday and acknowledged the next day that more job cuts can be expected.
