On-campus housing will close during winter break without options for extended stay, according to an Oct. 1 post on the Washington and Lee Office of Housing and Residence Life’s official Instagram.

Housing will close on Dec. 14 at 5 p.m., and the residence office is not “accepting extended stay, break stay, or early arrival requests,” the post says. Athletes with practices or events over the break are the only students allowed to remain in campus housing, according to the post.

 Until this academic year, students were able to stay on campus during winter break by paying a fee of $50 per day.

“The decision to close university housing for winter break is based on vital university services such as faculty and staff offices, dining, and the student health and counseling center being closed,” Chris Reid, the assistant dean and director of housing and residence life, said in an emailed statement to the Phi.

But the change offers few options for students who relied on the break stay option in the past. According to Google Maps, the cost for staying at hotels in the town is around $62 to $145 per night. 

The policy imposes a burden on international students. Leandro Laperne, ’28, said many of these students aren’t able to return home.

“There’s not available housing for international students who are under 21, and for a lot of us, one-way tickets are $1,500, so it’s not a way to go home,” said Laperne, an international student from Argentina. “The other option is to go to a big city and rent out an illegal Airbnb. So it’s financially unfeasible.” 

The winter break aligns with the Christmas and New Year travel peak, rendering last-minute flights economically prohibitive. 

When asked about alternative arrangements, Reid said that all students are encouraged to explore other options during the winter break period, such as staying with family and friends away from campus. 

But in the same email, Reid said that students could apply to stay on campus over break — contradicting the social media post.

“If a student has exhausted all their options for winter break, they may contact [email protected] to request extended stay for extenuating circumstances,” Reid said. “If approved, there is a $50/night fee charged to the student’s account; additionally, students will be responsible for providing their own meals during the break period.”