Early Bird

Students can live at Lynx Crossing this fall

New partnership with CU Denver means MSU Denver students can now apply adjusted financial aid for room and board at campus-adjacent housing.

By Cory Phare

April 13, 2021

Roadrunner students can now apply to live, eat and study next door to campus for the 2021-22 academic year, thanks to a coordinated pilot program with the University of Colorado Denver and recalculation of financial-aid packages.

In the University-affiliated option, CU Denver will serve as a property-management nexus at Lynx Crossing (formerly Campus Village). The opportunity emerged as an outgrowth of 2020’s University Housing Task Force as one solution to help meet student demand for accessible places to live close to the Auraria Campus, said Montez Butts, housing navigator in MSU Denver’s Dean of Students Office.

Another major change is an accurate reflection of the increased cost of living in the metropolitan area. Prior to the partnership, the University had been constrained to calculate aid amounts set by the state budget.

“That number is really low for Denver,” Butts said. “This arrangement means Financial Aid awards are adjusted to meet the true cost of housing and dining, which is a big deal for us.”

Simplified comprehensive billing for room and board will be added to students’ MSU Denver accounts, where packaged aid will be directly distributed. Students can choose from a variety of studio- to four-bedroom-style suites with kitchenettes, along with tiered meal plans containing flex options. Amenities include access to a fitness center, free laundry, gated on-site parking, community spaces and more.

Students can apply to Lynx Crossing if they enroll in a minimum of six semester hours; first-year students are required to pick a meal plan.

Another element Butts is excited about is the streamlining of logistics and programming, with utilities bundled into the total charge.

“This provides access to the more traditional elements of residential life for those who are looking for it, along without having to worry about monthly charges for things like gas, electricity and water,” he said. “It’s really a one-stop shop for housing and dining needs.”

Students interested in living at Lynx Crossing for the 2021-22 academic year should fill out their application by the preferred deadline of May 7.

For more information on the program, contact Montez Butts.