TAMPA, Fla. — The University of Tampa is offering incoming freshman a discount on their tuition if they agree to push off attending until fall 2022.

Last week, hundreds of newly-accepted students were told that enrollment for the freshman class was too high and campus housing had been overbooked. Through an email from the school, a number of students were told that they would need to find another place to live.

What You Need To Know

On Tuesday, University of Tampa posted an update to their website explaining the Deferral Grant process. If a student chooses to push off their freshman year, they will receive a $3,500 discount on their tuition for the duration of their undergraduate studies.

The hiccup in housing caused panic for hundreds of incoming students and their parents. The university pointed students to check out off-campus housing options, but most were already booked solid.

Students we spoke to said that off-campus apartments cost more than dorms and don’t include a meal plan. On top of that, transportation and security are additional stresses.

"I don't feel safe living somewhere where I don't know anybody," said incoming freshman Anisa Tandon. "At least on campus we know there's RAs, there should be a support system on campus but living in an off campus building there's not going to be a support system there."

Parent Cara Haddon isn’t sure she is comfortable sending her 17-year-old daughter from New Jersey to Tampa if she’s not going to be living on campus.

"I’m not sending her from New Jersey to Florida with no car, no security, no meal plan,” Haddon said. “I would just send her to a community college if I was going to do that and she could go for free.”

Students were also given the option to attend another college and get their housing deposit back. Many schools are no longer accepting students for fall 2021.

More information on the deferral grant program: https://www.ut.edu/campus-life/residence-life/off-campus-housing-faq​