THE METROPOLITAN « JANUARY 24, 2008 « METRO « A5

Plans for modular buildings put on ice

By ANDREW FLOHR-SPENCE
spencand@mscd.edu
The nine trailers Metro ordered
last fall to help with the college’s
space crunch arrived during the hol-
iday break, but, according to Metro’s
facilities planner Sean Nesbitt, the
modular buildings won’t be fully op-
erational until summer.
Nesbitt said he hoped the trail-
ers would be ready for move in at the
end of the spring semester, before
June 1.
Metro purchased the trailers
for $107,000 (including delivery),
but the final price won’t be known
until the trailers are put in place,
renovated to fit Metro’s needs and
hooked up to utilities, Nesbitt said.
He estimated the cost of renovation
between $400,000 and $500,000
and the annual maintenance to be
about $50,000, according to an
AHEC utility estimate.
The buildings, which will house
mostly faculty offices but also plan
to accommodate one classroom, will
be located in parking lot E between
the Administration Building and the
Colfax viaduct. Nesbitt said the far-
away location, while less than ideal,
was forced because of future build-
ing plans and the need to keep the
trailers up to 10 years.
The spot is the only one big
enough with no construction
planned, while all other locations
had potential conflicts.
Auraria’s institutions are in des-
perate need of space, Nesbitt said.
The Auraria Master Plan designed
by StudioInsite shows that each
institution needs at least 700,000
square feet, space that Auraria cur-
rently doesn’t have.
“I believe the modular building
makes everyone aware of the serious
space issues we have on this campus
and that we need to work together to
find a solution,” Nesbitt said.
Photo by dawn madura/dmadura@mscd.edu
When planning is complete, the
modular buildings are expected to Nine modular buildings sit near the Administration Building in the far southwestern corner of Auraria. The trailers were
not only house faculty offices and purchased to alleviate crowded faculty offices, but they have yet to receive a permanent home. The buildings will not be
a classroom but also a conference fully functional until sometime this summer.
room and administrative space.

Students eligible to purchase laptops through aid

By James kruger
jkruger1@mscd.edu
For Metro students struggling this semes-
ter to afford a new laptop, the Office of Finan-
cial Aid allows qualified individuals to borrow
additional money specifically for a computer.
The program allows up to $1,700 to be
put toward whatever brand desktop or laptop
a student chooses to purchase.
The money can only be awarded once dur-
ing a student’s undergraduate stay at Metro,
and the additional funds can be borrowed
against a student’s Federal Stafford Loan, Fed-
eral PLUS Loan or alternative loan, which is a
loan taken out from a private lender.
“It (the program) has helped a lot of stu-
dents,” said Cindy Hejl, director of financial
aid at Metro. “For many students, they may
not have the funds available, and it expands
the opportunity so they can purchase their
own computer.”
To apply, interested students can pick up
an application at the Office of Financial Aid or
find one online at its website.
An estimate of what the computer will cost
is necessary to validate how much money can
be given out for the purchase, but an advertise-
ment with the stated price is also acceptable.
Students that have recently purchased
a computer aren’t out of luck either, nor are
those that already have one but are seeking to
upgrade.
For those students that have purchased a
computer within the past 90 days, the same
amount of money can be awarded to mitigate
the cost or cover it completely, provided the
student has a receipt with the date of purchase
proving that a computer was, in fact, pur-
chased.
If a student doesn’t need a new computer
but is looking to tighten and tune up the one
they already have, the Office of Financial Aid
allows up to $300 annually to be borrowed for
upgrades.
A receipt or advertisement is again re-
quired as proof.
Any student that is eligible for financial
aid at Metro can apply, provided that they
aren’t on suspension with financial aid.
Photo illustration by kristi denke/kdenke@mscd.edu
The primary reasons for a suspended ac-
count are a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 Ron Olivarri is a Metro student considering know if I want to take out a loan if I could just
or failing to complete 75 percent of their taking out a computer loan with the Office of pay for it myself.”
credits taken at Metro. Financial Aid when he builds his own comput- For more information, students can go to
Hejl said many students aren’t aware of er, although, like many students, he worries the Office of Financial Aid located inside Cen-
the program and the financial aid office is try- about gathering more debt. tral Classroom Room 116 or can call at 303-
ing to get the word out so more students can “It (the computer loan program) is a defi- 556-3776.
take advantage of it. nitely cool opportunity,” he said. “But I don’t

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