Benedict College building 400-student dorm

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Benedict College is planning to house hundreds of students in a new dorm near its downtown campus.

The State newspaper reports (http://bit.ly/L1mUlr) Tuesday that the dorm slated to open in August 2013 will have space for 400 students.

President David Swinton says the $15 million facility will let the historically black college stop housing students in apartments that are a 15-minute shuttle ride away from its Columbia campus

State officials say Benedict’s enrollment has grown by more than 25 percent in the past seven years, for a total of about 3,200.

Given that trend, Benedict has been trying to find solutions to house its growing student population. The school tried putting 250 students in a vacant hotel in 2009, but the building did not meet fire codes for a dorm.

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Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com