While Ohio University students are busy confirming airline tickets and out-of-town hotel reservations for spring break, a few students might be left without a place to stay.

As of 1996, OU's Housing Office has not provided temporary on-campus housing for international students who cannot afford to fly back home for university breaks.

The dilemma is not limited to international students, but they count for the majority of the students without housing.

The university cannot afford to open and staff a residence hall during breaks because there aren't enough students to fill it, said Kyle McKenzie, assistant director of International Student and Faculty Services.

One international student said she will stay at a friend's house for spring break.

"I plan to stay with a friend who lives off-campus," said Yumi Yamamoto, a freshman from Japan. "It's really inconvenient. The university should open at least one of the residence halls for students who can't go home."

However, the university has set up a deal that allows students to reside temporarily at the Ohio University Inn, 331 Richland Ave., for discounted prices.

The students can rent the rooms, normally $79 to $89 per night, for between $17.50 to $35 a night, depending on occupancy.

"The university has been doing this since 1996, because it's more cost-effective," said Christi Lee, secretary of OU Housing. "As of now, there are no plans to change this arrangement because there are not enough international students (staying) to keep a residence hall open."

Out of the 1,100 OU international students, about 25 percent are undergraduate students, and most live in residence halls. About 50 new international students also enroll two weeks before Spring Quarter, McKenzie said.

OU's International Student and Faculty Services assist international students find short- and long-term off-campus housing.

"Each quarter, we designate a peer adviser to help students find housing," McKenzie said. "The peer advisers look through newspapers, on nearby campus bulletins and sometimes receive listings from local landlords."

Another international student from Indonesia said he plans to head out of town with a friend for spring break.

"I am going to Illinois with a friend partially because of the lack of housing," freshman Hendry Gunawon said. "For new students, it's hard to find a place to stay because we don't have access to all the resources."