Microfridges, waffle bars, cable TV and remodeled study lounges are some of the newest attractions to on-campus living. But they aren't enough to keep everyone in the dorms.

About 500 dorm spots are vacant this spring, said Tom Gibson, assistant vice president of the Office of Housing and Food Service Operations. There are always some open rooms Spring Semester, and Gibson said this year's 200 additional vacancies are a result of a drop in the freshman class size.

About 34 percent of University students live on campus, Gibson said, adding that this is higher than at most Big Ten schools.

The University isn't concerned with siphoning students from the town market, Gibson said.

"It's not head-to-head competition," Gibson said. "People who want to live on campus have different needs."

The borough and University informally coordinated their responses to increased student enrollment in the 1950s and 60s, said State College Borough Planning Director Carl Hess.

There was an understanding that a private realty market could meet the demand for student housing needs while the University concentrated on building classrooms and facilities to accommodate the influx of students.

In an effort to maintain the attraction of on-campus living, Gibson said housing and food services officials have looked at the advantages and disadvantages of living in the dorms.

The University has worked to enhance the unique services it offers, such as security, dining and resident assistant programs, Gibson said.

Providing computer labs, cable TV and microfridges have been a part of the effort to remedy the weaknesses of dorm living, Gibson said, adding that these may provide more flexibility for students.

Remodeling commons areas and study lounges is also a part of the effort. Association of Residence Hall Students members and dorm area officers have been involved in designing the areas, he said.

Gibson said he hopes to expand coed housing and examine whether students want it.

"The next big push right now is to look at different living options," Gibson said.

Although the University promotes the opportunities of on-campus living, other advantages, such as few rules, will always attract some students to town, Gibson said.

Hess said downtown apartment owners compete among themselves more than with the University.

Ginny Chubba, chairwoman of the Apartment Owners and Managers Committee of the State College Area Chamber of Commerce, said it is accepted that the University dominates the freshman market because first-year students are required to live on campus.

If the University increased student housing on campus, it might decrease problems -- such as noise and crowded parking -- that borough residents complain are caused by a large student population in town, Hess said. But a downtown student population would still exist, he added.

"I think the students will still come downtown," Hess said.

The need for additional student housing in the borough will depend on future trends, Hess said. For example, high graduate student enrollment may create a demand for new housing downtown.