Free rent sounds great, right?

But like the old saying goes, “nothing in life is free.”

Students who take positions as resident assistants in dorms and community assistants in student-based apartments can receive discounted or free housing.

But along with that, the job also comes with its share of responsibility.

Brian Kuster, director of Housing and Residence Life said RAs need to display leadership skills, be assertive, have an understanding of student’s needs or concerns, manage time well and work with a positive attitude.

Kuster was an RA at Western in 1985, later became a hall director in 1998 and now is the director of HRL.

Before school starts, RAs attend a 10-day workshop in which they learn about the responsibilities of their jobs: how to run the dorm front desk, emergency procedures, education programs and ways to promote community within the building.

DeShun Beard, a junior from Hendersonville, Tenn., is an RA at Southwest Hall. He said one of the ways they try to recruit new RAs is to talk about the discount on housing.

RAs receive $1,000 toward their own housing upon getting hired, he said.

Student apartments such as College Suites also offer their CAs financial help.

Marion graduate student Jenna Haugen said free rent is included for the CA’s lease. However, part of the job includes working the desk 64 hours a month which comes out to roughly 15 hours a week.

Hartford senior Wes Park, an RA at Southwest, says his favorite part of being an RA is the people.

“It helps to open doors and you grow as an individual,” he said.

The ratio of students to RAs is about 40 to 1, Kuster said.

“Anytime we step on campus, we are on the job,” Beard said.

Reach Katharine Greene at Katharine.greene684@wku.edu.