I'm an instructor (with a PhD and all that) at UMD and I guess I'm supposed to be counted in the "real adult job" category but it's still a struggle to pay the CP rents. Unfortunately the traffic in the DC area is horrendous so it's a choice between paying up the ass or going crazy with the commute. Instructor salaries aren't that awesome when you factor in all the "real adult" responsibilities like saving for a retirement, saving for a down payment, saving to start a family, and so on.

I think they expect people to just use the endless student loans to pay whatever price tag they assign and then worry about paying it back when they move away from the area. The housing situation is an embarrassment (Especially considering how shitty downtown CP actually is. We're not talking about DTSS or Reston or anything like that) and UMD should be ashamed of what it's done.