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At least 150 students denied housing just 24 hours before classes start

ATLANTA — About 150 students are waiting for answers about their housing at Clark Atlanta University.

Many of them told us they had already paid in full and were supposed to be in a dorm Monday night.

Channel 2's Rikki Klaus received photos and videos from students of crowded lines at the student center where they were waiting to find out where they will stay. Some have been waiting since 5 a.m. to move in.

Parent Ericka Eddins left the student center livid. She said her daughter paid for housing last school year but was not assigned a dorm this year. School starts Wednesday.

“I’m very upset. This is ridiculous," Eddins said. “I dropped her off at 7:00 this morning at the school to take care of this.”

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We’re told since late last week, hundreds of students and parents have waited at the school, demanding answers on housing they thought was guaranteed.

“No resolution. Nobody’s telling us anything. I don’t know what to do.”

A Clark Atlanta University statement emailed to Channel 2 Action News on Monday night said students were told starting in May about the housing process and timelines. They imply some did not follow the rules. It says, "We have housing for all freshmen and sophomores who are financially enrolled."

But Eddins and two sophomores question that.

“They can pull it up and show you that they’re financially enrolled in the school, and they still don’t have housing," she said.

CAU'S statement goes on to say:

“Those who have not completed the financial enrollment process are being offered temporary housing while they complete the process.”

Local students told us they’ll stay with their parents but their out-of-state peers have no place to go.

“They’re saying that there’s no housing available and that everyone will have to resort to off-campus housing, which is a problem," Eddins said.

Incoming student Alana Lloyd from Detroit told Channel 2's Tom Regan she had been assigned a dorm suite with her friends. A few days ago, Lloyd said Clark Atlanta told her there was no longer room and that she would have to rent an apartment.

"The first thing I did was cry to be honest," she said.

Lloyd's mother Michelle Lloyd says it's unacceptable and the disorganization is a nightmare for her and her daughter.

"They have our loan money, our federal grant money. They have that...there should be no reason for her not to have housing," she said.