There a great many benefits when investing near the university- its the largest employer in Cincinnati, student population growing 6%/yr, I've had 0 vacancy, it's just 2 mi from over the rhine(think silver lake) and downtown, it presents cash flowing deals while well in the path of appreciation, and every major hospital in the city is within 1mi.

You don't get the interaction of a class situation but that's probably not a bad thing... there is always that one student that throws off the conversation in directions that no one really cares about and in an interactive class when that one student takes the instructor off course, it's usually at the detriment to the material you need to learn.

I've done the math and after we sell, we could make $50-55k after closing costs/fees which would take care of my wife's student loans and help with a down payment on a nicer house that we could see ourselves in long term. 

My focus is to buy and hold student rentals and/or multifamily properties.

That school is growing and more students are going to need a home to call their for years to come.

And point taken about sacrificing to pursue what you want-- I've done that before ($$$ in student loans and years in grad school) and am willing to do that now.

There are travel nurses and student types that would be looking for a bedroom, and renting those out individually might do well.

My question is there any way that a college student can start investing?

Our server delivers notice to "all other occupants known and unknown in possession of premises" while on site.I find it very unlikely a school is requiring the dependents to be on the lease... but we have had schools contact us to see if students lived at the claimed address.

@Jennifer BrownMy first few properties were buy and hold that I still have, used them for student housing.