CHARLESTON, W.Va. A year after West Virginias Campus Self-Defense Act took effect, the states universities report that student participation in the new concealed carry provisions is strikingly low. The 2023 law, effective July 2024, allowed students with valid permits to carry handguns on higher education campuses and required universities to provide secure storage lockers for residents who wished to store their firearms. At Fairmont State University, the investment was modest but symbolic: $13,000 for 72 lockers and signage. Only one locker was rented during the 202425 academic year, and it was never used. West Virginia University (WVU) took a heavier financial hit, spending over $1 million on locker installation, mapping restricted zones, and compliance measures. Of the 120 lockers available on the Morgantown campus, only two were registered in the first year. A single student signed up for the upcoming 202526 year at Summit Hall. Marshall University reported slightly higher usage fewer than 20 students rented gun safes. But according to campus police, most used them for laptops or medication, not firearms. Officials point to the age demographics of residence halls: most students are under 21, the minimum legal age to purchase a handgun. As a result, the pool of eligible students remains very small. Despite minimal locker usage, universities say they have not observed any notable increase in firearm-related incidents since the laws enactment. The law requires that concealed carry remain limited to those with state-issued permits, excluding sensitive areas such as athletic facilities, child-care centers, and event venues. WVU and Marshall leaders note that long-term costs are embedded in security and signage, while staffing for locker management has been minimal. At WVU, locker rooms are card-access controlled and require both an ID and a code. Fairmont States police maintain direct oversight of its locker facilities.