Can you bring your bike in? My daughter has a hand me down bike that originally cost me over $1K, and is darned near pristine. She wanted to take it to the University of Central Florida, but when I found out it would stay locked up outside, to rust and be stripped, I refused.
She took a $50 department store bike, and when we wanted to make a real ride I stopped by with my trike and her bike in the truck.
Cheapest thing you can afford to punish and lose.