Some upperclassmen do live on campus after freshman year, in LLCs, as Student Leaders (formerly RAs) or through a housing lottery. Since the ag program is the only 2 year program at VT, maybe they give special consideration to those students?
There are some property management companies in the area that offer shorter term leases. Check out Pointe West Mgmt. Also, the Flats at Uptown offer shorter leases, but may be kind of pricey. If you go on Zillow, you can search for houses to rent (most will say available August 2026) and talk to the landlords about a 9 or 10 month lease.