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Campus Housing and Food
Guide to College Housing
Schools provide a number of options for students and can assist students in finding both on- and off-campus housing. Freshmen and sophomores commonly choose to live on campus in dormitories; while upperclassmen often choose to live in off-campus apartments or houses. There are a number of factors that affect where students choose to live, and it’s important to evaluate your options carefully.
Dormitory
A dormitory— also called a residence hall or simply a “dorm” — is a large building divided up into many rooms where college students live, often with one roommate or more. Dorm rooms are usually small, with just enough room for a couple of beds, a couple of desks and maybe a few small pieces of furniture. Dorms are by far the most common option for students living on campus. Some dorms have private bathrooms in each room, many have one shared bathroom per floor. Each dorm usually has at least one Resident Assistant (RA) that lives in the building and is responsible for helping students with housing issues (for example, getting locked out). The RA is also in charge of making sure that students follow the rules, including reporting students who throw parties or drink in the dorms.
Family Living Options
For students attending college who are either married or have legal custody of a child, special family accommodations are available at many schools. These are often apartment-style, with options ranging from one to three bedrooms. Amenities may include special programming, a community center, or a play area. Often, these are more self-reliant in nature, with full kitchens and other amenities to allow students to live independently.
Off Campus Options
Campus housing can be expensive and your financial aid package may not cover the full cost of your room and board. If you run into this situation, off-campus housing—a fancy way of saying renting an apartment near your school— might just be for you. You can use your financial aid allotted for campus housing to rent an apartment while at school. However be aware of the the following:
Some colleges and universities require students to stay on campus for at least their freshman year. Check with your school to find out what their campus living requirements are.
You will be responsible for setting up your utilities and paying the bills on time. Failure to pay on time could affect your credit score. Make sure that you include potential utility costs into your housing budget to make sure your financial aid refund will cover all of your expenses.
You may need a co-signer for your lease. Make sure you have someone lined up just incase the leasing company or landlord asks.
Consider getting a roommate! They can help with the cost of utilities and help stretch your cash a little further.
If your financial aid refund is falling a little short a part-time job can help fill in for your housing expenses.
If you work part-time and you are a student, you may be eligible for LINK.
For more information on getting your own apartment, check out our housing section!
Summer Options
Students who wish to stay on campus during the summers, whether to take a class or work, may worry about their schools closing over the long break. Numerous schools have recognized this trend and have begun offering either year-round or short-term housing options for these months. More information about these offerings can be found in our Homeless Student Guide.
food on campus
If you opt to live in a dorm, you could consider purchasing a housing meal plan. The costs generally depend on how often you think you will need to eat a meal while living in dorms, but housing meal plans can be expensive. But in order to learn, you need to eat, and starving just ain’t an option for a hungry brain like yours.
Many colleges have food pantries, all across the state. Illinois Student Assistance has compiled a helpful list of college food pantries around Illinois, where you’re able to get food for free while you’re a student.
College students who work 20 hours a week, or have a work study as a part of their financial aid reward are often eligible for SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), also called LINK in Illinois. If you want or need more information about SNAP and other government programs that help provide food assistance for students, please call the Illinois Hunger Hotline at 1-800-359-2163. For more info check out our page on Food.