Some colleges keep apartments set aside for students who live with children, often close to campus child care and bus stops. This piece explains who family housing serves, how to apply, and where to look if your college has none.
Who family housing is for
Family housing is usually a block of apartments for students who live with a spouse, a child, or both. The housing office sets its own rules about who counts as family, the ages of children it accepts and whether single parents get the same priority as couples. Ask for those rules in writing before you plan around them.
Some colleges give graduate students first call on family units, while others treat every student parent the same. Undergraduate parents can often apply too, so ask how your campus decides.
Applying and reading the lease
Waiting lists are common, and the date you apply often sets your place. Expect to show proof of enrollment, a birth certificate for each child and, for a married couple, a marriage certificate. Some offices ask for income papers as well.
Family units usually come with a lease that runs through the summer instead of ending with the term. That steadiness helps a child, but read how the lease ends if you graduate, transfer or drop below the enrollment it requires. Rent may be billed to your student account or paid separately, and the housing office can tell you which.
Ask for those rules in writing before you plan around them.
School, care and your aid
Children in family housing are assigned to a local public school by address. Ask the housing office which school serves the units and where the nearest bus stop is. Some family housing sits beside the campus child care center, which can shorten every morning.
Your cost of attendance includes a housing allowance, and the aid office may set it differently for students with children. Ask what figure it uses and whether your actual rent can be considered.
When your college has no family units
The off-campus housing office may keep listings and lease advice for student families. Local housing authorities run public housing and voucher programs with their own rules about students, and those rules treat students raising a child differently from other students, so ask the authority directly.
When rent falls behind, many colleges offer emergency grants or short-term loans through the aid office or the dean of students.
Steps to take
- Ask the housing office for its family housing rules
- Put your name on the waiting list
- Find out which public school serves the units
- Ask the aid office how it sets your housing allowance
Who decides
Your college's housing office
Family housing has its own rules and waiting list, so contact the housing office early and read how the lease ends.