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Off-Campus Housing

Depending on the city or town, a student could get more amenities from an off-campus residence like their own bedroom and bathroom plus a large shared common area earlier in their college careers and for less than what it costs to live on campus. College towns have lots of housing options within walking distance from campus; if their place is too far to walk, there may be a free shuttle provided by the school (they usually come more infrequently than on-campus shuttles), the option of purchasing a commuter parking sticker or buying a transit pass.

Students living in residence halls must abide by campus rules but students living off campus have complete freedom to do as they please when they please. This is an environment upperclassmen tend to thrive in but for a freshman living away from home for the first time, it’s harder to balance work and play. A student who made the honor roll every semester in high school may find it hard to adopt the study skills to pull even average grades if they have no disciplinary structure at all. If this happens, academic scholarships could be revoked and finding the funds to pay for school could be extremely difficult on the fly. What’s the sense of your child getting into college if they’re just going to throw the opportunity away in favor of a nonstop party?

On-Campus Living vs. Commuting vs. Off-Campus Living

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