Living Off Campus

If you are considering living off-campus, we encourage you to visit The Off-Campus Connector for news, events, and important information. Please note that the policies outlined below are for the current academic year and are subject to change. Changes made to this policy would take effect in the 2023/2024 academic year.

Impact on Financial Aid Eligibility

Living off-campus does not affect a student's financial aid eligibility. A standard housing and food amount is used to determine undergraduate students' cost of attendance whether they live on- or off-campus. The amount for the 2023-2024 school year is approximately $17,378. 

Some students think off-campus living is less expensive; however, that may not necessarily be the case. In evaluating the costs, students should consider all off-campus expenses such as rent, utilities, deposits, renter's insurance, phone charges, food, furnishings, cleaning supplies, and transportation.

Using Financial Aid for Off-Campus Expenses

The availability of financial aid for off-campus expenses will depend upon the charges on your student account and the total amount of your financial aid available per semester.

For example, if your tuition and fee charges for the fall semester are $20,000 and your financial aid eligibility for the fall is $21,000, then you have $1,000 available to be refunded to you for your off-campus expenses. It is important to plan accordingly, as refunds cannot be released until the student has completed ND Roll Call and classes have begun for that semester.

On the other hand, if your tuition and fee charges for the fall semester are $20,000 and your financial aid eligibility for the fall is $14,000, you would owe $6,000 to the University in addition to providing for your off-campus living expenses.

Every situation is different. Students must look at their financial aid eligibility and University charges to determine if there will be a credit balance on their student account to assist with off-campus living expenses. InsideND is an excellent resource to use to look up your financial aid and student account information.

If you have more questions, here are some Living Off-Campus Frequently Asked Questions. You may also call our office with any additional questions. 

Senior Incentive Credit

If a student commits to live on-campus as a senior through the Senior Incentive Credit offering from Residential Life and receives the $2,000 credit, this is considered a resource in evaluating a student's eligibility for financial aid. A student cannot receive aid in excess of demonstrated financial need or aid greater than the total cost of attendance.