off campus housing and study abroad

[Anonymous]

DS attends a college where juniors and seniors must live off campus. DS is interested in study abroad second semester of 2025 (his junior year) but isn’t sure how to work out the housing situation. He is in the process of looking for an apartment/house for next year with a few friends, none of whom plan to study abroad. I’d appreciate hearing how your child worked this out as I am concerned that DS will let this be an obstacle to study abroad. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

I assume you mean your child’s university doesn’t guarantee housing to upperclassmen. Can they join the housing lottery? The only other option is he can try to sublet for the semester or you pay the monthly lease like you do in the summer.

[Anonymous]

About 100 years ago I did this - I rented a house with 7 friends and 3 of us went abroad. We found 3 friends who went abroad second semester to sublet our rooms.

[Anonymous]

I would say a Facebook or Discord or whatever the students use at the university would be useful to find someone studying abroad the opposite semester and then they sublet from your son. However, you should check the lease and see if it is allowed, and also the roommates have to be OK with it.

Also 100 years ago I shared an apartment with 3 girls, but the 3rd one changed at the semester break when the other went abroad. Clearly they worked this out the year ahead of time, but were friends so was a little easier to work out.

My son will be going abroad for an 8 week time period next year (1 quarter out of 4 in the school year) but we will just pay the rent for those two months.

[Anonymous]

My sons roommate is going abroad this spring and he easily found a sublettor. Happens all the time. If he doesn’t, just means you’ll also be paying rent so factor that into cost.

[Anonymous]

My DD’s school does not have housing for junior and senior year.
She and the three girls she is living with next year all plan to study abroad Spring of 2025.
We just signed a lease for June 1 2024 through May 31 2025, which means that the girls will only be in the apartment for 4 months of that time, while we have to pay rent for the full year. Because so many kids at her school go abroad in the Spring, it’s next to impossible to find a subletter, so we have to eat it.
It’s ridiculous, and makes me angry that the school does not have on campus housing for juniors when they know so many kids go abroad - the school makes it super easy and has programs in many countries.