Hey all,
I received a response from NU Residential Services about graduate housing rent payments. There is a way to divide up the quarterly housing cost (from fall to spring) into a nine-month payment plan (link). Depending on your housing needs, you may wish to inquire if a monthly payment plan is available for the summer. I'll spend some time investigating if the rates for graduate housing are higher than nearby, off-campus housing. Ultimately, if I were on-campus, I would have to obtain a roommate to cover costs; if that's the case, off-campus housing may be a wiser bet for me.