Does my fellowship include free housing?

[cgking]

I got my formal acceptance letter from Columbia! Yay! I got lucky enough to have a pretty generous funding package. As I understand it, I get tuition remission, a decent stipend for five years, and 2 funded summers. Reading over the letter again, the phrasing of one line has me wondering if maybe their offer is even MORE generous than I first thought: are they offering me free housing? Or is this just a normal way to say that I can pay to live in University apartments? Here's the sentence in question:

We are pleased to inform you that your fellowship includes placement in Columbia housing for a period of up

to five years.

After that, they just give me the login information for the housing application.

Thanks for any insight-- I have the feeling that this may be a really stupid question, so I'd rather run it by you guys before emailing Columbia

Edited March 15, 2010 by cgking

[herself the elf]

I got my formal acceptance letter from Columbia! Yay! I got lucky enough to have a pretty generous funding package. As I understand it, I get tuition remission, a decent stipend for five years, and 2 funded summers. Reading over the letter again, the phrasing of one line has me wondering if maybe their offer is even MORE generous than I first thought: are they offering me free housing? Or is this just a normal way to say that I can pay to live in University apartments? Here's the sentence in question:

We are pleased to inform you that your fellowship includes placement in Columbia housing for a period of up

to five years.

After that, they just give me the login information for the housing application.

Thanks for any insight-- I have the feeling that this may be a really stupid question, so I'd rather run it by you guys before emailing Columbia

Unfortunately, it just means eligibility to apply, and you have to pay for it yourself. I received the same letter (different department) and asked about housing on the visiting days.

The housing seems like a pretty good deal if you don't live in NYC and don't have the ability to go apartment-hunting around Columbia. It is also subsidized by the university, so it is usu. cheaper than what you would pay in the private market. But from what I understand, no pets I have to call them though; keeping my fingers crossed!

[cgking]

Unfortunately, it just means eligibility to apply, and you have to pay for it yourself. I received the same letter (different department) and asked about housing on the visiting days.

The housing seems like a pretty good deal if you don't live in NYC and don't have the ability to go apartment-hunting around Columbia. It is also subsidized by the university, so it is usu. cheaper than what you would pay in the private market. But from what I understand, no pets I have to call them though; keeping my fingers crossed!

I guess that makes way more sense than them paying my rent

[herself the elf]

I guess that makes way more sense than them paying my rent

I can imagine it would totally screw with the housing market (and the admissions process) if it was free housing in addition to stipend. I know several of my friends who would probably try to go back to school simply for that reason alone!!

But it's not a dumb question at all. I forwarded the letter to my mother, husband, and mother-in-law (via email) and all three of them asked the same question.

[cgking]

I can imagine it would totally screw with the housing market (and the admissions process) if it was free housing in addition to stipend. I know several of my friends who would probably try to go back to school simply for that reason alone!!

But it's not a dumb question at all. I forwarded the letter to my mother, husband, and mother-in-law (via email) and all three of them asked the same question.

Maybe not dumb, but wishful thinking mixed with not enough coffee-- I've talked to plenty of people in the department and no one said a word about free housing. I've been planning to pay, so whatever-- it's still a great package!

Congrats on getting in, by the way! Maybe I'll see you around campus in the fall.