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Residential Life & Housing > Housing Options

Off-Campus Housing

Barnard students are not required to live in campus housing (with the exception of visitors from Spelman and students in the VISP program). Students may choose to commute from home or find an apartment off-campus.

Students considering moving off-campus should check out the information below for how it could impact their financial aid and/or guarantee of campus housing for the future.

Note: while College is always hopeful to be able to provide campus housing to as many applicants as possible, housing unfortunately may not be available for all non-guaranteed applicants (Transfers, students returning form a leave of absence, etc.), resulting in some students needing to commute.

Housing options like The Bayit and International House are not considered part of campus housing nor part of the Barnard/Columbia Housing Exchange. Student who live in these locations are considered to be living off-campus.

The NYPD has noted a recent increase in fraud reports for rental listing scams. For more information, check out the links below:
-- https://streeteasy.com/blog/nyc-rental-scams
-- https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0079-rental-listing-scams 

Columbia's Off-Campus Housing Assistance (OCHA) office provides resources to aid university students (including Barnard students) in their search for rental housing in the metro area. OCHA manages a database (the Housing Registry) which includes available rooms and apartments in non-Columbia-owned buildings and sublets of units in Columbia-managed housing. Prospective roommates can also post and search profiles to connect with other students looking for off-campus housing. In addition, OCHA offers housing search counseling and is supported in these efforts by their cooperative relationships with two New York City real estate/relocation agencies. OCHA is located at 401 West 119th Street (between Amsterdam Avenue and Morningside Drive) and can be called at 212-854-2773. More info is available at https://ocha.facilities.columbia.edu.

Note: Barnard students are not able to directly apply for Columbia undergraduate campus housing. A limited number of continuing students only may live at Columbia each year as part of the BC/CU Housing Exchange (available only as part of the Room Selection process).

Additional information about how to start a search for off-campus housing can be found at nyu.edu/students/student-information-and-resources/housing-and-dining/off-campus-living.html.

Other options for off-campus housing may include:*

* Barnard College assumes no responsibility or liability in connection with any rental agreement or services provided by the listed resources. The listing of any resource does not constitute an endorsement of the service or guarantee of availability.

For information about the Commuter Lounge, renting a locker in Barnard Hall, etc. please visit https://barnard.edu/studentlife/commuterresources.

Commuter students are enrolled by default in the Convenience Points Only Meal Plan.

If they wish to change their enrolled meal plan or opt-out for the semester, they would need to complete the Meal Plan Change Form before the deadline prior to each semester.

For more information about available meal plans, prices, and the Meal Plan Change deadline, please visit the Bursar's website.

Students who live off-campus are packaged as a "commuter" instead of as a "residential" student by the Financial Aid office, which means they may qualify for less grant aid. Students who are planning to move off-campus are strongly encouraged to discuss with the Financial Aid Office how it may affect their financial aid package.

Only students currently living in campus housing (or who lived in campus housing immediately prior to going to an approved study abroad program) are eligible to register for the Room Selection process to have a guarantee of housing for the following academic year.

Students who choose to move off-campus or take a leave of absence give up their guarantee of housing for the future.

Students who are not eligible to register for the Room Selection process may apply for housing to be on the non-Guaranteed Wait List. Please note that while College is always hopeful to be able to provide housing to as many applicants as possible, space in campus housing is limited and housing unfortunately cannot be guaranteed.