UNC-Chapel Hill recommends that a student live on campus for at least the first two years of their undergraduate college experience. When a student lives on campus, they have access to resources, programs, and support systems that they do not typically receive when they are residing in an off-campus community.
Students have a favorable on-campus housing experience at Carolina; 92 percent of students would recommend living on campus to new students. In addition, when comparing the prices of an on-campus residence hall versus and off-campus apartment, often living on campus is more affordable because utilities are included, you do not have to worry about transportation costs, and contracts are only for the academic year instead of a 12-month lease.
Living on campus is convenient because students have access to two dining halls and 20 other dining facilities across campus, fitness facilities and intramural fields, and academic resources like libraries and many convenient study locations. We also work very hard to ensure the safety of residents with our resident advisors on each floor, community directors in every community, UNC Police officers that patrol the campus 24/7, secured electronic access to all of our residence halls, and more than 85 emergency call boxes across campus. Ninety five percent of students reported feeling safe in their room, and 94 percent of students reported feeling safe within their residence hall.
Many students feel pressured to sign off-campus leases as soon as they arrive on campus for their first year. To give students as many options as possible, Carolina Housing opens the on-campus housing application in October for the following year. However, if a student is not ready to make a decision on housing yet, they should not feel rushed to do so. There are housing options available throughout the year, both on campus and off campus.
When and if the time comes that you decide to move off campus, we will support you in this endeavor and want to provide valuable resources to allow you to make the best decision possible.
Please do your research when signing a lease and make sure it is one you feel comfortable that you can uphold. Other factors you need to consider are potential roommates/housemates, cost and location of parking, transportation to and from campus, cost of food and meals, cost of utility bills, and the length of a lease.
If you are considering studying abroad, you aren’t sure about your roommate situation yet, or you haven’t found an off-campus property that accommodates your need for a lease aligning with the academic year, consider living on campus again. Carolina Housing provides the flexibility of room changes throughout the year, as well as single-semester contracts if you are studying abroad.