Looking for clarity on off-campus housing and financial aid

I’m transferring to a university in august after 2 years at community college, and on-campus housing is not available to transfer students so I’ll have to get off-campus housing. I have no income or credit of my own so I’m assuming I’ll have to get a parent to cosign? Also, I’ll be using my extra financial aid (loans) to pay my rent and everything. When I was at community college I’d get a pell grant refund check each semester for a few hundred dollars about a month or 2 after the semester started. Do loan refunds work the same way? Meaning I’d have to secure the first few months of rent beforehand and then wait until my refund comes through in order to pay for the rest? I’m just stressed out and worried that I won’t be able to go to school because i won’t be able to find a place that will let a poor college student rent. I suppose I should contact my school but I feel like it’s a stupid worry/question and I’m not sure who exactly to talk to.

Hello. Financial aid at 4-year schools is handled differently than at 2-year colleges. Whereas you would wait a month or two for disbursement and subsequent refund of your excess aid at a 2 year school, at 4 year schools aid is typically disbursed within 10 days before classes start and is refunded soon after, according to your school’s policy. Depending on how fast your school refunds there is usually enough time to get your refund and pay your landlord. When renting an apartment near a college, most apartment complexes are aware of that a lot of students use financial aid to pay for living expenses as it is included in the COA. Therefore, as long as your aid is enough to cover your rent, a lot of places should rent to you provided you show them a copy of your award letter. The turnaround between receiving your refund and the start of classes can be short, so to be safe, it may be best to save up enough for your first month’s rent and a security deposit to ensure everything goes smoothly, or if this is not possible, inform the landlord of the short turnaround to make sure they will have space and be able to move you in in such short notice. Also, your school’s financial aid department as well as the off-campus housing office should be able to assist you with any questions you have about how this works with no issue. This is a pretty common concern among students who are receiving large financial aid awards.

Most schools have an office of housing/residential life you could ask.

Yes, you’ll need a cosigner.

To keep costs down, you can try to find a housing group on facebook or G+ for your school, and then get roommates.