<p>Hey I live in odessa in hillsborough. I really don't want to pay all that dorm money. I got the exemption to not live on-campus. What if I took out a student loan for an apartment (for like half the price) and just lived there. Keeping my official residency at my parents place. Would USF find me an kick me out? I know if I asked them they would freak out because they don't want to lose my housing money to an apartment. Even though one year on campus equals out to be two years off campus price wise. Let me know if I can do this!</p>
<p>If you you lease an apt. for a required minimum of 12 months say at $500/mo., you’ll be out $6000/yr. If you rent a freshman dorm room for two semesters it will cost about $5000. The expense that drives up on campus living is the mandatory meal plan that would cost around $4000 for two semesters. You’ll probably want to eat even if you live off campus too; it should cost less for food expense off campus though.</p>
<p>When financial aid office makes you an award offer they will base it on your estimated annual cost of attendence (COA). They use different figures for students who live at home and who live on campus. Awards (including loans) are smaller for those living at home. After your tuition and fees, and other USF obligations are paid out of your award money–you’ll get left over money. If you use left over money to help pay for an apartment, even though you’ve indicated to USF you’re living at home, I guess you could get away with what you are proposing. Don’t rely on just what I say here though–you need to check all this out good so you don’t get in jam for instance committing fraud with federal lenders and getting in trouble. Good luck.</p>
<p>I would not recommend doing that, and here’s why.</p>
<p>Like Lizard said, if you get an apartment, the leases are for 12 months, and the minimum price (for a decent place) is somewhere between $450 - 500 per month. That is about $6000 for the year.<br>
Let’s say you get the cheapest housing available on campus, that would be $4300. </p>
<p>Another factor here is food. If you live on campus your freshman year, you are required to get a level 1 meal plan. Assuming you choose the cheapest one (we didn’t get that option last year, they were all the same price… you guys are lucky), it would cost you $1700 per semester, or $3400 for the year.<br>
If you live off-campus, you will still want to get a small meal plan for the days you are on campus. As a freshman, you have a limited range of times / days your classes can be on since you get the leftovers after upperclassmen choose. Chances are, you will be here every day, sometimes all day long. The one I heard off-campus students get the most is the Bullblock 60, which is $1500 per year. Also consider that you will want to keep even more food in your apartment for late-night snacking and weekends. </p>
<p>So, once you add up the numbers:
$6000 + $1500 = $7500 + extra apartment food
$4300 + $3400 = $7700</p>
<p>So, it’s really up to you. Those are the cheapest options I could come up with. Besides, if you live on campus, you live the college life. If you don’t, you don’t. That is just how I personally see this.
Also, there is the fact that you could get in trouble for lying to FA to get more money. That too.</p>