<p>The dorms and meal plans at all the schools I'm applying to are super expensive. For my commute-distance school, I'm not applying for housing. For the other schools, I've applied, but I'm also looking at rooms and apartments in the area.</p>
<p>I know first year students are required to live on campus at many schools unless they stay with their parents, but can the school really find out if I end up moving out on my own during/before freshman year? Will they even care?</p>
<p>If the school finds out (and there is a good chance they will), in all likelihood they will make you pay for room and board, even if you aren’t actually living there. This is what my school does.</p>
<p>It matters where your parents live, not where you live right before the semester starts.</p>
<p>You could end up owing both housing/meal plan fees AND rent in an apartment if you move out of the dorm after school starts. However, you generally need to live in the dorms for only one year…after that you can generally find cheaper living situations, or even in some cases qualify to be an RA for the free room and board.</p>