Notre Dame cancels study abroad, providing housing options for displaced students in the fall

"… displaced study abroad students were informed they have three options for housing. Students can participate in a lottery to fill a bed in their home hall, choose a bed in another residence hall or live off-campus.

Students who choose to select a room in another facility may choose between Baumer Hall for men, Pangborn Hall for women and Fischer Graduate Residences for men and women. Those who choose to live off-campus may still receive credit toward the residency requirement …"

https://ndsmcobserver.com/2020/06/university-cancels-study-abroad-providing-housing-options-for-displaced-students-in-the-fall/

While very understandable, the decision will put tremendous pressure both on on-campus housing availability and off-campus rental prices/options for the coming academic year.

My nephew was recently admitted as a transfer. How will this affect housing for transfer students? Additionally, if Notre Dame is cancelling abroad programs, does this mean we will therefore have fewer internationals students at ND as well, thereby having the opposite effect on campus housing?

@MsGamora Congratulations to your nephew and the whole family!

Concerning the questions you asked above:

  • the cancellation of Fall 2020 study abroad programs and the fact that therefore a substantial additional number of Notre Dame students will require on-campus or off-campus housing will provide additional complexity to the student housing situation in general, including for transfer students.
  • study abroad programs are focused on sending Notre Dame students abroad, either over the summer or for a full semester. They have no impact on international students coming to Notre Dame. There is a separate discussion ongoing on the latter: https://ndsmcobserver.com/2020/05/jenkins-urges-department-of-state-to-speed-up-student-visa-process/ The number of international students who may be delayed for the start of classes on August 10th is yet unclear, however all First-Year students, including international students, will have applied for on-campus housing upon admission and will receive their housing assignments in July. So no, this will not have any opposite effect on campus housing availability for Notre Dame transfer or other students. On-campus housing is not guaranteed for Notre Dame transfer students, yet Residential Life is doing what they can every year: https://admissions.nd.edu/apply/resources-for/transfer-applicants/housing-for-transfers/

Thank you! We are very proud of him. He found out about his acceptance soon after decisions were released, and promptly filled out the on-campus housing application. Since I fear it will be some time before he knows whether he will secure on-campus housing, will there be time to look into and sign a lease for off-campus housing with the beginning of the semester in early August? Should he be applying simultaneously for off-campus?

@MsGamora On-campus residential life is an important and integral part of the ND experience and education and therefore should be the #1 priority for your nephew as incoming transfer student - excellent he submitted his on-campus housing application promptly.

Having said this, yes I certainly would suggest for your student to actively look into, for example, Fischer Graduate Residences simultaneously as back up. He would loose his deposit when he, as he should, opt for on-campus housing if and when it were offered to him, yet the housing situation looking as it does for the coming academic year, putting a back up in place at this time would certainly be quite advisable in my pov.

Over 1,200 Notre Dame students participated in study abroad programs in 29 countries during the 2019-20 school year - while this number of course includes summer study abroad, the added Fall 2020 on-campus and off-campus housing requirement will nevertheless be quite significant indeed.

My nephew was able to put a deposit down on an off-campus apartment. He told me that while on the phone with the property manager, the phones in the background were constantly ringing and everything seemed very tense. He explained to them that he will put down a deposit but wants to hold off on signing the lease. They were agreeable, but I wonder for how long. He was also told that the school has been “taking back properties” recently. The school won’t announce placement until end of July. This puts kids who really want to live on-campus in a bind. Perhaps they’ll announce housing placement earlier???

@MsGamora This is the way our DS approached the situation last year as well. The deposit was lost when he decided not to sign the lease and for another housing option, yet we felt the lost deposit was well worth the reduced risk. Glad your nephew was able to put a back up plan in place.

Not quite sure what Notre Dame “taking back properties” means concretely, the university will presumably need additional isolation housing space for on-campus students requiring it. It is highly unlikely that ND will decide to enter the off-campus rental market in any form or fashion, a business they have divested and outsourced in recent years.

In terms of on-campus housing announcements, our DD received her First-Year information during the second week of July.

My DS roommate is an architecture major. This was to be his year in Rome. He has a housing assignment, on campus. He is normally in Stanford. This year he will be in the basement of Sorin. They have delayed the remodel for now.

@usma87 ND Villa in Rome vs. the basement at Sorin - talk about displaced study abroad students, pretty sad really.

On the bright side, Notre Dame has been able to offer on-campus space this fall to all and every student who had applied to live on campus this fall, no forced off-campus requirements for transfer or displaced study abroad students.

@hpcsa ‘Love thee Notre Dame’.