Housing
On Campus Housing
We highly recommend that international students, both graduate and undergraduate, apply for housing on campus.
Please do not arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska without housing accommodations!
Adjusting to life and school in a new country can be challenging. By choosing to stay on campus, housing will be one less thing to worry about.
- You will be living in a safe and comfortable place — a new home away from home
- You will be part of a student community, where you will find many others with whom to share your experiences
- You will have access to professional and student staff who can assist you with a variety of issues ranging from how to talk with a professor to how to secure a vacuum cleaner for your room
- You will have easy access to all campus amenities, such as dining, the Student Recreation Center, various places for social gatherings, such as the Wood Center, the Residence Hall lounges, etc.
Many students consider living on campus an integral part of the college/university experience. It will be an easy way for you to learn about American culture and to make strong connections with other students.
Visit the ÐÔÓûÉç Residence Life webpage for more information including important dates, how to apply and the Housing Handbook.
Apply for On-Campus Housing
We encourage all students to apply early for housing. ÐÔÓûÉç has a limited number of space available and rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Finding alternative housing can be challenging and difficult to navigate, especially if you are new to Fairbanks and still trying to learn the culture.
Note: If you are denied a visa to study in the United States, ÐÔÓûÉç will refund your $40 housing application fee, and your $315 damage deposit (a damage deposit is an amount paid in advance, for any damage you may do the room. If there is no damage when you leave the room, you receive that $315 back). This is one of the only situations where the $40 fee may be refundable. However, you must notify the Residence Life Office that you will not be attending ÐÔÓûÉç prior to the start of classes in order to receive the refund.
Application Process - Single Student Resident Halls and Cutler Apartments
Single student housing — "single" refers to your marital status, not how many students
will be in the room. So, "single student housing" is for students who are not married
(or who will not be living with their spouses on campus). You most likely will have
roommates.
Application Process - Family, Staff, Non-Traditional and Graduate Student Apartments
Off-Campus Housing
We recommend that all international students spend at least their first semester living on campus, so that they become familiar with Fairbanks before looking for off-campus housing. That will give you time to become acquainted with our public transit system, the local geography, what to expect in housing, what level of rent is reasonable, etc. For example, Fairbanks is one of the only cities in the United States where people routinely live in "dry cabins." These are small homes with no indoor running water. People supply water in containers and use an outhouse for going to the bathroom. (An is a small building with a single seat. Under the seat, a hole is dug into the ground that leads to a holding a tank for human waste). These dry cabins, while lacking running water, usually have electricity, and often have internet connection. We have students who enjoy living in dry cabins, but again, it might be easier to learn about what such a lifestyle means from an on-campus housing facility, before trying it for yourself.
If on-campus housing is not available, or if you need to live off campus for a compelling reason, you can look at the or listings on Craigslist, or check out the rental listings of our local newspaper, the . You can look for and . The of the may also be helpful. Many students, after living in Fairbanks for a while, ask their friends about living off-campus. Some of the best student rentals are never advertised — students tell their friends about a vacancy, and find out that way.
Neither ÐÔÓûÉç nor ÐÔÓûÉç International Student and Scholar Services can guarantee the quality or safety of off-campus housing. You will need to carefully evaluate any prospective housing situation!