Graduate Housing: Convenient Apartments for Busy Students
We know that grad students are always trying to stretch two very limited
budgets—time and money—so we want to make sure that we help
you make both go as far as possible.
Because graduate school often means living on tight budgets, we provide
comfortable, fully furnished apartments that include all basic utilities.
You have your own bedroom, and common areas are shared with one to three
other people. Within the building is free laundry, a number of security
features, and maintenance available 24 hours a day. And because we offer
you more than just a nice place to live—we offer an educational advantage—we
want you to take advantage of all the city has to offer as well. We provide
discounted tickets to events in the city as well as a number of other opportunities
for you to take advantage of all UIC has to offer.
As far as time goes, living on campus gives you everything in one place.
Instead of being just another face in your apartment, you’re living
with other graduate students—and faculty—making it easier to
network and form groups to study or explore the city. And you’re living
right next to your classes, so your commute time is minimized. And finally,
you save time by not having to search for a place, find roommates or divide
up utility bills. So you have time for the things that really count. And
because we offer contracts aligned to your academic program, you don’t
get locked into a twelve-month lease, so you can have time to concentrate
on your studies and take your time to get to know the city.
UIC’s Graduate Housing is in Single Student Residence, known as SSR. For general information about SSR, including photos, maps and lists of amenities, please visit Single Student Residence’s general information page.
We have two SSR contracts—a 9-month plan and an 11-month plan. The 9-month contract applies to Floors 3–13, and lasts from August through finals in May. The 11-month plan applies to Floors 14 and 15, and lasts from August through Summer Session. A one-month interim or “bridge” contract is also available for housing during the month uncovered by the 11-month contract. Up-to-date Housing rates can be found on 2009–2010 Rates.
Apply for Graduate Student Housing Here
FAQ for graduate students
I already lived in the dorms. Why would I want to live on campus again?
Graduate and professional students live in an apartment building just for them. Every student has his or her own bedroom, and they share the kitchen, bath, and other common areas with one to three other graduate or professional students. There's nothing "dorm" about these residences.
Do I have to find my own roommate? Can I choose my roommate?
One of the ways that Campus Housing helps you save time and money is by doing the work to coordinate roommates. If you have another graduate or professional student that you want to live with, simply have them put your name and UIN on their application, and you put their name and UIN on your application. If you don't have someone you would like to live with, our director places people in rooms based on shared majors, hometowns, and/or personality types. And if your roommate moves out in the middle of the year, you don't have to worry about replacing them to pay rent.
What is included?
Each apartment bedroom has an extra-long twin bed, closet, desk, chair, wastebasket, bookshelf, blinds, and floor lamp. Each apartment kitchen has a stove, oven, refrigerator, sink, and cabinet space. Additionally, the room rate includes all utilities (heat, air conditioning, water, trash removal), building maintenance, and laundry.
What would I have to bring?
The short form would be bathroom supplies, your own clothes and personal items for your room and cooking utensils and other personal items for the kitchen. Perhaps a microwave, coffeemaker, and/or toaster. While the rooms aren't enormous, they hold enough for most people to live comfortably through the year. And, of course, we urge you to use common sense in deciding about bringing valuables. For more details, go to http://www.housing.uic.edu/bring.php.
How would I pay?
Campus Housing makes paying easy. We put the cost of your Housing contract on your student account in two parts, when each semester's tuition and financial aid are put on your bill. The room cost can can be found on the Rates page.
Do you offer housing for families or partners?
Campus Housing has a pilot program for students with children located in SSR on the 5th floor. More information about that program is available at http://www.housing.uic.edu/halls/family.php. However, all residents must be enrolled UIC students (or their dependents in the case of the Family Housing floor). All residents of the apartments must be the same gender.
What about pets?
Fish in an aquarium of 30 gallons or less are allowed per room.
How do I get around?
The intracampus shuttle runs from 7am-11pm connecting all parts of campus on a 20-30 min. interval. During the semester, a Semester Express also runs every 30 minutes making it even easier to get between the east and west sides of campus. Most graduate students can also take advantage of the U-Pass, allowing them to use the CTA trains and buses all semester. (Eligibility requirements can be found at http://www.uic.edu/depts/idcenter/eligibility.shtml.)
How safe is that area?
While we obviously encourage students to use the caution befitting a large, urban area, we take great precautions to provide security. SSR is connected to residence halls on the west side that have tv lounges, computer labs, and learning resource centers, as well as the Sport and Fitness Center and the Student Center West. Students need to use their keys or ID 24 hours a day to access the building. Guests must be signed in after 7pm. Student Security and an outside company provide desk security as well as roving patrols in the evenings. Closed circuit cameras are installed in common areas of the halls to provide an extra layer of security.
Can I set up a tour?
Tours are available by contacting Pat Downes at (312) 355-6317. Tours are generally available weekdays between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.