Boston University Accommodation: On Campus, Off Campus and Meal Plans

Boston University is located in Boston, USA and has multiple campuses, providing accommodation facilities for students. The Boston University experience offers both on-campus and off campus housing for students. You can switch in between your studies from one housing to other, if required. The accommodations at Boston University are available for freshmen, returning students and graduate students. The graduate student housing Boston university are available in Traditional Style (Large & Small), Apartment, and Brownstones offering low-cost single units as well as multiple occupancy options with or without a private bath. The cost of the student housing Boston university comes to be anywhere between USD 16,000 – 21,000 including the cost of meals.

The on-campus student housing Boston university also come with their own elaborate dining plans which starts from 10 meals per week to unlimited meals per semester. The costs of living in USA meal plans ranges between USD 875 to 3,625 per semester. These meal plans are part of Traditional style residences, but for students in Apartment residences, they aren’t required.

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The move-in schedule fpr Boston university hostel varies according to Fall and Spring Semester. Large Traditional Style residences are located in West Campus, Warren Towers, Myles Standish Hall, Kilachand Hall, The Towers, 1019 Commonwealth Avenue, Danielsen Hall, 575 Commonwealth Avenue. Small Traditional Style residences or Brownstones are located in East & Central Campus Brownstones, South Campus Brownstones and Bay State Road Brownstones. Apartments are located in East Campus and South Campus while Student Village is located at 10 Buick Street and 33 Harry Agganis Way. Fenway Campus, is composed of four residence options viz., Campus Centre, River way House, Pilgrim House and Longwood House.

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Table of Content

Boston University Accommodation on Campus
Apply for Boston University Accommodation
On-Campus Meal Plans
Living Off-Campus
FAQs

Boston University Accommodation on Campus

It is mandatory for all freshmen students as well as students receiving financial aid from the university to be living on the campus at Boston university hostel. Boston University has Undergraduate housing in all of its campuses, and it comes in either of the two styles, i.e., Apartment-style and Traditional-style student housing in USA. The Dining Plan accompanying these accommodations costs around USD 6,840 and it's part of an All-Access Plan in Traditional Style residences. It is not mandatory to avail dining plans in Apartment-style residences or Boston university temporary housing. The details associated to these student housing near Boston university for top university in USA are given in the table below:

Community	Room Type	Annual Cost with Meal	Images
Traditional Style
	Double, Triple and Quad rooms	USD 19,020 (INR 1574016)
	Multiple occupancy room in suites	USD 19,800 (INR 1638565)
1019 Commonwealth Avenue	Multiple occupancy room in suite	USD 20,770 (INR 1718839)
Myles Standish Hall
Kilachand Hall
Campus Centre
33 Harry Agganis Way	Double room in suite	USD 22,220 (INR 1838835)
33 Harry Agganis Way	Single room in suite	USD 24,470 (INR 2025035)
	Single room without a private bath	USD 22,830 (INR 1889316)
	Single room with private bath	USD 24,010 (INR 1986967)
Apartment-Style
	Apartment with two or more students	USD 16,240 (INR 1343955)
	Single room in an Apartment	USD 19,540 (INR 1617049)
Student Village (10 Buick Street & 33 Harry Agganis Way)	Single room in four-person Apartment	USD 21,020 (INR 1739528)
Student Village (10 Buick Street & 33 Harry Agganis Way)	Single room in two-person Apartment	USD 21,680 (INR 1794146)

1 USD = INR 82.76, dated 12th March, 2024

Apply for Boston University Accommodation

Boston university graduate student housing is available at Central Campus, East Campus, South campus, Fenway Campus and Medical Campus available in Brownstone and Apartment residence styles. Herein, Brownstones contain low-cost single units while Apartments include One to Two Bedrooms and Studios. To apply to US Universities for residence in Boston grad student housing, the following steps have to be followed:

Visit the official website of Boston University
Go to the Housing Portal of Boston University
Enter the Boston University Login ID and Password
Click on “New Student Application Process”
Select the Term intended for residence
Peruse the Welcome page as it introduces the residence
Sign the Residence License Agreement
Indicate Medical and Dietary preferences
Specify whether one would like Gender Affirming Housing
Apply for Living Learning & Speciality Communities and choose at least three of them from the list
List top five choice of residences as part of Location preferences
Select Dining Plan for student accommodation in USA
Indicate Additional Housing Preferences
Create a Roommate profile (to let others know)
Search or request a roommate (it’s not mandatory)
Submit the Application

On-Campus Meal Plans

The on campus meal plan price increases or decreases depending on cheapest universities in USA. Each traditional plan has 10 guest meals, which isn’t included in Apartment and Summer Plans. The weekly meal allotment for such plans is reset prior to breakfast every Friday. The details of the Meal Plans offered at Boston University accommodations are given in the table below:

Plan	No. of Meals/Semester	Cost per Semester
Open Access	Unlimited Meals	USD 3,420 (INR 283025)
Open Access+	Unlimited Meals	USD 3,625 (INR 299990)
Campus Connector 50	50 Meals	USD 875 (INR 72411)
Campus Connector 50+	50 Meals	USD 1,125 (INR 93100)
Campus Connector 75+	75 Meals	USD 1,435 (INR 118754)
Weekly 10+	10 Meals/week	USD 3,625 (INR 299990)
Kosher	11 Meals/week	USD 3,420 (INR 283025)

1 USD = INR 82.76, dated 12th March, 2024

Living Off-Campus

Boston University has partnered with Apartments.com to give off campus housing for students. They do not offer any direct off-campus accommodations to its students. Boston university off campus student housing can be found in the locality of Boston University and students can opt for private leases if they don’t find on-campus accommodation or don’t want to live inside the campus. Boston is one of the best student cities in USA. The off campus accommodation near Boston university can be cheaper than university accommodation. However, your food and other expenses will be more at Boston university off campus student housing. Hence, staying at the university with all expenses covered would be a better decision for students.

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Some of the off campus housing and their costs are:

Name	Beds	Annual Cost	Distance to Campus
GORGEOUS	4 Beds	USD 7,300 (INR 604117)	0.1 miles to Charles River Campus
Church Park	Studio - 2 Beds	USD 2,960 - USD 5,440 (INR 244957 - 450191)	0.6 miles to Charles River Campus
Van Ness	Studio - 2 Beds	USD 3,181 - USD 18,033 (INR 263246 - 1492336)	0.3 miles to Charles River Campus
1330 Boylston	1–3 Beds NJ	USD 4,378 - USD 16,025 (INR 362305 - 1326162)	0.5 miles to Charles River Campus

1 USD = INR 82.76, dated 12th March, 2024

Boston University accommodation are provided in multiple facilities and buildings. There are separate housing options for undergraduate and graduate students. You must apply for accommodation during the application process.

FAQs

Ques. What are items that are recommended to bring while moving to Boston University?

Ans. It is recommended that while moving in to the on-campus accommodations of Boston University students are to bring Bedding, Utensils, Storage supplies, Shower and laundry supplies and Co-axial cables for BUTV connection.

Ques. What is the move-in Schedule for at Boston University?

Ans. The move in schedule for Fall 2024, Students can move in between August 28 – September 2, 2024, and for Spring 2025, Students can move in between January 17 – 20, 2025. You must check the dates from the official website for any changes.

Ques. What are residential Dining Plans available at Boston University?

Ans. Boston University offers Unlimited meals and/or limited number of meals per semester ranging from 10 & 11 meals per week to 50 – 75 meals per semester. The cost of these meal plans differs accordingly.

Ques. What are the Room Selection options available at Boston University?

Ans. The room selection at Boston University involves the following options Same Room Selection, Same Room Pull-in, Internal Room Selection, Gender-Affirming Housing Room Selection, Gender Neutral Housing Room Selection, Community Room Selection.

Ques. What services does Housing Portal of Boston University offers?

Ans. The Housing Portal of Boston University offers services like submitting Housing Guarantee payments, Singing of Residence License Agreements and forming roommate groups.[16]

Ques. Does BU guarantee on-campus housing for all students?

Ans. No, Boston University does not provide on-campus housing and it is not guaranteed, especially for upperclassmen. You must apply as soon as possible to get accommodation confirmed in the university campus.

Ques. What types of on-campus housing does BU offer?

Ans. BU offers a variety of options, including traditional dorms (double rooms, suites), apartments, and historic brownstones. The cost of living in these campuses also varies as per the facilities provided.

Ques. How do I apply for on-campus housing?

Ans. You do not need to apply as freshmen since the housing applications are included in the admissions process. For Upperclassmen or transfer, you should apply through the housing portal https://www.bu.edu/housing/.

Ques. What are the deadlines for on-campus housing applications?

Ans. The deadlines for applying for on-campus housing varies as per the houses available. You can check the availability and the deadlines at the official website of Boston University housing.

Ques. What factors should I consider when choosing on-campus housing?

Ans. You should consider factors like location (proximity to classes, dining), room type (single, double, suite), amenities (AC, laundry), and your desired living style (quiet vs. social). You can also check if students of the same class are staying in those housing.

Ques. Is all on-campus housing co-ed?

Ans. No, all on-campus housing at the Boston university are not co-ed. Some dorms are single-sex by floor or building and some are co-ed with separate washroom for boys and girls.

Ques. What are the typical amenities in on-campus housing?

Ans. The amenities in on-campus housing at the Boston university varies as per the building. However, some of the common amenities include furniture, basic internet, laundry facilities, and sometimes cable TV or air conditioning. You can select if you want to stay in single room or double or triple sharing rooms.

Ques. Is a meal plan required for on-campus housing?

Ans. The requirement of meal plan is only mandatory for traditional housing. For apartment style housing, meal plans are not mandatory. Meal plans are required for some freshmen dorms but optional for others. Upperclassmen apartments do not require meal plans.

Ques. What are the costs of on-campus housing?

Answer: Costs vary by housing type and meal plan. The starting rates are USD 16,240 and can go upto USD 25,000. You can select the room and the plan as per your preference. Meal plans are same for all housings.

Ques. Can I live off-campus as a freshman?

Ans. Yes, you can live off campus as a freshman but on-campus housing is prioritized for freshmen. The university mentions that it is mandatory for freshmen to take on campus housing but you can opt out by requesting the university if you want to stay with parents outside the campus.

Ques. Where can I find off-campus housing near BU?

Ans. There are many off campus housing resources that exist, including student rental websites, local listings, and contacting BU Off-Campus Student Services. The university has partnered with Apartments.com for off campus housing options.

Ques. What are some factors to consider when choosing off-campus housing?

Ans. The most important factor to consider when choosing off campus housing are rent and location (commute time, safety). You must also look for amenities (laundry, internet), roommates, lease terms, and proximity to public transportation.

Ques. Does BU offer help with finding roommates?

Ans. No, there is no specific finding roommates options for off campus housing. BU Off-Campus Student Services (https://offcampus.bu.edu/) offer services like Short-Term Housing Resources, Avoiding Fraud, Property Lister and Rental Listings.

Ques. What is the typical lease term for off-campus housing?

Ans. Leases are offered for 12 months or the whole academic year, but some options for shorter terms might be available. You must check the property details before selecting.

Ques. What utilities are typically included in off-campus rent?

Ans. This utilities available varies by property. You will get the option of cold and hot water, but internet, electricity, and cable might be separate. You need to pay the utilities bill which might not be included in the rent.