On-Campus Apartments

     An on-campus apartment is a great choice for many adults that are returning to college and have to move from home to attend the college of their choice.  One aspect of on-campus living of any kind is that it is paid for straight out of the gate for the entire semester.  This is either by using your loan funds or by you or your family paying the difference.  In this way, you aren't responsible for making sure you have enough money to pay the rent every month like you would have to do with an off-campus apartment.  This is also a very popular choice among married couples that decide to attend the same school together.  
     You can sometimes luck into getting one of these living spaces with your friends if other spaces are already taken or under construction, or by some other odd circumstance, but certainly don't be banking on this to happen.  These apartments are just like a normal apartment, but it is right there on campus only a few minutes walk from the buildings in which you will attend class.  That is one of the major advantages of living on-campus, you won't have to worry about constantly filling up your gas tank in order to simply get to and from school.  Honestly, living in either a dorm or on-campus apartment, you may not even need to have a car at all, except on school breaks when you plan to come home (and at most schools, you won't have a choice because they close down the campus living quarters during the Winter and Summer breaks, and some even close them on the Spring and Fall breaks).
     However, depending upon how strictly your prospective school's rules are enforced, and what the rules actually are at your school, you may wind up feeling like you are a teenager back at a summer camp being told what you can do and when you can do it.  For most schools, different rules apply to those living in on-campus apartments than to those living in the actual dorms.  This is mainly because only certain situations will qualify people to live in these apartments.  This all depends on your school's specific rules, so make sure to check with any prospective schools about their requirements before making any concrete plans.  
   If you do qualify, these apartments are usually fully fitted, with a full (or mostly full) kitchen, bathroom (with shower or bathtub, or both), living rooms and bedrooms.  Check with your school to see what furnishings they provide.  Some schools even have a washer and drier in each apartment, or at least the proper outlets for you to place your own in.  If this is the case, don't go buying a brand new washer and dryer as they cost a small fortune.  Instead, try checking out a store that sells used washers and dryers.  You can get a washer dryer set for just $100-200 instead of $800-1000.  Other schools may have a shared set  of washers and driers for each floor as well.  Again, just remember to ask questions about these things while inquiring about your possible apartment living space, as these will all be extremely important in not only choosing where you will live, but it may also be a determining factor in choosing which college you ultimately decide to attend.