What to do when your housing falls through

Losing your housing in the middle of a term is stressful, and acting quickly gives you the most options. This page sets out who to contact first, what campus and community help may exist, and how to protect your studies and your aid while you find a place.

Your first calls

If you have nowhere safe to sleep tonight, call 211 or go to the dean of students office. Many colleges keep a small number of emergency or short-term rooms, and staff there know what is open locally.

Next, contact the basic needs office or the campus case manager if your school has one. They can help you sort out a plan, check on food support and talk with instructors about deadlines if you need to miss class.

Your aid and your classes

Tell the financial aid office what happened. An aid administrator can review your cost of attendance when your housing costs change, and some schools offer emergency grants for situations like this one.

If you are young and on your own without stable housing, ask the aid office whether you can be treated as independent on the FAFSA. A shelter director, school liaison or the aid office itself can confirm your situation, and the school decides.

Think carefully before withdrawing from classes. Dropping below half-time or leaving mid-term can affect your aid and may mean returning part of it, so talk with an adviser and the aid office first.

Gather what you can

• Your ID and student ID
• Your lease and any notices
• Your aid offer and class schedule
• Phone numbers for the dean of students and aid office

Finding the next place

Ask the housing office whether a residence hall room has come free mid-year. Community shelters, transitional housing programs and local housing authorities are other routes, and 211 can tell you which ones serve students in your area.

Keep copies of your lease, any eviction notice and messages with your landlord. If you think you were removed unfairly, student legal services or local legal aid can explain your rights under state law.