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Housing

Temporary Housing upon Arrival

Please keep in mind that when planning financially for your studies, you should figure in the cost of temporary housing just after your arrival until you can decide on permanent housing.

• There are a few hotels, as well as bed-and-breakfast inns, near Gannon University which you may book in advance or once you have arrived. The closest hotel to Gannon University is the Avalon Hotel. If you choose the Avalon Hotel, Gannon University has arranged for the the room rates to be reduced for the nights you stay. You may make arrangements online by using the link below. Give your name to the desk clerk at check-in and remind the clerk that you are a Gannon international student in order to ensure a reduced rate. For more information on local hotels, visit the Erie Area Convention Visitor's Bureau Web site.
  
• You may also contact a current international student who may offer to help you arrange for temporary housing. Undergraduates should contact the ISO, 814-871-7030, for guidance.

Permanent Housing throughout the Year

UNDERGRADUATES

• Undergraduate students are required to live on campus in the first through fourth semesters, if they do not qualify for an exception (these exceptions are listed on the Student Living Web site.)
  
• Once the Admissions deposit is made, a room and a roommate will be assigned to those who will live in on-campus housing. In order to make contact with a roommate, students are provided a Gannon email address. Please see the following page to learn how to set up a Gannon email account. All account holders require an assigned Network ID and a Social Security number to log in for the first time. Since most international students do not have a Social Security number, the University assigns a nine-digit number to use for any format that requires students to fill in a Social Security number. Please email the International Student Office for assistance in obtaining this nine-digit number, along with the Network ID. Also, please keep in miind that this number does not take the place of a Social Security number outside of Gannon University.
  
• On-campus housing will open one week before the start of classes on Monday, January 5, 2009. You may check in by reporting to the Student Living Office.
  
• Those arriving before on-campus housing opens may need to arrange for a hotel stay at the Avalon Hotel nearby (see links and details above). Please contact the ISO, 814-871-7030, if you are an undergraduate arriving before the Residence Halls open.
  
• Student Living requires you to complete a number of important forms before you settle into on-campus housing, including those concerning your health status and for expressing a preference for a roommate, meal plan, etc. Look for these forms in a packet that was mailed to your home address early in the summer, or you may complete the forms online: Student Living Forms and Meal Plans.
  

GRADUATES

• Gannon University does not offer on-campus graduate student housing
  
• There are many apartments near campus where you may choose to live alone or with other students in order to share costs and responsibilities. Students rent from private individuals and property management firms. Apartment rent ranges from $400-$600 a month in Erie, but may or may not include the cost of utilities (heat, gas/electric, water, etc.).
  
• A larger group of students staying together in one apartment may be a workable arrangement for a short period, but you are discouraged from living with more than 3 to 4 persons to an apartment on a long-term basis. Such an occupancy may be against city ordinances and could jeopardize your ability to continue renting apartments in the area near Gannon University.

Searching for an apartment

• You may begin your search from your home country, but you are strongly cautioned from entering into a lease or contract before you have arrived in Erie and can personally inspect the property. There are number of online resources to accommodate your search, including www.GoErie.com.
  
• Once in Erie, you can refer to publications such as the Erie Times newspaper, the Gannon Knight (student newspaper), or the Erie Apartment Rental Guide. You may also be able to locate an apartment by walking through the neighborhoods near campus and calling the phone numbers displayed on signs near apartment buildings with vacant apartments. You may also find contacting a local realtor or property management representative, as well as, seeking advice from classmates or faculty and staff.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Although the International Student Office provides information about off-campus housing, Gannon University has not inspected any of these properties nor does the University take any responsibility for the facilities listed in brochures available through the ISO.

Some questions to ask when looking for an apartment:

• What is included in the cost of the rent? Does the rent include gas, electric, water, garbage, etc?
• Is the apartment furnished?
• How is the apartment heated and what is the usual cost for heat in the winter? It can be very cold in Erie in the winter time. Therefore, heat can be a big expense for students.
• Do you have to sign a lease? A lease is an agreement between you, the renter, and the landlord (building owner), which states how long you will live in the building, the cost, etc. A lease is a legally binding agreement. If you sign a lease to live in an apartment for one year, you are expected to live there one year. If you "break the lease" (i.e., move out early), you will usually have to pay a penalty. This penalty may be 2 months rent or you may even be asked to pay for the entire duration of the lease. Be very careful about what you are signing and make sure you understand what your are agreeing to.
• Is there a parking area?
• How close is the apartment to Gannon?  What sort of transportation is available between your apartment and the University?
• Is the building secure? Do the doors lock?

If you think you have found an apartment that looks good but you are not certain, please feel free to ask the International Student Office for guidance.