Student Housing

On-Campus

KU offers many options for students who wish to live on-campus. If your exchange includes room and board in addition to tuition, the Office of Study Abroad will apply for your housing on your behalf. If your exchange is tuition-only, an on-campus housing application has been included with your acceptance materials. Your advisor at your home institution should also have a supply, or you may apply on-line using this link: replace old link with: http://www.housing.ku.edu/documents/HousingInternationalApp.pdf. Since space is limited, it is imperative that you apply for housing as soon as possible if you are on a tuition-only exchange.

If you are a tuition, room and board student, we request Jayhawker Towers for you. If you are interested in another housing option, please contact Tracy Miller at OSA. We will try to accommodate your request, but we cannot guarantee housing in the residence of your choice.

For information on on-campus housing options, visit the Department of Student Housing website.

Off-Campus Housing

If you wish to live off-campus, options do exist, but it is very difficult to find housing that does not require a twelve-month lease. The best resource for available apartments is the Sunday Classified Advertisements section of the Lawrence Journal-World. Classified ads run in the paper everyday, but the Sunday paper usually has the most listings. You may purchase the Journal-World, along with many other local and national newspapers, in grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, and vending machines. Please note that all classified ads listed in the newspaper will not necessarily appear in the on-line format.

It is also important to note that many classified ads will contain abbreviations that are not always easy to understand. Since these ads are sold by the line, people tend to abbreviate to get as much information as possible in the fewest amount of lines. Some common abbreviations are as follows:

• incl = included
• 1 ½ baths = one full bathroom (including a toilet, shower & bathtub) and one bathroom that includes only a toilet and a sink
• 1 ¾ baths = one full bathroom and one bathroom with a toilet, a sink and a shower stall
• a/c or CA = air conditioning or central air-conditioning
• w/w = wall-to-wall carpeting
• cpt = carpeted
• h/w = hardwood floors
• br = bedroom
• dr = dining room
• lg = living room or large depending on context
• utils = utilities (may include gas, electricity, water, trash, etc)
• elec = electricity
• furn = furnished
• gar = garage
• yard = includes a backyard
• eff or studio = efficiency or studio apartment – usually a very small one room apartment with a separate bathroom
• immed = available immediately
• d/w = dishwasher
• w/d or w/d hookup = washer and dryer or washer/dryer hookups (washer/dryer are not included, but a faucet and outlet are provided)
• fp or frplc = includes a wood-burning or gas fireplace
• security building = has a locked front door in addition to locks for each apartment

(adapted from: http://www.edupass.org/living/housing.phtml)

Apartments may be found on the internet at www.apartmentdirectory.com or at https://www.livenaismith.com/.

The Apartment Directory lists most of the larger apartment complexes in Lawrence. However, it does not list individual apartments, only apartment complexes. Hardcopies of the Apartment Directory may also be found in many local grocery stores near the front entrance. Naismith Hall is a private residence hall adjacent to KU, and provides many of the same amenities as on-campus residence halls.

Photo: ©KU University Relations