Dear Students,
Following President DeGioia’s announcement regarding Georgetown’s plans for the fall 2020 semester, I am writing to share more information about on-campus housing. This email contains important information about the considerations the university will utilize to review on-campus housing requests, as well as other financial aid, technology and campus life considerations. It is important that students read this email in its entirety so they can make an informed decision before applying for on-campus housing.
As President DeGioia noted, Georgetown will take a phased approach to welcoming undergraduate students to campus for the fall semester in order to reduce community transmission of COVID-19 and to promote a safe living environment. For the fall, we will welcome the following groups:
- Members of the first-year class, the Class of 2024;
- Students whose personal or family situation makes it impossible or unrealistic to pursue their studies at their permanent address;
- A limited number of students whose graduation requirements and academic program necessitate an on-campus presence; and,
- Some student resident assistants to support this small residential community.
Considerations for Housing Requests
A committee of university staff and administrators will work thoughtfully to consider housing requests from students whose personal or family situation makes it impossible or unrealistic to pursue their studies at their permanent address. This may include one or more of the following circumstances:
- Students experiencing housing or food insecurity;
- Students with safety and security concerns in their current living environment;
- Students with extraordinary living conditions and high financial need, as determined by the Office of Student Financial Services (Financial Aid); and,
- Students with unresolvable internet inaccessibility or whose permanent home address is more than five hours away from the Eastern U.S. time zone.
Students who meet one or more of these considerations should complete the Fall 2020 Georgetown Housing Stability Application by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, July 10. First-year students (Class of 2024) and undergraduate students who were approved and housed on campus in either spring 2020 or summer 2020, after the university transitioned to a virtual learning environment, are guaranteed on-campus housing in the fall and do not need to apply. Residential Living will be in touch with those students shortly.
Please note that completing this application will not guarantee on-campus housing for the fall. In addition, this application is NOT a binding agreement to live on campus, and students who request and receive approval to live on-campus may choose to decline their housing offer.
We recognize you have awaited news about Georgetown’s fall status for a considerable period of time and now have a tight deadline to complete this application. The timeline is guided by the fact that we want to give your application as thorough a review as possible, and we want to render decisions quickly so you can make plans for the fall. The committee aims to send decisions by 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 13.
Students whose graduation requirements and academic program necessitates an on-campus presence will be contacted in the next few days by their Dean’s Office.
International Students
Georgetown is carefully reviewing recent guidance issued by the Department of Homeland Security regarding international students studying on F-1 or M-1 visas. We are committed to supporting our international students and are working to find academic and course planning solutions that will allow our international students to experience as little disruption to their academic progress and F-1 student status as possible. We will be monitoring further anticipated guidance on this issue and working closely with departments and students in the coming weeks to develop and communicate options for our international student community.
Financial Aid and Technology Considerations
The Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS) will continue to meet students’ demonstrated financial need, regardless of where students live in the fall (on or off campus, or at their permanent address). For students who study remotely in the fall, their financial aid budgets will be adjusted for room and board to include a modest living allowance. The Office of Student Employment is working to ensure that remote opportunities are available for student employees, especially those with Federal Work-Study as part of their financial aid package. Jobs will be posted on HoyaWorks by late August.
Students who have already completed a 2020-21 financial aid application, but wish to report documentable changes in their previously submitted application data, should notify OSFS (if they have not already done so) by completing the “Changes to Reported Information 20-21” form on the OSFS website. If you have any questions regarding your financial aid package, please contact your individual financial aid counselor.
University Information Services (UIS) will offer wifi hotspots, free of charge, to Georgetown students who do not have reliable and consistent Internet access required to participate in virtual classes. More details about how to obtain a hotspot will be shared with the community in the coming weeks.
Campus Life
Academic and campus life will be dramatically different from what you are used to in a typical academic year at Georgetown. During this exceptional time, we all have a responsibility to practice physical distancing in order to maintain the health and safety of the university and broader community. If you are approved to live on campus or if you are living in the neighboring communities, you will be responsible for abiding by the Georgetown University Community Compact, which will be shared in the coming days, and complying with all new health and safety measures, including limits on social gatherings, subject to disciplinary action.
We know it may be difficult to share personal information about your identity and your story. Thank you for trusting us with this information, and please know the committee will maintain confidentiality when reviewing the applications. If you have questions about this application, please email Fall2020Housing@georgetown.edu. Our priority continues to be the well-being of our students and ensuring a safe environment in which every student can flourish.
Sincerely,
Todd Olson
Vice President for Student Affairs