Residential Services At Teachers College
The Office of Residential Services extends a warm welcome to you as you consider joining our residential community.
The Office of Residential Services at Teachers College, Columbia University, complements the institutional mission of the College by striving to provide housing that is convenient, clean, and safe for campus residents, their families and guests. The department is committed to creating a stimulating, inclusive, and caring environment that supports the out-of-classroom experience and enhances intellectual, personal, and professional development. We collaborate with other campus departments to meet the unique needs of our graduate student population and provide uncompromising quality, innovation, and continuous improvement in a multicultural community.
Teachers College has approximately 650 spaces available for single students and 75 apartments for students with families. Bancroft, Grant, Sarasota and Whittier Halls are historic buildings similar to other early 1900’s New York City apartment-style buildings. New Residence Hall opened in the fall 2004 semester.
Location:
1230 Amsterdam Avenue, Whittier 1B (between 120th and 121st Streets)
Mailing Address:
Office of Residential Services, 525 West 120th Street, Box 312, New York, NY 10027
Phone:
(212) 678-3235
Email:
Website:
Eligibility for Housing
In order to be eligible to live in student housing, students must be enrolled in a degree program at Teachers College and registered for 1 credit or full-time equivalent during the fall and spring semesters. To maintain eligibility to renew the housing contract past mid-May, residents must be enrolled and registered for a minimum of 12 credits or equivalent during the term of their contract (6 credits if contract starts in the Spring).
Housing Contracts extend for one calendar year, beginning with the summer term. Any resident who renews their contract is not required to register for summer sessions and may remain in the residence hall, but must re-enroll for the upcoming fall semester and live in Teachers College housing for the upcoming fall semester.
Full-time employees of Teachers College are not eligible for on-campus housing. Residents who become Teachers College full-time employees are not eligible for Teachers College housing, and will be required to vacate Teachers College housing at end of the current contract period.
A Resident may remain in housing for a maximum of 6 years (72 months) during their entire enrollment at Teachers College
When to Apply for Housing
Housing offers are based on availability of units, geographic priority, and date of receipt of application. Applicants outside a 30-aerial-mile radius of the Teachers College campus have the highest priority for housing. To complete an application you should visit our website at www.tc.edu/housing and complete our online housing application.
An application for housing can be submitted as soon as a Teachers College applicant is admitted. It is recommended to apply as early as possible. Housing applications will only be considered active once the enrollment deposit has been paid. Unfortunately, given the limited number of spaces available, we may be unable to accommodate all requests for housing.
Housing Assignments
Students will be notified by the Office of Residential Services of their housing status at the beginning of each round for that application period. Notification that a housing space is available will be accompanied by instructions about how to select an available room and sign the housing contract, which is done through the myTC portal. A non-refundable $750 reservation fee is required to hold the space. This fee will be credited to a student's account upon move-in, and may be used to pay for the semester housing charges.
There is a transfer period twice per year in which students may request a change of assignment. Students may choose to exercise the transfer option if they are unsatisfied with their original assignment.
Applications will be processed beginning (dates approximate):
- May 15th: Fall Term
- November 15th: Spring Term
- April 15th: Summer A & B Terms
Once offered an assignment in Teachers College housing, the housing application may not be deferred to another semester. Hence, the applicant would need to submit a new housing application and fee for the desired semester. The Office of Residential Services must be notified via e-mail if a student decides to defer an application. A housing application may be deferred for a maximum of one year, provided an assignment was never offered.
Important Information
- Students may submit an application for housing once they are admitted, even if they have not yet paid their enrollment deposit. No offer for housing, however, will be made until students have paid the enrollment deposit, as established by the Office of Admission.
- Individuals interested in summer-only housing should visit our website at www.tc.edu/housing for a Summer Conference Housing application.
- Students are responsible for notifying the Office of Admission (if an incoming student) or the Office of Registrar (if a continuing student) of any changes in mailing address, telephone number, and/or email address.