Amsterdam housing:

All students who apply on time will be offered a room through the university, at various locations throughout the city, however housing cannot be guaranteed. Accommodation is assigned on a first paid, first served basis. Students are able to apply for accommodation once their exchange application is approved.

Accommodation consists of single, furnished rooms with private or shared bathrooms. In most cases, bathroom, kitchen and living room must be shared with other students. It is common that men and women live together in the same student house.  Below are some important notes on contacting housing:

• • Students are responsible for paying monthly rent, which ranges depending on the type of accommodation. This is paid directly to Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. There is also a 250EUR handling fee per semester required for this service. Students will be informed about the procedure after uploading their application package. Take another look at the budget for this program (which fees are billable to your student account? which fees are not billable?), and our site with a detailed explanation of a study abroad budget.

  • VU housing contracts are offered on a 6-month basis. If students return home before the 6 month period ends, they are still required to pay for the housing they don’t need. This is due to Amsterdam’s extreme housing shortage, which makes it very difficult to individually cater housing contracts. For this reason, it is standard practice to offer housing contracts in 6-month intervals. Your transcript will not be sent from VU to Illinois if you have an outstanding financial balance for VU housing.

  • If you have questions regarding housing, it is best to contact your housing provider directly. The Gies Study Abroad office has no authority over host university policy and procedure. If it is a situation where you are not getting a response, please let us know. Nominated/accepted students can contact studentaccomodation@vu.nl with questions about accommodations or review this website.

Prior to arrival to campus, check with your housing provider to inquire about the earliest move-in date. If you plan to arrive early and are using university housing, you may be required to pay an extra fee for early move-in or may need to find other accommodations. Make sure to check the time that the housing office will be open for check-in.

Regardless of what housing you choose, be sure to arrange it before arriving on campus.

Illinois housing:

• If you are studying abroad for only one semester, you may need to sublease your Champaign-Urbana apartment or find a sublease for yourself for the semester you’ll be on campus. 

• Post on the study abroad housing board (this link can also be found on the study abroad website under "Support Resources")

• Use this housing board to find a semester sublease for yourself or to advertise your sublease to incoming exchange students.

• If you are living in UIUC housing, notify the housing department that you will be studying abroad. We can provide a confirmation letter, if needed.