It’s that time of year. Spring is in the air, FAFSA’s have been filed, the IRS

deadline is looming and your college student proposes that it’s time to move

off-campus into an apartment.

Beware: students are smart and make some great arguments. They do their

homework and come to you with an equation that shows how much cheaper it

is to live in an apartment off campus.

And sometimes it really is. But…

What’s a parent to say? Parents have a lot to consider in weighing whether

the time is right for your son or daughter to strike out on their own. I didn’t

allow my daughter off campus until she was a junior. I felt that the timing was

right then for her (and me!).

The first and most important question to consider is just how mature is your

student? Is he or she ready to be set free in an apartment building where

other tenants go to bed at 11 p.m. and get up and out by 7:30 a.m.? Is your

student an upstanding citizen? If, in your heart of hearts, you know the answer

to that fundamental question is no, then it’s your obligation to nix the big plan.

South Orange landlords can be tough. Some have little tolerance for parties

and noise, so it is important to know your student and make sure your student

knows the limits. If not, living among the permanent residents of South Orange

will be fraught with difficulties.

If, however, your student has been making sound and mature decisions

throughout the academic year, then perhaps you can move on to the second

concern: just how much is this going to cost?

South Orange is an expensive suburb. People (read that “Grown-ups”) live

here in order to have easy access to New York City, so the apartments and

houses aren’t cheap. Apartments range from about $790 a month for a studio

in the area to about $2500 for a well-appointed two-bedroom. Houses can be

rented for a base of about $2400 monthly. You get what you pay for.

One nephew of mine paid $370 a month one year and $450 a month the next,

but told his mother it was better she never saw where he was laying his head

at night. Another SHU nephew paid $640 a month for the fall semester, but he

and his three friends were evicted when the house was sold in December.

Personally, it was only after my daughter signed a lease that I realized the fire

escape in her house was made out of wood. It was a worry in the back of my

mind the entire time she lived there.

The biggest plus in favor of off campus living, Seton Hall’s Peer Advisers tell

me, is the opportunity to continue the growth toward maturity and

independence. Students also say it is easier to study in an apartment than a

noisy residence hall.

The biggest con is the student’s need to take charge of the fundamentals of

living – cooking, cleaning and paying bills. One student said he moved in to

his apartment in the spring and never budgeted for the $530 oil bill that came

after the heat was turned on. Another student observed that the food bill can

be hefty if you want to eat more than Ramen noodles.

Some “resimuters” (students who live nearby campus) solve the food

conundrum by taking a small meal plan that brings them to our caf?? to eat. My

daughter used to come home and raid our pantry after we had been to the

supermarket. Whatever works.

There are hidden charges that must be budgeted. Parking in South Orange is

expensive – about $80 a month. The cable bill adds up if wireless is needed.

Sometimes heat and hot water is included, but that charge is usually an add-

on. There’s also a sewer bill, a water bill and a phone bill. Make sure your

student has it in writing what is included and what still needs to be paid. Ask

the current tenants if you can see some of their monthly bills to get an

estimate of the real cost of moving in to the village.

Students forget that with a house comes responsibility (after the tough winter

we’ve had, the first question that comes to mind is, “Who is going to

shovel?”!) but there are also lawns to mow, pests to control, garbage and

recycling to take out, utilities to pay, and plumbing to maintain. One student

said he and his housemates were almost ticketed for failure to mow the lawn,

but that now they all take turns caring for the front yard.

For many students, the transition from on-campus living to an apartment is an

evolutionary process. And you will know if and when the time is right for them

to move off campus. Students who move off campus tend to be a little more

disconnected from the university and its activities, so if your student isn’t a

joiner, off-campus living might isolate them further.

There is no right or wrong answer. It’s a family decision that comes after

frank conversation and some introspection on the part of your students – are

they ready to make an early jump into the world of paying their bills on time

and being good neighbors?