Student Housing Assistance Review
Process

Student Housing Assistance Review Process


The Summer 2021 Student Housing Assistance Review Process (SHARP) was developed to provide on-campus housing between Friday, May 28, 2021 and Friday, August 6, 2021 for students who are facing extenuating circumstances (see below).

Summer 2021 SHARP Eligibility

Students who were previously approved through SHARP, and who are eligible to register for the Fall 2021 semester, may remain in on-campus SHARP housing during the summer if their situations remain the same as described within their original SHARP applications. These students will be contacted directly regarding summer housing options.

Residents who were not previously approved through SHARP who require housing beyond May 28 due to extenuating circumstances (see criteria below), are encouraged to contact their S3 Dean to discuss available support resources. These requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis while considering the SHARP criteria outlined below.

A few notes about SHARP Summer Housing:

  • Residents will be charged the standard summer rate of $3,542 for housing between Saturday, May 29, 2021 and Friday, August 6, 2021.
  • Summer residents who will be continuing to live on campus for the Fall 2021 semester will be provided transitional housing from August 7, 2020 until the start of the fall semester at no additional cost.
  • A meal plan is not required and summer residents will have access to kitchens within their residence halls.
  • Students who are graduating in June are not eligible to live on campus.

Overview and Process


SHARP is coordinated by a team from across the Chancellor’s Office and involves staff from the Division of Student Life (DSL) and the Office of the Vice Chancellor (OVC). They work in consultation with the Faculty Chairs of the Committee on Student Life and the Committee on Academic Performance. Student representatives from the UA, UA COVID Student Support Committee, and FLI were instrumental in developing the criteria and principles for this process and the resources to reduce worry and anxiety throughout the process.

All students who have been approved for on campus housing through a previous SHARP will receive an email during the week of April 5 informing them of the request process for on-campus summer housing. In particular, students will be asked to complete an online form to request on-campus housing. Students who do not submit the required form by Thursday, April 15 will be expected to depart campus no later than 12:00 noon on Friday, May 28.

SHARP Criteria


The following eligibility criteria apply to students requesting on-campus housing through SHARP:

  1. Students who cannot return home due to travel restrictions, circumstances in their home state/country, or circumstances of their home life;
  2. Students who have home environments that significantly impair remote learning; OR
  3. Students who have no other place to live or for whom being at home would be unsafe given the circumstances of their country or home life.

Frequently Asked Questions (will be updated as needed)


SHARP summer housing extends from Friday, May 28 until the start of the Fall 2021 semester. Please note that SHARP residents may be requested to transition to temporary housing after Friday, August 6 to prepare for the arrival of Fall 2021 residents.

Unfortunately, no. Students who are graduating in June are not eligible to live on campus. If you are interested in exploring off-campus housing options in the Greater Cambridge area, you are encouraged to visit www.mitoffcampus.com (MIT certificate or credentials required) to view off-campus rental listings and other tenant resources.

Yes. Students may cancel their housing up until Friday, May 14 at 12:00 noon and will not be charged any penalty. If you are unsure of your housing plans, we encourage you to submit a SHARP request and cancel it if needed.

Yes. Although you are currently living off campus, we recognize that some students are living in temporary housing arrangements that might end before the start of the Fall 2021 semester. If the details included in your previous SHARP application have not changed, and you do not have a safe housing option this summer, you are eligible to live in on-campus housing over the summer.

Many of the same campus policies from the spring semester will continue through the summer. This includes current Covid-19 student policies and health monitoring requirements through Covid Pass, as well as all housing and Mind & Hand Book policies. Any changes to these policies will be shared with the MIT community and updated on the policy web pages linked above.

Personal travel during the summer is permitted according to the Institute’s travel policy. Students are required to register their travel through Covid Travel and should understand and abide by the Commonwealth’s guidelines for travel, including following appropriate quarantine policies upon return.

Summer SHARP residents will be charged the standard summer rate of $3,542 for housing between Saturday, May 29, 2021 and Friday, August 6, 2021. This is approximately $1,181/month for 3 months of summer housing, including the transitional period between August 7 and the start of the fall semester. This free online budgeting tool might be helpful as you calculate your expenses for this summer. While your financial aid does not cover expenses over the summer, you should contact your SFS counselor or S3 dean if you have questions about the cost of housing and dining this summer.

Housing & Residential Services and Student Financial Services have developed a flexible billing plan so that SHARP residents spread the total cost of housing over three equal installments. The first bill will be due on July 1, the second bill will be due on August 1, and the third bill will be due on September 1.

You will start to see fall charges on your bill as of July 12. Fall charges are due on August 1 along with the second summer installment. All three summer housing charges must be paid prior to registering for the fall term. Students can view their monthly bill on MITPay. If you have questions about any of the summer charges, you should contact Housing. If you wish to sign up for a fall payment plan, contact SFS. Payment plans are not available for summer charges.

Many students choose to not live on campus over the summer for a variety of reasons including finances, wanting a change of scenery and personal housing preferences. The MIT Off-Campus Housing website (MIT certificates or credentials required) is a good place to start if you want to explore off-campus housing options in the local Boston/Cambridge area.

No. SHARP summer residents are not required to enroll in a meal plan. As has been the practice in previous summers before 2020, summer residents will have access to full kitchens in their residence halls to cook their own meals.

All SHARP students will reside in MacGregor House.

Summer on-campus residents will have access to common spaces within their residence according to Covid-19 student policies. In addition, DAPER, W20, and touchdown spaces across campus may be open to students depending on current public health guidelines. For most up to date information about access to campus spaces, visit MIT Now.

You can start by contacting a SHARP Peer Consultant. If you would rather talk with a staff member on the SHARP team, you can email sharp@mit.edu (to help expedite getting you a response, please email from your @mit.edu email address).