Housing
It is our policy that students must live in a Spanish-speaking environment; you may not live alone nor solely with other English speakers. Due to the obvious benefits of cultural immersion and concern for students’ safety, we recommend that students take advantage of a homestay.
As students are only billed for tuition, you are expected to pay your rent, in pesos, directly to your homestay family at the beginning of each month. The first payment will be due within the first five days after arrival. In Argentina, due to strict bank regulations, it is not possible to pay rent through a foreign bank account, so all payments must be made in local currency.
The Argentinian government has restricted the purchase of U.S. currency as part of their policies against money laundering. Banks will sell dollars only to registered clients. In the past, some host families have indicated a preference to be paid rent in dollars, though they understand they must accept pesos. Should this situation arise, the assistant director must be notified.
Students will complete a housing questionnaire to convey their housing preferences to the staff abroad who will place them accordingly. Schools in Argentina and Uruguay staff will send students their host families’ contact information 1-2 weeks before orientation starts. The assigned homestays will be available starting on the official arrival date, so if you plan to travel before that date, you should contact the assistant director to see if your hosts are available to receive you earlier. As the housing placement will be assigned according to the preferences stated in the housing questionnaire, we expect students to keep the meal arrangement they originally asked for.
Unless a significant issue arises that cannot be resolved within reasonable means, students are expected to live with their assigned homestay families for the duration of the program. Any concerns regarding homestay placements should be brought to the attention of one of the program staff members in a timely manner. If it is decided that it is best for the student to move, students must notify their host family two weeks in advance of their departure date, and pay for those two weeks. Students needing to leave their homestays on short notice will still be required to pay for a final two-week period of housing, even if circumstances do not make it possible for them to give a full two weeks’ notice of their departure. Students should not pay for months of housing in advance. Refunds of housing payments are not guaranteed should a student prepay and then decide to leave before the semester has ended.
Please note: Due to the relatively limited number of homestay families available during a given semester, the Schools in Argentina and Uruguay will only be able to facilitate one host family change during the semester. If after changing once a student wishes to change host families again, absent any vital risks to the student’s well-being, the student will be responsible for arranging their own accommodations, still abiding by the program’s housing policies (e.g., not living alone, living with native Spanish-speakers, living in areas approved by the program based on safety, etc.) as well as the policies regarding giving notice of leave to the current host family.
Students should understand that while every effort will be made to accommodate their requests, it is not always possible to grant everyone’s first choice. We encourage you to keep an open mind in terms of your housing, as with all other aspects of the experience, and make an effort to integrate into the host family lifestyle.
If you have contacts in Argentina or Uruguay, and wish to arrange your own housing (of any type), you must adhere to the policy above. You will also be required to sign a form acknowledging responsibility for the housing you have chosen. The staff in Argentina or Uruguay has the final word on approving students’ housing to ensure their safety, maximum cultural immersion, and reasonable commute times to the university.
Homestay
Homestays, like families, vary widely in terms of composition; there may be one parent or two and there may or may not be children living at home. In Argentina, students may request a meal arrangement that includes breakfast and dinner, or breakfast only. In Uruguay, students may request an arrangement that includes breakfast and dinner, dinner only, or no meals. Students who request no meals will be given kitchen access in their homestays. Students who request other meal arrangements may inquire about kitchen access for those meals not already provided by the homestay. There are pros and cons to each of these options and students should consider which arrangement makes the most sense for them economically, dietarily, schedule-wise, and with regard to their level of comfort with grocery shopping and cooking independently. Generally, students will have a single room, but will share a bathroom with other family members. Please be aware that not all housing arrangements will allow for individual doors to be locked.
Pensión/Apartment
In some sites, students studying for a full year may also be able to find their own accommodation in a home-style pensión or apartment during their second semester. In most cases, the owner of the flat or house rents single rooms (often to students) who share common bathing, kitchen, and social spaces. As rental properties, these are often farther from the downtown area and the facilities may not be up to the standard of living of a typical family. Please be aware that not all housing arrangements will allow for individual doors to be locked. Usually, no meals are provided. This option should be considered by those who prefer a higher level of independence during their second semester. The policy of not living with other English speakers still applies in this situation.
