Starting fall semester 2018, Northwestern College will be offering on-campus housing for students who are married or will be married during the 2018-2019 academic school year.
At least one of the Courtyard Village apartment buildings will be reserved for married students on a first-come, first-served basis. The apartments are situated on three sides of a green space, with each building containing 10 one-bedroom apartments.
The one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments will be air-conditioned and equipped with high speed internet. Each apartment will also include a kitchen complete with a refrigerator and stove as well as an accessible laundry room in the basement of the building.
These apartments will be partially-furnished and equipped with coffee tables, a chest of drawers, and a kitchen table and chairs. Renters will, however, need to provide their own bed. The expense to rent these apartments will be $500 per month, which will primarily cover the cost of electricity, heat, wireless internet, water and sewer.
In addition to in-apartment amenities, married students will also have the option of selecting a traditional meal plan or a meal plan that has been specially designed for married students.
“The plan is called the Block 50 meal plan,” said Dean of Residence Life Marlon Haverdink. “This plan will offer 50 meals per semester for $485 and can be used in the cafeteria at any time throughout each semester. These meals will not expire on a weekly basis and may be shared with friends and family until the end of the semester.”
Unlike other meal plans, the Block 50 meal plan does not allow meal exchanges and does not have flex money. This plan is only available to married students living on campus.
In the past, NW has offered on-campus housing for married students when they have had the space and ability to do so. Most recently, married housing was offered during the 2012-2013 academic year.
According to Haverdink, the hope is to provide married students with an opportunity that could make their NW experience more enjoyable and accessible. Because NW has offered on-campus married student housing in the past and seen success, hopes are high for the 2018-2019 school year.
“We have decided to re-instate on-campus married housing,” Haverdink said, “because we have the space and we know it is a service our married students appreciate.”
Haverdink also made it known that married students who choose to live in these on-campus apartments will be presented with flexibility and hospitality.
“We also hope to hire a married student housing resident assistant to provide hospitality and programs geared toward married students,” Haverdink said.
NW has stated that it is not necessary for both spouses to be NW students as long as one renter is registered as a student. Students who comply with this policy will also be able to rent the apartment throughout the summer.
