Housing and Food

A student’s housing status may impact the housing & food budget used to determine their financial aid eligibility.

The financial aid cost of attendance varies depending on the student’s housing status: either on campus, off campus or at home with family. These three budgets are meant to realistically estimate the costs between the different housing options and are consistent with the practices of other local colleges.

Below are the three housing & food budgets for 2023-24 academic year.

  Campus Housing
(residence halls/CCA)		 Off Campus
(renting)		 At Home
(with family)
Housing

$12,092

 $9,960

$10,124
Food

$9,282*

 $6,472

Included in figure above
Total

$21,374

 $16,432

$10,124

In addition, students who live off campus or with parents/relatives receive a transportation budget of $225/semester or $450/year. This is to account for the increased cost of commuting to and from Pitzer.

*Starting in the 2023-24 academic year, the on-campus housing & food budget will include the cost of the universal room rate and the 19-meal plan. See Cost of Attendance for additional information.

Costs & Savings

  • Renting Off Campus

    We highly encourage all students who rent off campus to consider all costs (not just rent & food) when budgeting. These costs may include utilities, internet, furnishings, insurance, etc. In addition, students should consider that the housing & food budgets used for financial aid are meant to cover costs during the 9 months of the academic year (September – May). Summer is not covered.

    Students who live off campus are responsible for the terms of their lease agreements and related expenses. For example, if a student determines they will break their off-campus lease, then the student is responsible for any related costs and terms of their lease agreements. Students currently receiving financial aid are encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid with questions as they plan for the upcoming year.

    In general, students who intend to rent housing off campus should consider whether the total off-campus housing & food budget is enough to pay for rent, food, utilities and internet for one academic year (9 months). Some students may choose to sign a yearlong lease and rent for 12 months. Students who sign yearlong leases should consider the extra cost of renting over the summer or should plan to extend their 9-month budget over the course of 12 months. The budget estimates below assume students are sharing a space and living in the equivalent of a ‘double’ rather than living alone (or the equivalent of a ‘single’).

    Example 1 (month-to-month for 9 months):
    If you plan to rent housing for the 9 months of the academic year, you need to determine if the housing & food budget of $16,432 divided by 9 months, or $1,825/month, is enough to pay for rent, food, utilities, internet, and commuting costs to Pitzer per month. If yes, then it’s likely that living off campus could be as cost effective as living in campus housing. If no, then living off campus will be costlier than living in campus housing. See Aid & Refunds below for additional information.

    Example 2 (full year, 12-month lease):
    If you plan to rent housing for 12 months, you need to determine if the housing & food budget of $14,996 divided by 12 months, or $1,369/month, is enough to pay for rent, food, utilities, internet, and commuting costs to Pitzer per month. If yes, then it’s likely that living off campus for 12 months could be as cost effective as living in campus housing for 9 months. If no, then living off campus will be costlier than living in campus housing. See Aid & Refunds below for additional information.

  • CCA

    Students who plan to live at CCA have the same financial aid as students who live in the residence halls. There is no difference to your financial aid package if you live in the residence halls vs. CCA. However, your charges may differ. CCA students are charged the same room rate as on-campus students; however, they have the option to enroll in the lower cost 5-meal plan ($3,260/year or $1,630/semester).

    The campus housing & food budget allows for the cost of this meal plan and provides flexibility to assist with other food costs as well as additional transportation costs to and from Pitzer. See Aid & Refunds below for additional information.

  • Living with Family

    Students who plan to live at home with family have a housing and food budget of $10,124 per year (or $5,062 per semester). This budget considers the family’s increased food and utility expenses for having the student at home.

    In general, students who live at home will see a reduction in their Pitzer Scholarship due to the decreased housing & food budget. However, most will also see a savings in overall costs when compared to living on campus because there are no housing & food charges when living at home. See Aid & Refunds below for additional information.

Aid & Refunds

How it works
The budgets listed above are used to determine a student’s total financial aid package. The housing & food budget is not aid/money given directly to students to pay for off-campus or at home housing. All financial aid funds (grants & loans) are paid directly to your Student Account to pay for your tuition & fees. If your grants and loans (if borrowing) exceed the cost of tuition & fees, you may have a refund available to assist with your off-campus housing.

Refunds
Students who anticipate a refund (total aid exceeds total charges) to assist with off-campus/at home housing costs should submit all requested documents to Financial Aid no later than the first day of classes of each semester to ensure timely processing of refunds. In addition, please note the following:

  1. All financial aid funds are paid from Financial Aid to Student Accounts after all financial aid documents have been received. Aid may not be paid, or only partially paid, for students who are missing documents once classes begin.
  2. Students who are eligible to receive a refund from their student account should complete a Refund Request Form and submit it to [email protected]
  3. Student Accounts will process refund requests starting the 14th day of the semester, after enrollment is ‘locked’.
  4. Students can enroll in eRefund through their CASHNet portal; eRefund is a faster option that electronically deposits refunds into a student’s personal bank account. If requesting a refund by check, please allow 7 to 14 business days for your check to be processed.

Methodology

These figures were determined using a combination of resources, including the cost of living locally in Claremont as well as the California Student Aid Commission’s (CSAC’s) Student Expenses and Resources Survey (SEARS). CSAC’s expense budgets are based on the average expenses reported by students at California public and private institutions from the 2018 results of SEARS. All budgets are based on the 9-month academic year and only factor costs for that time period.

Campus Housing
The campus housing budget applies to students living on our main campus or at the Claremont Collegiate Apartments (CCA) and is based on the cost of the universal room rate and the 19-meal plan.

Starting in the 2023-24 academic year, the on-campus housing & food budget will include the cost of the universal room rate and the 19-meal plan. This change is to comply with new federal regulations meant to address food insecurity. Students living on-campus may choose between the 12-, 14-, 16-, or 19-meal plan. While the 19-meal plan is not required, it is encouraged to support food needs. Aid will not be decreased for students who select a lower cost meal plan.

Off Campus
The off-campus housing budget is based on the cost of renting locally for 9 months and CSAC’s estimate of food expenses for students who live off campus. This budget assumes students are sharing a space and living in the equivalent of a ‘double’ rather than living alone (or the equivalent of a ‘single’). This budget also includes $50 per month for commuting costs. This is in addition to the transportation allowance provided to most students for coming to campus at the start of each semester.

At Home with Family
The at home with family housing budget is based on CSAC’s estimate of housing and food expenses for students who live at home with their parents for the 9 months of the academic year. This budget also includes $50 per month for commuting costs.