Memo #4: Housing (March 22, 2023)

 

To:                    Graduate Students

From:               The Graduate School

Subject:            Memo #4: Housing

Date:                March 22, 2023

As we have been sharing information on unionization at town halls and departmental meetings, the topic of housing has frequently come up. Princeton’s Graduate School has a long history of being a residential community of scholars and values having graduate students as an active part of the campus community. We are looking forward to the opening of the new Meadows Graduate Housing complex, which will allow us to offer subsidized on-campus housing to all regularly-enrolled graduate students who desire it. Notably, no graduate student collective bargaining agreements at our peer institutions have any provisions related to the amount, quality, or rental cost of housing. This memo provides additional information about campus housing.

  • Princeton currently offers subsidized University housing for 70% of regularly-enrolled graduate students in the Graduate College, Lakeside Apartments, Lawrence Apartments, and other on-campus housing. All first-year graduate students are guaranteed an offer of subsidized University housing. 
     
  • Following our most recent addition of graduate housing with the Lakeside Apartments in 2015, the University is now building additional subsidized graduate housing, the new Meadows Graduate Housing complex, expected to open in 2024. The new housing is additive housing and, once open, will allow the University to offer subsidized housing to all regularly-enrolled graduate students who want to live on campus, which sets Princeton apart from most graduate schools.
     
  • The University offers graduate students both furnished and unfurnished units, so that students can choose which option better suits their needs. All graduate dormitory units are furnished. Graduate apartments include both furnished and unfurnished units. Approximately 60% of the units in the new Meadows Graduate Housing complex will be furnished, a decision made after engagement with graduate students.
     
  • Graduate students play a number of important roles in how housing is offered on campus for graduate students. They serve on the Graduate Housing Advisory Board and make recommendations on the policies that govern the allocation and distribution of housing. They also played a key role in the development of new housing and were members of the committee that planned and designed the new Meadows Graduate Housing complex. Recently, they also provided input on the provision of services in our housing, which has resulted in improvements such as the introduction of continental breakfast at the Graduate College, which this year is being provided for free.
     
  • The cost of living in the Princeton area, including the cost of on- and off-campus housing, is taken into account each year when calculating stipend increases, and the current stipend amount is significantly higher than the cost of living estimate for students.

 

  • Providing graduate students with sufficient and appropriate housing accommodations is a goal of the University, as evidenced by the construction of two residential complexes in recent years. Achieving the goal will always be a work in progress, and the University is committed to making continued progress and doing so by including graduate students in the process, as noted above.

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The Graduate School welcomes this opportunity to highlight useful information and resources. Our goal is to provide information to help you decide whether you want a labor union to represent certain Princeton graduate students. We respect your right to make an informed decision. We encourage you to review information about graduate student unionization on the Graduate School website and to talk to our team if you have any questions.

Additional Resources

More information on housing and resources can be found on the Graduate School website, as well as through the following links.