Living on-campus is proven to help you do better academically and socially and provides added security. You will transition into the community better and make the most of your time here!

You need to organize your housing BEFORE you arrive to GVSU. We don't have any temporary accommodations, unfortunately.  

• Check out on-campus options  (international students should look at transfer & graduate options).
• Review housing rates.
• Consider location: The City Campus is downtown Grand Rapids (graduate courses) while the Valley Campus is the main campus and has the rec center & most social activities.
• PLEASE NOTE: all freshman (first semester at any college in the world) are required to live on-campus.
• You will have to pay a housing deposit of $150.00 when you apply. 
• See Arrivals for the earliest date you can move into GV Housing.

Make sure you apply as a transfer student! If you apply as a freshman you will be forced to live in freshman housing which mandates a meal plan and does not include shared living space or a kitchen. 

Although we do not recommend this, living off campus can be much more affordable. This requires much more work on your part and we are not able to assist in organizing off-campus housing.  The GVSU website has a helpful guide for what you need to know about living off-campus. 

Here are some options to look into:

• Bayberry and Apple Ridge which are located halfway between downtown and Allendale. This is a convenient location as it takes about 15 minutes to get to either campus and the route 50 bus (GVSU campus connector running every 6 minutes) has stops near both apartment complexes
• Craigslist is a website where you can list things for sale, apartments for rent, etc. BE CAREFUL as this is not a vetted site, which means anyone can list here. You should at least Skype with them before making any decisions! I have had several friends find rooms in a house this way but it does put more responsibility on you since there isn’t a company overseeing the site or individual listings. It's practically the wild west!
• Show me the rent.com
• Off-campus Housing List is a brochure our office created detailing some of the popular options near or between campuses

Consider the following questions:

• What is the monthly cost?
• Are utilities included? (additional costs for gas, electricity, garbage, internet)
• Is it furnished? (most places you must bring your own bed, tables, chairs, even refrigerator sometimes!)
• Is there a required security deposit? How much is it?
• Do you need to pay rent in advance?
• Do you need a US Social Security number?
• Does the property manager require a background check?
• Will you have to sign a lease? What are the dates on the lease? 
• Where is it located? How long will it take me to get to classes?

**Please know that if you sign a contract, you are legally responsible for the terms of the lease agreement. 

Your Graduate Program Director or assigned Academic Advisor will help you to select the appropriate courses for your first semester (and the duration of your program).  You will need to register in MyBanner using your username and password: https://www.gvsu.edu/banner 

All Graduate Program requirements are available here: https://www.gvsu.edu/gs/masters-and-doctoral-degree-programs-9.htm

You have to sign up for DOMESTIC STUDENT ORIENTATION in your Laker Portal account in order to connect with your Academic Advisor. You will have received an email from admissions inviting you to sign up for this Orientation. You are not expected to attend physically. This is not the same as the mandatory International Student Orientation. We understand this is confusing! Please make sure you sign up for the date offered to you so your academic advisor is able to reach out to you.

Please check your emails regularly for information from your academic advisor. Make sure to please check all inboxes you have (personal, GVSU) and the Spam folders!

Registration tips:

• Your advisor knows best--follow their advice! We know you're smart, but they're pros at this. Plus for undergraduates you HAVE to meet with them before registration is open. 
• Register as soon as you can. Since courses often reach capacity, you might have to take a class in a different semester or at a time of day that isn't best for you. Take note of the waitlist and override options in the presentation.
• There is no fee to register for courses.
• You can change your schedule up until the first Friday of classes.
• If the class you really want is full, register for a back-up course as recommended by your advisor while they try to get you into the course you LOVE!

You can find your Academic Advisor based on your major. Start your search at the Academic Advising Centers page.

Any international students who are starting their first semester at GVSU this August are eligible for our Airport Transportation service. Students must arrive to the Grand Rapids, Gerald R Ford Airport [GRR] during the designated arrival dates and times:

• August 21-23, 2026 
• Between 11:00 am and 6:00 pm

If you arrive outside of our designated Arrival date & times, you will need to arrange your own transportation. Please consider planning ahead using one of these services:

• a local taxi company such as Metro Cab (616) 827-6500 or Yellow Cab (616) 459-4646 (costs $60-70)
• a transport app such as Uber or Lyft (cost varies)

Depending on your housing situation, we can support as follows:

1.  GVSU HOUSING AIRPORT PICK-UP FORM UNDER CONSTRUCTION 
   From the airport, we take student who will be living in GVSU Housing to the iHouse. From there we assist with getting apartment keys, move-in, and take students to a local supermarket to purchase supplies for their apartments. Sign up using the green button!
2.  OFF CAMPUS AIRPORT PICK-UP FORM UNDER CONSTRUCTION 
   From the airport, we can drop off-campus students to 3 different locations (Pew Campus, Allendale Campus, Meijer supermarket in Standale). We are not able to drive off-campus students to their apartments. Sign up using the blue button!

Recommendations & Reminders: 

• We do not recommend students use public transportation from another city (Chicago, Detroit etc) to get to Grand Rapids.
• You cannot enter the US more than 30 days prior to your program start date (listed on your I-20/DS-2019).
• September 4 is the very last day for new/first semester international students to join GVSU in-person; all students arriving later than this should work with Int'l Admissions [email protected] to defer to the next full semester (Winter 2027).

All students who will be living on the GVSU campuses for Fall 2026 are invited to use our move-in service. Our International Student Services (ISS) staff will be waiting excitedly at the iHouse to greet all students moving onto campus. The team will assist students in moving into their rooms and also take them to a local supermarket to shop for essentials for their first few days. To take advantage of this service, students must arrive to the iHouse or to the Gerald R Ford [GRR] Airport during the designated arrival date and time:

• August 21-23, 2026  between 11:00am (EST) - 6:00pm (EST).

The deadline to sign up is TBA.

 GVSU HOUSING MOVE-IN FORM UNDER CONSTRUCTION 

Students who arrive earlier or later than the designated arrival dates and times MUST organize their own temporary accommodation. GVSU does not have any temporary accommodation.