Transfer Housing and Dining

Living on campus is a core part of the Alma experience. It also has significant academic benefits. Research shows that students who live on campus are more likely to persist in college and typically achieve higher GPAs than those who live off campus.

As a residential institution, we also recognize that the college experience extends far beyond the classroom. When you live on campus, you’ll build close-knit friendships and benefit from an extensive support network of faculty and staff. You’ll be at the center of everything Alma has to offer — from performing arts to football games and wrestling matches.

At Alma, we strive to make your college experience accessible, affordable and rewarding. For the 2022-23 academic year, students will pay an average of $6,949 per year on housing fees. This covers housing for the year and access to resources like laundry and fitness facilities. In addition, we offer a $2,000 annual award to transfer students who choose to live on campus, creating possible savings of up to $6,000 by the time you graduate.

Compared to the cost of living off campus, on-campus housing is generally more affordable. The average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment is $575/month in Alma, and because of the shortage of rental units, many cost significantly more. When factoring in the financial award offered to transfer students who choose to live in college accommodation, living on campus is typically better value for money.

As an incoming transfer student, you will typically be placed in our Transfer Living Learning Community (TLLC). Our living-learning communities are tight-knit groups that allow you to live with peers with similar interests or academic backgrounds.

Our new TLLC is housed in one of our suite-style, renovated residence halls, offering increased independence while retaining all the benefits of on-campus living. Research shows that students in living-learning communities are more likely to benefit from academic support from faculty and staff.

Transfer students can also choose to opt out of the TLLC and select a different on-campus housing option. Typically, sophomore students reside in Newberry and Mitchell halls on North Campus, while juniors and seniors live on South Campus in either suite-style or apartment living. Juniors and seniors can also opt for Greek or themed housing or apartment-style living in the heart of downtown Alma.

Whatever you choose, you’ll be surrounded by friends who support your success, enhance your sense of belonging and make Alma feel like home!

The opportunities are endless! Our students take pride in getting involved in life beyond the classroom, from community engagement and spiritual life to athletics, performing arts and academic and professional groups. We have more than 80 student organizations, 10 sororities and fraternities and 31 sports.

We also offer dedicated programming to Pell Grant-eligible and first-generation transfer students through the Transition Assistance Program (TAP). Students enrolled in TAP can enjoy monthly on-campus workshops and group social events, as well as the opportunity to work with a student mentor who also transferred to Alma.

At Alma, there’s always something new to try! At Hamilton Commons, our hub for student dining, we have a weekly rotating menu, along with staples like salads, pizza and pasta.

Joe’s Place offers quick, casual bites, including house-made specialty burgers, grilled sandwiches, french fries, onion rings and more. Munch Money is included in every meal plan and can be spent at our on-campus Starbucks, along with local restaurants like Block House, El Vaquero, Jimmy Johns and Pizza One.

We also have Chef Fresh fridges located on campus, which allow you to fuel up on healthy drinks, snacks and meals 24/7. You can learn more about on-campus dining options on our dining website.

We offer a variety of different meal plans for students to allow for flexible, convenient on-campus dining.

Regardless of which plan you choose, each will include a number of meal swipes, which can be used in Hamilton Commons and Joe’s Place. Your plan will also include Munch Money, which you can spend at local restaurants and coffee shops, including Starbucks, Block House and Jimmy Johns. You can learn more about meal plan pricing on our dining website.

As a residential college, we believe students get the most out of their time at Alma when they live on campus. As a result, all students are expected to live in college-owned or approved housing through our intentional experiential housing model.

Renting in Alma is expensive, and rental units are limited. The average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment is $575/month, making living off campus significantly less affordable when considering the $2000/year financial award that Alma offers to transfer students. Because of this, we highly recommend that transfer students live on campus.

However, we understand that each student is unique and offer a process to obtain a housing waiver for transfer students who require off-campus housing. Since they aren’t paying for campus housing, students who are approved to live off campus should budget for a reduction in financial aid in addition to not qualifying for the $2000 annual financial award.

Yes. We’re so confident you’ll love our affordable, healthy dining options that we offer transfer students a week to try it out — no strings attached!