8 Resources Available to Students Living Off Campus

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 23, 2019) — With over 30,000 students at the University of Kentucky, and about 7,000 beds available in residence halls, it's obvious there comes a point when many students move off campus. After building that firm foundation at UK with the on-campus living experience, it's a natural progression of "adulting" to move off campus.  

Whether you're coming from a residence hall room or your parents' house, as amazing as living off campus may sound, you can encounter complications unless you take the right steps to prepare. Sure, you know your way around campus now, and even around Lexington to a certain extent — definitely Rupp Arena and the mall — however, living off campus can be a whole different monster. To ensure a smooth transition, we have compiled a list of resources UK offers to off-campus students.

1. Off-Campus Student Advising (OCSA): The off-campus advisor helps students strengthen their connection to campus and navigate obstacles that emerge from living off campus. OCSA works directly with students and their academic advisors while also collaborating with other campus offices to provide the best resources to promote the success of off-campus students at UK. Additionally, OCSA has secured daily lockers at 230 McVey Hall and The Study North (Jewell Hall) for the convenience of students living off campus.  
2. Off-Campus Student Association: The Off-Campus Student Association is here to support you whether you live off campus now or plan to live off campus in the future. Their mission is to serve as an active voice and an advocate for students living off campus in order to form a partnership with the UK campus community and the greater Lexington community. 
3. Student Commuter Permits: Transportation Services offers a limited number of student commuter parking permits within reasonable proximity to desirable campus destinations. Commuter permits provide off-campus student commuters with the highest level of convenience.
4. Personal Lockers: Don’t want to carry everything in your backpack at once? No problem. In addition to the daily lockers provided by OCSA, the William T. Young Library has personal lockers available for checkout to UK faculty, staff and students. These lockers are located on floors two through five and may be checked out for the duration of the current semester.
5. Commuter Meal Plans: UK enrolled students living off campus can order a Commuter Dining Plan. Meal plans and flex contracts are for the academic year, both fall and spring, and will automatically be re-billed for spring.
6. Off Campus-Student Lounge: Take a break between classes and meetings without leaving campus by using the off-campus student lounge. Located at The Study North in Jewell Hall, next to Common Grounds Coffee Shop, open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
7. Lextran BluPass Program: Living off campus often means a further walk or commute to class. To help with that, UK students, faculty and staff may ride any Lextran bus route free of charge simply by showing their valid Wildcard ID, as part of the BluPass program.
8. Student Legal Service: Relationships with landlords and leasing offices can be tricky. Luckily, if you ever run into a legal issue while living off campus, or any legal issue for that matter, the UK Student Government Association sponsors a service that provides assistance for students needing free legal consultation.