The FU-BEST program offers three housing options:

• homestay (incl. breakfast and dinner);
• single occupancy Student Village or The Social Hub; Boothstr. 17 (accessible housing);
• independently arranged housing.

The housing option chosen by a participant is considered final and binding for the entire semester, once the application deadline has passed. No (partial or full) refund of fees used for homestay or apartment arranged by the program is possible after June 1 (in case of Fall semester) or November 15 for apartment and December 1 for homestay (in case of Spring semester).

Please note the following information concerning housing and keep it in mind when making your selection on the application form: Switching from a homestay to an apartment or from an apartment to a homestay is not an available option. Switching from one homestay setting to another homestay may be somewhat more easily accomplished, but only when it is deemed absolutely necessary on-site.

Homestay

The program has up to 35 homestay placements at its disposal, which are assigned to applicants on a first-come-first-placed basis. Applicants who cannot be assigned to a homestay will be promptly notified, allowing them the option of switching to a request for an apartment available through the program (but here again also dependent on availability), or to independently arranged housing, or of withdrawing their application cost-free.

Student Village / The Social Hub

Please be aware that you are required to pay a 200 Euro (or US Dollar) security deposit in cash upon your check-in at the Student Village.

Boothstr. 17 (accessible housing)

Participants opting for accessible housing at Boothstraße 17  are required to submit credit card information as security deposit. Please note that the deadline for this housing option is one month before our regular semester application deadlines.

Independent housing

If you wish to opt out of the two housing choices provided through the program, you may do so, but please note the following. Clearly mark the fact that you are “opting out” on the housing page of the application form. After the application deadline has passed (November 1 or April 1, depending on the semester for which you are applying), it is no longer possible to reverse your “opting out”: in other words, you have then firmly committed yourself to setting up your own housing in Berlin, with the program exempt from any responsibility in this regard. Please note that setting up independent housing in Berlin, especially at a transatlantic distance, should always be undertaken with extra care. Please turn to the independent housing submenu for details.