Accommodations for the Academic Year

Rooms

Single rooms are furnished with a bed, a chest of drawers, a table or desk, a lamp and chair, an easy chair and a book case. Double rooms have two desks, chairs, bunk beds, a closet, dresser, and limited storage facilities. Each resident has space in a wardrobe or a closet. Most rooms are 9'; by 13'; or 3 x 4 meters. The majority of the rooms are regular singles (S2) and regular doubles (D1). Please refer to Rates and Room Descriptions for descriptions of these rooms.
Only graduate students, as recognized by the UC Berkeley Registrar , and Post Doctorates conducting graduate-level research, may live in single rooms. In addition, visiting student researchers, as defined by the Visiting Scholar and Postdoc Affairs department, who possess an undergraduate degree are also eligible for single rooms.

Single Room

Double Room

Meal Plans

A choice of board plans are included in the Residence contract. Since the dining plan is an integral part of the I-House experience, we do not offer accommodation without board. Three meals are served each weekday, two meals on Saturdays and Sundays. On designated holidays, one meal is served. No meals are served on Thanksgiving Day nor during the Winter vacation period (four weeks). Vegetarian dishes are featured on a regular basis. While cooking in rooms is not permitted there is a resident kitchen available for individual or small group use. Please note that we cannot accommodate Vegan diets, food allergies or any special medical diets.

Facilities and Services

Library

This facility is open to residents 24 hours a day and features international newspapers and a variety of periodicals. It offers a congenial, yet quiet, study atmosphere.

Resident Computer Center

The Resident Computer Center provides a number of Windows and Macintosh computers. The computers have popular applications such as MS Office Professional installed and are connected to the campus network and the Internet. Laser printing is available at low cost.

Residents' Service Center

Here residents may purchase toiletries, sundries, supplies, souvenirs, candy, and also rent equipment such as laptops, vacuums, irons, televisions, movies, small refrigerators, cots, linen and more.

Cashier

We will cash checks up to $50 for a nominal fee during regular business hours.

Telephone

Telephones sets are provided in each room. Public phones are also available. Telephone services are provided through UCB's Offsite Residential Communication Auxilliary "ORCA" (formally known as Residence Telephone Service). All residents are charged the mandatory semester fee for telephone service. 

Laundry

The laundry room has coin operated washers and dryers. Dry cleaning service is available. 

Front Desk

Our Front Desk is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  The Front Desk  staff respond to inquiries, take messages, loan sports equipment, newspapers and magazines.  The Front Desk staff also provide additional security and support after office hours.

Mail

Personal mailboxes are provided. Our mail room also receives express mail, packages, and other deliveries Monday through Saturday.

Cable TV

Residents may choose to activate this service for an additional fee.

I-House Residents Council

This is an elected resident body that sponsors activities independently and in cooperation with the Program Office.  Council also serves as a liaison between residents and the staff.

Internet Service

Direct access to the campus computer network is provided in each room and the library.

Wireless Access

The UC wireless network is now available at I-House through Wireless Access Points located in the Great Hall, the Library and Cafe. Coverage extends outdoors to the Heller Courtyard and Cafe patios.

Kitchen

There is a small kitchen that is available for residents' use. 

Other Amenities Other

amenities include: ping pong & pool room, pianos, TV lounge, meeting & conference rooms, magazines, fax services, an automated teller machine, and sports equipment.

Residency and Academic Calendar

I-House is open 365 days a year. Generally residents sign a contract for the entire academic year (mid-August to late May). However, semester long contracts are also available.

Acceptance is based on both application content and on the date of application.

"Just living here gives you a much more balanced view of other countries. Everything from lunch to laundry, is a cultural event."
-- A former resident

Advance Payment following acceptance

If you are accepted for residence, you will be asked to make a $1,000.00 payment by the deadline stated in your contract. This $1,000.00 pre-payment is required to hold your space. Advance payment can be sent by wire transfer or credit card. We will send you additional information about payment, cancellations, and check-in dates and procedures at the time you are offered a room.

How to Apply

Complete the online application form. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Any difficulty with this application? Please contact I-House at ihres@berkeley.edu

Due to the volume of inquiries we are unable to respond via phone or FAX. Please allow enough time for mail services to reach you.

Admission Criteria, Deadlines, and Contract Information

International House does not have an admissions deadline for new residents, but we do encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Post Doctorates and Graduate Students are given the highest priority.

The House seeks to have a balanced resident population of U.S. students and students from abroad. We also try to have students from as many countries as possible. All of these factors are considered before room offers are made. Finally, you should be aware that the number of applicants has exceeded the spaces available for the last several years.

Application Fee Waiver

Those who have been granted a University Admissions Fee Waiver, I-House room and board grant, or have been accepted as an Educational Opportunity Program student, will be eligible to have the application fee waived. A copy of your admission fee waiver, I-House grant letter, or EOP status letter must be sent with your application in lieu of the $35.00 fee.

Rates and Room Descriptions (Updated April 2, 2008)

These rates for the 2008-2009 academic year include a 15 meal weekly board plan. In addition to the room and board fees, a refundable security deposit of $500 and a $65 membership fee per semester will be required from new residents.
 

D1 -- Regular double room (shared with a roommate), approx. 9'x13' or 3x4 meters, bunk beds.

D2 -- Double with no bunk beds, most rooms are the size of a regular double.

D3 -- Larger than D2 and no bunk beds. 

S1 -- Low-price singles are the same size as regular singles, but less quiet, as they generally share a wall with a common bathroom from 3rd floor - 5th floor.

S2 -- Regular single, approx. 9'x13' or 3x4 meters.

S3 -- Same size as regular single, but with a bay view, or a balcony and a south bay view.

"Professionally, I believe I have sharper perceptions, deeper understanding, more first hand insights into other cultures and other peoples because of my time at the I-House." -- former resident Harold Gilliam

Financial Aid

Financial Aid, to help meet the cost of room and board at International House, is available to graduate and upper-division international students (F1 or J1), U.S. citizens, and permanent residents. Applicants must have completed at least one academic year at UC Berkeley and must demonstrate financial need. Awards are for full or partial payment of room and board fees. Click here for more information.

  "As I departed from the big house at the head of Bancroft, I reflected that it had given me more real world education than all of my classes." -- A former I-House Resident

Specific eligibility requirements and applications are available twice a year: in January for the following academic year, and in September for the spring semester. 

Applications will be available: 

1) on the Financial Aid page

2) at the Services for International Students and Scholars office

3) in the foyer outside the International House Human Resources Office.

The deadlines for submitting an application are the first week of March for academic year and fall semester awards, and the second week in October for spring semester awards. Please check the applications for specific dates.

New International Students Only

Entering foreign graduate students may apply for the Rafael Rodriguez/Golden Age Scholarship. This award offers a full room and board grant for a single room for twelve months. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and be deemed likely to benefit from, and contribute to, the International House mission. Applicants are asked to complete the "Application for Graduate Admission and Fellowships" which is available from the applicant's academic department. Applications are usually due in December.

Other Financial Aid

Students receiving Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships, or other types of verifiable financial aid may be eligible for a deferment. In all cases, a $25 deferment application fee will be required. Please mail the fee, a copy of the official award letter, and the completed deferment form (use the print command on your browser) along with your contract to the International House Admissions Office, 2299 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720-2320.

"I experienced here an intensity of discussion beyond anything I have known since, in 60 years of public life." -- John Kenneth Galbraith, former I-House Resident