By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
For students who plan on traveling to a different part of the country for an internship or another academic-related matter, finding a place to stay can be a major source of stress. Luckily for them, however, Springfield College’s Alumni Housing Assistance Program is designed to help students in these exact situations.
The program, which started in 2010 but has begun to pick up in size and scale more recently, aims to find housing for students going elsewhere in the United States to study but don’t know anyone they could reside with while they’re away.
Led by the Alumni Relations Office, along with heavy involvement from Springfield College Associate Director of Alumni Relations Maria Crawford, the program helps students from numerous areas of study.
While Sport Management, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physician Assistant majors are the main four with which Crawford works, students from any major have the ability to reap the benefits of this program.
The Alumni Relations Office has connections with alumni across the country, providing them with ample possibilities to provide to students as they seek housing.
In the past few years alone, a couple of Sport Management majors resided with an alum in Texas, while another student found a temporary home in Kansas City.
The program’s reach continues to expand. Crawford believes much of the credit for these positive results should go to the alumni themselves — some of whom don’t even charge students to stay with them.
“It’s so giving of our alums to take in a student, and it provides our students with opportunities they might not otherwise have,” Crawford said.
Even when an alum is unable, for whatever reason, to house a student, they can still help a student find housing.
“A student may end up connecting with somebody in the area through an alum,” Crawford said.
According to Crawford, a student went to Atlanta a couple of years ago but didn’t find a direct fit with an alum. Instead, they ended up staying with a colleague of the alum.
Whether they end up living with an alum or someone the alum recommends as an alternative option, students rely on this program to find a comfortable place to stay. At the same time, they embark on a significant trip to further their education.
With a high success rate in finding housing matches for students (around 80 percent, according to Crawford’s estimation), the campus’ Alumni Housing Assistance Program enables students to focus solely on the work-related aspects of their adventure.
In the process of seeking out housing assistance ahead of an upcoming trip, the first step for students is to reach out to Crawford to schedule a meeting. Here, the details of the program are given to students. Crawford serves as a point person for students throughout the entire process.
Students can reach Crawford via email at mcrawford@springfield.edu to get the ball rolling.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College