Dear Brandeis Students,

I am writing with good news.  Colleagues and I have been in negotiation with our neighbors at Lasell University since April to secure additional housing opportunities for juniors and seniors. I am pleased to share with you that Brandeis has entered an agreement to house students in Holt Hall, a residence hall at Lasell University, provided we have commitments from at least 30 students by July 15, 2023. As these rooms, and rooms on campus are released for room selection in the coming week, we will continue to look for ways to offer housing to as many Brandeis students as possible.

Holt Hall is approximately three miles from Brandeis in the village of Auburndale in Newton, with three floors and more than 50 beds in double rooms joined by shared bathrooms. The building includes an elevator, two lounge spaces, and laundry machines. Holt Hall is walking distance to the MBTA Green Line, the commuter rail, a pharmacy, a supermarket, and other shops. 

The Holt Hall housing cost will be \$5,000 per semester, which is 4.5\% lower than the most comparable on-campus options (a double room in Rosenthal Quad). Students living in Holt Hall will be assigned an all-access meal plan, usable at both Brandeis and Lasell, at the same cost charged to on-campus students (\$3,829 per semester for the All Access +5 meal plan). The housing and meal plan charges will be included on the Brandeis tuition bill and all financial aid will be applicable to these costs. Even though the total housing and food charges for Holt Hall will be less than the \$9,548 per semester included in the cost of attendance upon which need-based financial aid is determined, students eligible for need-based aid will receive aid based on the higher standard allowance rather than actual charges. 

We are currently finalizing transportation to and from Holt Hall and campus. At this time we expect a Lasell shuttle will run several trips between Holt Hall and Brandeis in the morning and evenings, and we are discussing the potential of a Brandeis Van shuttle route being updated to be inclusive of Holt Hall. There are also MBTA bus routes (both direct and with a transfer) between Auburndale and the Brandeis campus. Additionally, parking permits will be available for purchase on each campus.

Students living in Holt Hall will be able to use facilities such as the gym, library, laundry, and emergency services on both the Lasell and Brandeis campuses. A Community Living staff member will live in Holt Hall, and as always, the main office in Usdan will be available to assist all Brandeis students. 

We will simultaneously release rooms in Holt Hall and East in the next week. Students who are eligible to select housing in either Holt Hall or other available Brandeis on-campus housing will receive additional details about this housing option so they can make informed decisions. The pending list housing selection will work in a similar way to the typical housing process - in order of each student’s number on the list and with students having the ability to pull in a roommate. If you no longer require on-campus housing please email dcl@brandeis.edu with your Workday ID number and a brief request to cancel. As a reminder, students without a housing assignment will not be charged any cancellation fees.

If you have questions about financial aid implications, please reach out to your financial aid counselor at 781-736-3700. Please direct room selection process questions to Community Living at dcl@brandeis.edu or 781-736-5060. 

I am grateful to colleagues across the university who have collaborated with us and worked to secure a temporary solution to our current demand for additional housing. I hope that this news brings some peace of mind and that you have a wonderful summer.

Sincerely,

Andrea Dine

Vice President for Student Affairs