WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Parking on campus is limited. Therefore, it is advisable that students find an apartment along a bus route or the DC Metro red line. Most apartment leases in the area start around late summer, so moving in the winter or spring may make the housing search more difficult. Be sure to check commute times to approximate how long it will take to reach the Medical Center Metro Station (red line stop for USU and NIH) from any listings you view.
Military housing is also available to military students at some of the military installations in the area. On-base living puts you in a safe community close to frequently used military services (exchanges, commissaries, hospitals, daycare, etc.) and with other military families. Students who successfully obtain on base housing won't receive a BAH pay because rent and utilities would be covered.
HOUSING RESOURCES
LEGAL INFORMATION
HOUSING ALLOWANCE
Students are given a monthly Basic Allowance for Housing that is based on the number of dependents they have.
Learn more about Basic Allowance for Housing >
TEMPORARY QUARTERS
Whether visiting the area for house hunting or just getting into town for school, you may want to consider the relatively inexpensive temporary quarters located at and maintained by most military installations in the area. The temporary quarters you and your family will be eligible to use include Guest Houses (GH) and Visiting Officers' Quarters (VOQ). Their prices and maximum lengths of stay vary with facility, and it is best to reserve well in advance. The closest of these to USU is the Navy Lodge, on the grounds of the Naval Support Activity Bethesda and a block from the University. First priority for reservations is to family members of in-patients at the hospital, but newly arriving service personnel have second priority; you may reserve a room by calling (301) 654-1795 or (800) NAVY INN (toll-free) two months in advance.
Several other military temporary quarters in the area are available:
- Andrews AFB, Camp Springs MD GH/VOQ (301) 981-4614/4624
- Bolling AFB, Washington DC GH/VOQ (202) 561-2558
- Fort Belvoir, Alexandria VA VOQ or (800) 295-9750
- Fort Meade, Odenton MD GH (301) 677-5884 or (800) GO ARMY1
- Fort Myer, Arlington VA VOQ (703) 696-3576 or (800) GO ARMY1
- Washington DC Navy Lodge (202) 563-6950 or (800) NAVY INN
APPLYING FOR MILITARY HOUSING
Military housing (referred to as "on-base housing" by Navy and Air Force personnel and "on-post housing" by Army personnel) is available to military students at some of the military installations in the area. On-base living puts you in a safe community close to frequently used military services (exchanges, commissaries, hospitals, daycare, etc.) and with other military families. If you are successful in obtaining on base housing, you won't receive a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), but neither will you receive any utility bills.
Most students who live on base do so at either Ft. Meade (Army, Navy, and Air Force students) located about 25 miles away or Andrews AFB (Air Force students) located about 25 miles away. While both commutes are on major interstate freeways, they will take an average of 30-45 minutes each way (sometimes much longer depending on traffic); some students living there car pool each day. The Glen Haven Housing located in Wheaton, MD is closer to USU and offers apartments and townhouses for Enlisted personnel and O1-O3 (301-649-9700). Contact the housing offices at these bases to obtain information on how long of a wait there is to get in and how to apply for base housing.
MOVING OUT
Army, Navy, and Air Force students should make moving arrangements through the transportation office at the nearest military installation. Even if you plan to move yourself, you must contact a transportation office before you leave in order to be reimbursed for your moving expenses.
MOVING IN
Military Officers will work through the Joint Personal Property Shipping Office (JPPSO), located at Fort Belvoir, VA, just south of Washington, DC. This is the military transportation office servicing this area and is where your household goods will arrive. Contact that office (703-806-4900 or 800-762-7186) when you arrive and let them know where you can be reached. As soon as your household goods arrive, JPPSO will contact you and, if you have your housing available, the goods can be delivered directly rather than be offloaded and put into temporary storage; this, of course, avoids significant delivery delays and wear and tear on your belongings. If the goods must be put into storage, you will need to make arrangements to have them delivered once you are ready to move into your new residence. You may even find it advantageous to call several weeks before arriving in the local area and set up a date for move in if you know exactly when you will arrive and where you will be living. When you contact JPPSO be patient and persistent; the phones are always busy and you may be on hold for a long time even after you get through to the office.
When your belongings are delivered, be certain that every item listed on the inventory has been brought into your home before signing for them; if items are damaged or missing, note those on the forms that the movers will have you sign. If you find that any of your belongings have been lost or damaged during your move, pick up the government claims forms from USU’s Office of the General Counsel to be reimbursed for the loss or damage. Follow through on this immediately.
Let the personnel in the Military Personnel Office, the Office of the Brigade Commander, or the Office for Student Affairs know if you need further assistance during the move or settling in to the area.
For further information on shipment of household effects coming into or out of the Washington, DC area, the following telephone numbers and addresses are provided:
Incoming Shipments
Customer Service: (703) 806-4900
Toll Free: (800) 762-7186
Fort Belvoir
9325 Duston Road
Suite N110
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5580
Outgoing Shipment/General Information/DDTY Moves Claims
Customer Service: (202) 433-3561
Claims: (202)685-1194 Thur 1197
Anacostia Naval Station
Building #414
Washington, DC 20374
Vehicle Shipment
(800) 631-5751 (Baltimore, MD)
Household Goods Help Line: (NAVSUP)
1-800-444-7789
(0800-1900 EST; Monday-Friday)