Help Center

Review your eligibility for CES off-campus living support.

We use cost-of-living averages by your college’s county or ZIP code to set the allowance amounts. The funds go directly to you for managing your own rent, groceries, and utilities.

Our allowance rates assume a shared setup—the cost for one person to live in a two-bedroom apartment in your region, sharing the rent with one other person. CES doesn’t restrict you from choosing a single apartment, but because we support you at a two-bedroom apartment rate, you may have a financial gap to cover yourself if you decide to live alone.

• To ask the living allowance rate in your region, contact GPS.
• To check if this allowance is affordable within your remaining CES amount, log into the MyCES portal and view Summary: Remaining Funds.
• If your landlord requires proof of your CES living allowance amount, follow these instructions.

Since CES living allowance support does not extend past the academic year, your apartment lease should cover a similar start and end date to your academic year. If you sign a 12-month lease, you will be responsible to cover your living costs during summer break.

Allowance timing examples:

• Academic year is Aug. 26 – April 25
  Living allowance provided for 9 months (Aug. 1 – April 30)

• Academic year is Aug. 22 – May 8
  Living allowance provided for 10 months (Aug. 1 – May 30)

CES does not pay off-campus apartment security deposits or advance rent.

Submit your signed lease to GPS by the deadline to avoid delays in your living allowance. Both your signature and your landlord’s signature are required.

The preferred method for payments is CES Direct Deposit into your bank account, so remember to keep your current bank on record with GPS.

We send your living allowance in four equal parts (early fall, mid-fall, early spring, mid-spring) as long as you stay eligible for CES. A missing lease or other documents can impact the timing of your living allowance.