Motivations and Challenges for African International Students in Choosing On-Campus Housing and Transitioning Off-Campus

The findings of this qualitative phenomenological study explained the motives and challenges faced by African international students (n = 10) who initially chose to live on-campus and subsequently transitioned to off-campus accommodations. The research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with African international students currently enrolled at a predominantly White institution in the Midwestern United States, discussing their experiences with housing, cultural adjustment, and financial constraints. Although the initial choices to stay on campus stem from convenience and institutional support, various challenges pushed the students toward going off campus. To begin with, the cost of staying in an institution may be exorbitant for them. Such institutions at times prove to be culturally insensitive or socially alienating. Shifting off-campus, while involving logistics difficulties, has all the advantages of affordability and cultural comfort.