Housing Overview

As indicated above, we do not view housing as a mere afterthought. Rather, a safe and functional home, thoughtfully outfitted for a student?s unique needs, can make or break a study abroad experience. How many a student was fortunate enough to enroll in a first-rate program and study with a dynamic instructor, only to have the experience irreparably tainted by a home with unusable furniture, a shower that didn?t work, or an internet connection whose speed was measured not in megabytes-per-second but in ?bauds?? We believe that a carefully-crafted housing situation is foundational to?and an absolute prerequisite for?an unforgettable study abroad experience.

To this end, we?ve spent a considerable amount of time asking students what they liked?and what they didn?t?about their experiences with independent housing options in Amman. In no particular order, here are the most common ?pain points? that students shared with us over the past decade:

1. ?The Search? to?find and secure suitable housing?|?The process itself with all that it entails (especially for first-term students) has been described as stressful, time-consuming, and fraught with unwelcome surprises.
2. Unreliable, slow, and poorly-serviced internet?|?Given how foundational having a decent connection is for just about everything we do?connecting with friends and family, study, work?issues related to internet access consistently come up high on the list.
3. Water problems?|?This is one of those issues that, when everything works well, is taken for granted; but when something is off, everything feels off. Whether it is water that runs out (the municipality in Amman rations water weekly, and most landlords don?t invest adequately in large-size tanks), or some other drainage |?piping-related issue, problems related to water can be a surprising pain point.
4. Absentee?or?disinterested building porter?|?In Jordan, it is customary for every apartment tower to have an on-site porter responsible for things such as basic safety, building maintenance, and utilities troubleshooting. As can be expected, the quality of service ranges considerably. Those who have had a friendly, competent porter sing his praises; while those who have experienced the other end of the scale wonder aloud if their porter is a magician constantly disappearing.
5. Poor quality furniture?|?Odds are that you?re not going to find your favorite furniture shop in Amman, but there is a difference between functional furniture that does what it?s supposed to do, and ?furniture? that breaks at the slightest touch. Suffice it to say that some landlords pretend to not know the difference.
6. Distance from Qasid, coffee shops, and or shopping centers?|?Amman is a delightful city to walk, but for those times when you need to get around, congested traffic makes taking (or even finding) a cab a virtual nightmare. Living within walking distance of the places you frequent most is an absolute must, not to mention an effective way to save the $60?to $100 per month required to cab to and from Qasid for those living in distant neighborhoods. Finally, living close to a well-known landmark makes getting back home in a cab a cinch.
7. Too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter?|?Spring and fall students normally enjoy Amman?s best weather, but summer and winter students often have to contend with homes not equipped to deal with weather challenges.
8. Substandard kitchen?|?Not having the right kind of appliances, kitchenware, or other items necessary to cook a decent meal means that students in the past have had to supplement?sometimes at considerable personal expense. These kinds of surprise expenses can blow even the most liberal of budgets.
9. Disinterested landlord?|?No housing situation is perfect, so when something goes wrong, having someone who demonstrates care and is willing to shoulder some of the responsibility is a welcome relief. For obvious reasons, in housing that we don?t manage, we can?t fully control what a landlord does?or?doesn?t do.
10. A bad roommate or?housemate?|?I?ll spare you the details. We all know exactly how and why this can spell disaster.

If we haven?t yet managed to frighten you into cancelling your flight to Amman, give yourself a pat on the back for hanging in there. Now for the good part ?

Preface

When we set out to create a housing solution tailored to our students? experiences, we essentially took the pain points above and flipped them on their heads. The result? A set of residential options which are compelling, attractive, and uniquely supportive of student needs. To keep things simple, there are two main ways to secure housing.

Option 1?|?Qasid Housing

If you select and are awarded Qasid Housing, you will reside in a Qasid-managed apartment located in the residential neighborhood of Al-Madina Al-Riyadiya (Sport City). Most apartments are clustered close to other Qasid housing units, helping to create a sense of community with other students of Arabic. Where possible, all units have been customized and fitted to cater to the needs of our students. Each building that our apartments are situated in is staffed with an Arabic-speaking porter who attends to building maintenance, security, and helps with other tasks such as replacing drinking water supplies and natural gas cylinders.

Additionally, key members of our Housing Care team are easily accessible during Qasid?s working hours to tend to any issues that arise, and after-hours support staff round things out by being available to field urgent |?emergency calls throughout the night and on weekends, effectively giving our student-residents a way to reach us for urgent matters 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For many students, this type of access to an English-speaking member of staff who is well-versed in the unique challenges of study abroad is reason enough to opt for Qasid Housing rather than roughing it alone.

In terms of location, Qasid Housing units are situated within a 15 minute walk to Qasid (with virtually all the units less than 10 minutes away), as well as to Carrefour supermarket (similar to Safeway or Tesco), Mukhtar Mall, several budget and higher-end restaurants, half-a-dozen fruit and vegetable markets, a gym, and most of the daily |?weekly conveniences that students have typically expressed interest in having access to. University Street (Queen Rania Street), one of Amman?s main artery roads, is steps away from Qasid, connecting you to both cabs and public transport that help facilitate comfortable movement throughout Amman. In short, the apartments provide a central, secure home-base from which to explore all that Amman has to offer.

For individual students, there are five room options within conventional, Qasid Housing. The specifics of each type, including rent amounts, interior details, and relevant considerations, are detailed later in this document.

And, if you will be attending Qasid as a?married couple?or?family, we understand that you?have a unique set of housing considerations. So, we ask that you contact our housing department at housing@qasid.com for individual, personalized attention in exploring your housing options through our Facilitated Housing program.

Option 2 | Independent Housing

For those students who either a) aren?t awarded a housing spot in Qasid Housing, or b) would prefer to see their apartment in person before making a session-long commitment, Independent Housing is a viable option.

If you prefer to forgo Qasid Housing and instead secure housing on your own, we are happy to provide some initial direction and assistance. Students who have opted for this arrangement in the past have typically done some initial online exploration (more on that in a moment), but wait until they arrive before making any formal lease commitments. During orientation, we will sometimes take students that chose Independent Housing on a brief tour of a handful of apartments that came on the radar of our Housing Care team. Students then self-organize in terms of housemates, select from among the apartments that they view, and deal directly with the landlord with respect to rent amount, duration, and other lease commitments.

Please note that Independent Housing has its advantages, but it is not for the faint of heart: For some, there is no substitute for seeing first-hand the place that they will call home for the next three months. But with this benefit comes a risk that, for example, you will not quickly find an appropriate match–apartment, roommate, or both–upon arrival. The benefit of waiting to see things first-hand needs to be weighed against the reality that with each passing day, Amman is getting more and more crowded, and short-term rentals are getting more expensive. You may find a jewel and be the envy of your classmates, or you may end up?given dwindling supply?having to settle for something that is acceptable but far less than what you had hoped for. Weighing these factors is a personal decision, and it is precisely for this reason that?while we encourage everyone to secure something ahead of time via Qasid Housing?we nonetheless give all admitted students these two distinct options, each of which aligns with different personal preferences and tolerance for risk.

Please also note that given the nature of Independent Housing, we cannot intervene in the daily maintenance or happenings on-site. Once a student signs the rental contract directly with the landlord, our involvement will necessarily be limited to emergencies or extenuating circumstances. For short-term leases (such as?3 months), many landlords require that the entire amount be paid up-front. Some permit early termination with a cancellation fee, while most hold a tenant responsible for the entire rental period.

To get a sense of what might be available when you arrive, go to www.expatriates.com, select Jordan, and then explore the ?Housing Available? section of the site. In the search bar, you can enter ?Qasid,? and view those listings which explicitly mention proximity to Qasid. ?Other websites that list short-term rentals include www.airbnb.com,www.cityscape.jo/short_term, www.expat-blog.com, www.jordan.aqar-estate.com, and www.amman-apartments.com.

As a point of reference, Qasid is located on University Street (Queen Rania Street), in Al-Madina Al-Riyadiya (Sport City). Nearby neighborhoods that are a short cab ride away are Gardens Street, Shmeisani, and the University of Jordan. Neighborhoods with a caf? culture and an attractive ?walkability? score include Jabal al-Weibdeh (also known simply as ?Weibdeh?) and Rainbow Street. Upscale neighborhoods that include a mix of residential units and shops that cater to English-speakers include Abdoun, Umm Uthaina, Rabia, and Sweifieh. To get to and from Qasid, note that taxis operate around the clock, minibuses run every 10 to 15 minutes, and city buses run every 30 minutes. The latter two transport options are accessible from major roads and are considerably less expensive than taxis, but have specific routes that need to be learned.

Finally, please bear in mind that with the Independent Housing option, Qasid is unable to guarantee that housemates will be available to offset and share in the total rent amount. Furthermore, any costs for hotel or temporary dorm accommodations during those first few days from the time of arrival in Amman until an apartment is secured and moved into are the responsibility of each student; we will of course be happy to provide budget recommendations.

Considerations and Recommendations

Of the two options, we strongly recommend Qasid Housing for the overwhelming majority of our first-term students. For most students, not knowing where they?re going to live, who they?re going to live with, the quality of housing to expect upon arrival, and the like?all in a foreign land thousands of miles from home?may represent a significant source of stress. Electing to go with Qasid-managed housing, ensconced in a community of fellow Arabic-language learners, helps get these concerns out of the way, and allows a greater focus on the logistics of travel, course preparation, and enjoyment of the study-abroad experience.

Because we have listened closely to past students who have told us what they liked and didn?t like about their residential experiences in Jordan, our team has a fairly extensive understanding of what actually matters; in contrast, many of these needs unique to students are simply not on the minds of many landlords, whose main rental business caters to a different type of tenant, such as seasonal visitors from the Gulf, business travelers, and families. ?Some things that a thoughtful landlord prioritizes for in his apartment might be ideal for an Arab family visiting Amman from Dubai for two weeks, but that setup will certainly not be aligned with the fundamentally different needs of an English-speaking student coming to study and learn for three to six months.

We understand that you have made significant personal, academic, and |?or professional sacrifices to come to Amman, and have a limited window of opportunity to get your Arabic at the level you want it to be; accordingly, we?ve optimized your apartment not for ?too little of the right things and too much of the wrong things,? but rather, for precisely the types of functional furnishings and thoughtful touches to help you thrive as a student. Your living situation should serve as a solid foundation to help you achieve your goals, not obstruct them.

For those who take our recommendations to heart and elect to live in Qasid Housing during their first term, housing options for subsequent academic sessions are more flexible. If you enjoy the benefits of Qasid Housing during the first term and would like to continue living there for additional sessions, you will be given priority over all other incoming students.

Moreover, each additional term at Qasid Housing is granted a rent refund?of 5 to 10%. Here?s how it works: Those who reside in Qasid Housing for 2 consecutive, qualifying academic terms are awarded an extra 5% refund?on housing for each term; 3 terms or more and the discount goes up to 10% per qualifying session. These discounts?are given in bulk as a single payment near the end of your conclusive?term?in Qasid Housing. When you take care of final payments with our accountant, he will refund you the discount total as either cash, wire transfer, or use it to debit any outstanding fees remaining.

One of the best parts of the multi-term discount is that it is retroactive, meaning that that our accountant will actually go back and credit you for any successive sessions that you previously resided in Qasid Housing since the offer’s inception, in addition to present or future sessions.

Please see a more detailed description of the multi-term housing discount in the Housing Costs and Payments section herein.

Alternatively, having benefited from an initial term at Qasid Housing, and feeling more comfortable with life in Amman, cultural expectations, and your own growing Arabic proficiency, you may choose to venture further away by exploring ?other housing options. For students who indicate a readiness and interest to do so, we wholeheartedly encourage it; our Student Support team will be happy to provide additional guidance about what to look for (and what to look out for) in Independent Housing.

To give you a sense of what?s possible: Some of our past students?after an initial period of getting to know Amman and some of the nuances of local culture?have enjoyed living in neighborhoods such as Weibdeh and on Rainbow Street in the 1st Circle area. These neighborhoods are home to both locals and a decent number of English-speaking residents, and their caf? cultures and easy walkability make them an attractive choice for those comfortable in Amman.

Other students elect to take their Arabic studies to a qualitatively higher level by seeking out Jordanian housemates and creating an Arabic-only speaking environment at home. Others elect to live in locals-only neighborhoods where English is rarely spoken. The main takeaway here is that after residing in Qasid Housing for your initial term or two, and using that time to independently explore other options in Jordan, your sense of what?s possible will widen considerably; in turn, you?ll be able to optimize and prioritize for whatever unique factors |?considerations |?goals are most important to you, whether that is neighborhood vibe, Arabic-speaking environment, budget, or other.

Despite our strong recommendation that all first-term Qasid students select Qasid Housing, those of you who choose not to do this?whether because you are already comfortable with Amman from a previous visit, have friends ?or ?family who are local, are coming in with intermediate to advanced Arabic proficiency, or simply are highly adventurous from the get-go?we will of course support you in your decision. Those who select ?Independent Housing? may consult with our Student Support team on how to best go about their search both before arrival (online) as well as once they?re here.

Before we move on to describe some of the specifics of Qasid Housing, let?s sum up what?s been detailed above in a practical, actionable way; namely, by describing the type of student for whom Independent Housing is ideal, and the type of student for whom Qasid Housing is best.

Independent Housing is ideal for students who:

• Are comfortable with the uncertainty and risk of not having an apartment move-in ready before they arrive, and prefer to make their own decision about living options after they see with their own eyes what?s available after arriving;
• Are passionately independent and don?t need or want a great deal of institute support;
• Value being on their own, to the extent of wanting neither housemates nor roommates;
• Don?t mind ?hitting the pavement? (via online search as well as physically upon arrival) and doing the extra legwork of finding their own housing solution;
• Want to be as far away as possible from other English-speakers;
• Have achieved a high level of Arabic proficiency and a deep understanding of cultural norms, and can deftly navigate the local scene involving landlords, housemates, porters, maintenance, service providers, Jordanian contracts, and the like, all on their own with limited support.

Qasid Housing is ideal for students who value:

• Being within walking distance of Qasid, supermarkets, fruit and vegetable markets, eateries, and dozens of smaller retail shops;
• The possibility of being in a safe, monitored building with other Qasid students in the building;
• Getting extra levels of support from the Qasid Hospitality?team;
• Having access to free maintenance service along with night and weekend emergency assistance;
• A comfortable home base from which to venture out to the rest of Jordan;
• The privacy of their own bedroom, and don?t mind sharing the apartment with 2 or 3 other housemates;
• Their time and peace of mind, and don?t want to fritter away energy by hassling with finding and managing their own housing situation;
• Move-in convenience and speed, meaning?they want to settle into a reliable and thoughtful housing solution as soon as possible;
• Their studies and the Qasid experience as a whole; they want to be close to Qasid itself, its staff, and other students.

Again, our heartfelt recommendation to you if you are an individual, first-term student is direct and unambiguous: Procure Qasid Housing. Then, as your Arabic proficiency and comfort level with Jordan deepen over the subsequent 3 to 6 months, you may choose to either continue in Qasid Housing for subsequent terms, or venture off to find housing that may be more spacious, less expensive, located in your favorite type of neighborhood, or is somehow better optimized for what matters to you most via Independent Housing.

As mentioned above too, if you will be attending Qasid as a?married couple?or?family, we understand that you?have a unique set of housing considerations. So, we ask that you contact our housing department at housing@qasid.com for individual, personalized attention in exploring your housing options through our Facilitated Housing program.

The best way to describe Qasid Housing is as the antithesis of the type of housing detailed in the ?pain points? section above. In other words, Qasid Housing features the following:

1. A done-for-you, complete solution?|?Besides completing the application, making timely payment, and showing up with your bags, there is virtually nothing else for you to do. Our team does everything behind the scenes, and will prepare your residence in time for your arrival, including being taken directly from the airport in our Wi-Fi enabled cars straight to your move-in ready apartment.
2. Reliable and rapid internet at no extra charge |?We?ve made a special arrangement with one of the country?s leading internet service providers to grant?our residents a level of service similar to what they offer leased-line business clients. Moreover, because of registration and regulation issues, this type of service is out-of-reach for the vast majority of students and travelers to Jordan. So we contract with the internet service provider, and pass along a fast, stable connection with 200 Gb monthly?download limits?all at no additional cost. Best of all, it?s ready for you to connect to before your travel bags hit the ground.
3. Water problems? Electricity issues? Something broken??|?No need to scour the city for a handyman, let alone a qualified one. We have a dedicated Housing Care team that takes care of maintenance issues.
4. A porter who cares: Our porters are a cut above most. And the fact that your share of their salaries (normally about 20 to 40 JD per apartment) is already bundled with your rent, makes this even nicer.
5. Customized, precise move-in and move out dates?|?Non-Qasid landlords often take an all-or-nothing monthly rent. In other words, if (for example) your term ends on March 15th, many landlords will demand payment for ALL of March, not just half of it. With Qasid Housing, you?re only charged for the duration of the term plus a few days before orientation for move-in, and a few days after the end of the session.
6. Clean, functional furniture and bed?linens?|?Our rooms may not win design awards, but you can rest assured that you can pick things up and move them around without fear of things breaking, melting, or otherwise disintegrating. Bedding includes a bottom sheet (but no top sheet), a cover blanket, and at least one pillow with pillow case. Residents will need to bring their own bath towels.
7. Just minutes away on foot to Qasid, Carrefour supermarket, Mukhtar Mall, and dozens of smaller shops (mom-and-pop eateries, falafel and shawarma joints, vegetable markets, and the like)?|?When you next walk by 10 people fighting to flag down a taxi to get home, the immensity of this advantage will become apparent. Not to mention the accumulated savings in cab fare.
8. Appropriate heating and cooling?|?While some apartments have good fans for cooling, other units boast centralized AC for overall temperature control, and some may be outfitted with portable, electric?heaters. Diesel fueled, central heating systems with wall mounted radiators are also common in Amman?as a winter warmth alternative.
9. Well-stocked kitchen?|?No, our kitchens have not (nor will ever be) featured by Rachel Ray or Anthony Bourdain, but you can count on basic cookware, cutlery, utensils and dishes?along with standard?appliances?that work, including?gas ovens with?stove-top burners, refrigerators with freezers, and microwave ovens.
10. Clean apartments with bi-monthly cleaning service?| While the state of your individual bedroom is fully your responsibility, the common living areas, including the bathrooms, will be cleaned twice monthly. This will involve the floors being washed and fixtures being wiped down (Toilet, tub, sink, appliance exteriors, and tables if they are cleared). To respect privacy concerns, individual bedrooms are not entered by the cleaning staff.
11. Sensible, thoughtful housemate matching?|?We actually read and carefully consider what you (and your potential housemates) write in your housing application so that?for the overwhelming majority of students?you will?live?in good company throughout your stay.?Most apartments will have a total of 3 to 5 housemates depending on the rooms available and the number of private room versus shared room requests we receive. We also occasionally manage a couple of large sized apartments that can comfortably house 7 to 10 housemates. For your comfort, we also keep the ratio of number of residents-to-bathrooms available reasonable, so that the apartments never feel over-congested.
12. A landlord you can find?|?You ?know where we live,? so to speak. If something is amiss, rest assured that we will give it our utmost attention.
13. After-hours emergency contact?|?Unexpected emergencies are to be expected. And when they arise, know that we are a phone call away, whether it?s the middle of the night, or an official holiday.

More can be said, but at this point it?s perhaps most useful to define?the five main room types relative to each other within a given apartment. The first room type,??Shared??rooms, are?for students who are on an especially tight budget and want to share a single, large room with one other roommate in an apartment having?at least?one additional?housemate. The remaining four room types listed are private rooms, meaning one student per room in a multi-room apartment.

Apartment and Room Differences

Qasid generally leases between 15 and 40 apartments per academic term, with the majority located within 1 kilometer of the campus for convenience. Given this geographic restriction, the number of apartments available is limited and the characteristics between them will vary. Thus, while we strive to lease apartments with rooms meeting the overall parameters mentioned above,?residents should be aware of and flexible in accepting the fact that differences in features and quality will inherently occur. This aspect of Qasid Housing rental agreements is explained in item 8 of the Housing Guidelines.

Additionally, although we also do our best to reserve everyone?s first or second room type choice, based on the unpredictable, supply?|?demand dynamics, we cannot guarantee this.?It is common, for example, to have up to 50 requests for Standard rooms, when only around 10 are available. Each applicant should therefore be financially prepared to pay for up to their third most expensive room type preference, as this may be the only option possible in some cases. This point is also reiterated in item 3 of the Process Overview of this web page.

Bedroom Furnishings

Beyond the items noted above, each bedroom includes a chest of drawers, a clothes drying rack, and either a window or small balcony. Many rooms also contain a desk, office chair, mirror, and nightstand. If a desk and chair are not located in the bedroom, adequate study space should be found in the common areas (seating spaces, dining table, etc.). Bedding includes a bottom sheet (but no top sheet), a cover blanket, and at least one pillow with pillow case. Residents will need to bring their own bath towels and wash cloths.

Also note that some private rooms may have more than one set of furnishings. If you are assigned to and arrive in one of these rooms, don’t worry … you will not be sharing the room with another student. These configurations simply allow us the flexibility to assign the room as either a private or shared room when making the initial reservations.

Common Areas

Each apartment features a functionally-stocked kitchen including a?gas oven with?stove-top burners, a refrigerator with freezer, drinking water bottle with spigot dispenser, a microwave oven, basic cookware, cutlery, utensils and dishes, along with?at least two bathrooms (one bathroom with a shower, toilet, and sink, and a second bathroom with a toilet and sink only), a dining table with chairs, lounge seating, clothes washing machine, iron with ironing board, and temperature control?equipment (possibly including a central heating system, AC units, fans, and|or?portable electric heaters).

Winter Heating

Many students are caught off guard by the chilly temperatures?both inside and outside during the winter season in Amman. With most buildings made of steel and stone, and with limited, domestic power resources, it is somewhat more?costly to remain as warm and cozy at home in Jordan?than?it is in one’s native land. Feeling a bit cool during the colder months?sometimes even more so when indoors?is often a fact of life here.

Responding to inquires about potential utility costs is also?a challenge due the vast difference in each apartment’s unique thermodynamics and the personal comfort levels among?housemates. For example, one apartment’s monthly bill may be (literally) 5 times higher than?the one next door because the neighbors?get more direct sunlight and the tenants are willing to wear four layers of clothing day and night in?an overall lower indoor temperature.

What we can offer, however, are the following tips for lowering costs:

• For those with a?thermostat, keep it set below?25 degrees C in the day time, and at around 17 C overnight.
• And for those with diesel boiler?central heating, be sure to monitor the fuel tank level regularly, to gauge your consumption rate and adjust accordingly.
• Limit the daily number of hours of heating use. ( A couple hours in the morning and a few in the evening.)
• Bundle up in?multiple?layers of clothing, including thermal undergarments.
• Wear house slippers with good soles to insulate your feet from frigid floors.
• Get a second blanket for your bed.
• Wear a knit hat when sleeping.
• Drink hot tea?and eat more sweets (sugars warm the body).
• Contact?housingcare@qasid.com if your heating system is not working properly, or if you have questions about how to use it.

Some students ask about using more affordable, portable, natural gas ‘soba’ heaters. But, due to the hazards involved, these are strictly prohibited in Qasid Housing. While at first it may seem that the dangers of a gas heater are no greater than a gas oven’s cooktop, the differences in the risk include:

• Because a?gas heater is mobile?source of an open, vertical panel flame, it can easily be placed too close to flammable curtains, doors, and other furnishings, (and people).
• Despite the buildings being of concrete construction, a furnishing or cabinetry fire can produce toxic smoke which can then affect everyone in the apartment and in other apartments.
• A?gas heater is much more likely to be inadvertently left on?and therefore unattended?when someone falls asleep.
• Among other incidents in Amman (but not at Qasid, thankfully), an entire family visiting from abroad died from carbon monoxide poisoning as they slept because a gas heater was left on without adequate room ventilation. While we know of no deaths due to a gas cooktop being left on.

So, please bring your thermal uppers and leggings, and be prepared to budget a bit more for power costs if you will be coming for the winter term. Safety is priceless.

Powering Your Personal Electronics

While Qasid assures you will have the essential appliances as mentioned above to facilitate your stay, many students also ask whether or not they should bring their own small appliances along with plug adapters, power converters, or voltage transformers.?In response, we like to share the following overview …

The basic issue for international travel is that, while much of North America utilizes a 110 to 120 volt power?grid convention, the majority of the rest of the world uses a much higher, 220 to 240 volt electrical infrastructure. The matter is further complicated by the multitude of mismatched, plug and socket configurations in use worldwide. This means that using electrical products between the two systems can be dangerous, destructive, or even deadly if the voltages and connectors are not properly adjusted to match.

To discuss the proper adjustments, first we need to untangle the terminology about the topic, as the definitions can be confusing.

• Adapter | A device which allows one shape of pronged plug to fit into a differently shaped power outlet or wall receptacle. NO VOLTAGE CHANGE takes place with these devices. These usually cost between 5 and 20 US dollars depending on how many plug shapes they accommodate.
• Transformer | A device which CHANGES THE VOLTAGE to match the product being powered. It may or may not also act as an adapter, allowing one shape of pronged plug to fit into a differently shaped power outlet or receptacle. For most small, household appliances these usually cost between 20 and 100 US dollars relative to the maximum voltage they handle. And, as a general rule, the quality and voltage capacity of a transformer is proportional to its weight.
• Converter | Although this term is often used in reference to transformers or combinations of transformers with adapters, it may also refer to adapters only, which can be misleading. So be sure to clarify the meaning when it appears.

For those then coming to live in Amman, you simply need to ensure that the plugs on your products fit the outlets in your homes here, and that the voltage is stepped down from 220 to 110 for products requiring the lower rating.

Fortunately, the majority of modern, portable electronics (notebook computers, tablets, mobile phones, digital cameras, etc.) have a transformer ?brick? integrated into the charging cord itself which will automatically match the local voltage with the product requirements. Look at the label on the transformer or the product for a notice indicating ?110/120 v ~ 220/240 v? which means it can be safely plugged into either voltage.

If it does meet that criterion, all that is commonly needed is an adapter if the plug does not fit the wall outlet. You may find upon your arrival, however, that your apartment has universal outlets which will accommodate the foreign plug type.

For other kinds of 110 volt products (hairdryers and straighteners, tea kettles and toasters, desk lights, shavers, etc.) a transformer of some sort will almost certainly?be required, along with a plug adapter in most cases. Thankfully, adapters are readily available in Jordan for 1 or 2 JD at supermarkets. And transformers are also easy to find for 15 JD and up at electronics stores.

You can also rest assured that personal electronics and appliance stores abound in Amman, which means you can likely find what you need right here at a cost similar to what an adequate quality transformer or converter would cost you. And?without the additional luggage weight or precious space, or the risk of electrocution or destruction of your favorite lava lamp.

So, for most items it may be best to simply budget a bit extra and follow the ?buy when you arrive? approach. And if you?re wondering what to do with the item when you leave, options include selling it to a continuing student, getting a few dinars for it at a second hand shop, or just donating it to the apartment as a good will gesture for the next student residents. You might just find that leaving behind a 20 JD appliance that helped you enjoy your months-long stay abroad was well worth the?investment.

As always, feel free to contact us with your specific questions.

Rent Prices

Listed below are the respective, monthly rent prices per room type?for all seasonal, academic?sessions. Reflecting?inherent fluctuations?in local rental market demand between the first and second halves of the calendar year, the winter and spring term rates differ from the summer and fall terms by 20% to 25%.

The first room type,??Shared?, is for students who are on an especially tight budget and want to share a single, large room with one other roommate in an apartment having?at least one or two other housemates. The other four room types are private rooms, meaning one student per room in a multi-room apartment.

Rent Calculations

The housing agreement duration is determined by days (not nights)?of tenancy, counting the 5:00 PM move-in date and 12:00 noon checkout date together as a single day. The formulas used to calculate the total term cost and daily room rate are?based on a monthly room rate divided by an annual average of 30.4369 solar days per month producing a daily rate which is multiplied by the days of tenancy relative to?each term. Please note that this prorated method saves you the excess rent often included in conventional Jordanian rental contracts in which a full month’s rent is required regardless of how many actual days you live there.

Because?the specific number of days?in each academic quarter?fluctuates from?season?to season?and from year to year, it isn’t practical to list a total term rent?price?per room type for every possible academic?term in advance. But to estimate the total rent for a term, the following tenancy duration variables may be?multiplied by the monthly costs shown above.

• Winter ?| ?2.65 months
• Spring ?| ?2.70 months
• Summer ?| ?2.35?months
• Fall ?| ?3.2 months

For example, if you want to budget for?a Select room during a spring term, the calculation to approximate the cost for the entire session?will be 265 JD ?x ?2.70 ?= ?715.50 JD. A checkout fee deposit of 150 JD (as described below) will then be added to this full term rent price?to arrive at the total, initial cost to reserve a room.

Included in the Rent

The following items are included in the rental price, which are shown along with a monthly, per apartment estimate of what these things would normally cost in Jordanian dinars:

• Wireless internet access ?| ?40 JD
• Housing Care maintenance support?and emergency or?evening assistance fees ?| ?70 JD
• Building haris porter fees ?| ?25 JD
• Bi-monthly cleaning service ?| ?20 JD

Excluded from?the Rent

Items not?included in the rental price are utilities (water, electricity, gas) and anything else not explicitly mentioned as included. These will be shared among all?residents in given apartment. Water and gas are relatively inexpensive and together normally amount to less than 10 JD per month per apartment, while electricity costs vary greatly based on seasonal use. Please see the Utility Costs section below for details on how these fees?are handled.

Rent Discount for Multiple Academic Sessions

UPDATE | Thankfully, Qasid Housing rent prices have not increased in over three years. Periodically, however, we do need to make incremental adjustments in our fiscal policies to maintain the viability of our accommodation services. One such change will alter the multi session rent discount for 3 eligible terms or more, from 15% to 10% for all residents beginning such a stay with us in the 2018 winter term. For residents already living in Qasid Housing as of the 2017 fall term, the prior, 15% rate will be applied for all eligible terms. The description of the multi session discount below reflects this revision.

Those of you who reside in Qasid Housing for more than one qualifying session will be awarded a per term discount refund of 5 to 10% (depending on how many terms you choose to stay), for each successive, qualifying session that you remain, including the first one. Unless other arrangements are made in advance, for the discount to apply for a given session, you must have resided in Qasid Housing for at least half of the rental period, and the normal, daily rental rate must have been paid for the respective room type.

Here is how we honor the discount: For each session, you will pay the normal (non-discounted) rent. Near?the end?of?your final term?in Qasid Housing, please inform a member of our Housing team of your checkout date at least one week in advance, and specify that you would like us to begin processing your refund.

Our accounting office will then calculate your discount retroactively for all consecutive, eligible terms and apply a credit to your account. Those who reside in Qasid Housing for 2 qualifying terms are awarded a 5% rental credit for both terms; while for 3 or more qualifying terms the discount goes to 10% for all terms. If you have a balance due in your general Qasid account, this amount will reduce your balance. If the total discount calculated is greater than your balance with Qasid, we will issue you a refund.

An example: You opt for a room at 700 JD for the entire winter term, 800 JD for the spring term, and at 1000 JD for the subsequent, summer term. At the beginning of each term, you pay the full housing cost for that term. At the end of the third session, you are owed a refund of 70 JD (700 x 10%) for the first term, plus 80 JD (800 x 10%) for the second term, plus 100 JD (1000 x 10%) for the third term, which amounts to a total discount rebate?of 250 JD, effectively giving you back the majority of a month’s of rent.

Why we do it this way: Some students intend to be in Qasid Housing for just one term, but then come to enjoy their room and housemates and decide to stay on. Giving ALL of our students the flexibility and freedom to NOT have to make a decision on this up-front means that no one is locked in to a long-term contract, and no one has to think 9 to 12 months into the future; instead, each of you can do what?s best for you session-by-session, and even if you did not indicate your intention to be at Qasid Housing for multiple sessions, we will honor any commitments you make anyway, even if they are after the fact (meaning?a retro-active discount). In other words, we don?t want someone staying at Qasid Housing for multiple sessions simply because they committed to; we want you staying because you love it here.

Additionally, because we customarily lower rents in the ?low seasons,? (winter and spring sessions) doing it this way insures that any discounts you get for multiple terms?will be in addition to the ?low season? rent reductions, essentially giving you a dual-discount.

Having said this, if you are experiencing extreme financial hardship and absolutely need to have your multiple session discount applied session-by-session rather than collectively toward the end of your stay, please feel free to raise this request with our Student Support team. Depending on how extenuating your personal circumstances are, we will explore working with you to ease any cash flow difficulties, and are committed to making your stay with us as light and as amiable as we can.

Prorated Rent Reductions

Tenants who plan to attend Qasid for a duration shorter than a full academic term?may be eligible for a rent reduction based on a daily prorated scale. Although?we are unable to extend this offer in every situation?due to the advance rent payments we make to local landlords, we do empathize with the discrepancy between paying a full term rate for a substantially shorter stay. We are thus willing to provide a prorated rent agreement for those tenants whose actual occupancy duration is less than the period between the official move-in date and checkout date by more than 20 days. Please contact us if you feel you qualify for this discount.

Checkout Fee?Deposit

Each tenant agrees to pay Qasid a partially refundable checkout fee?deposit of 150 JD. This will be used at the end of the tenancy to compensate for all utility costs as well as any maintenance required after the tenant vacates the apartment. A dry-cleaning fee of 10 JD will also be deducted to refresh the linens at the end of the term, as will a general cleaning fee totaling 5 to 10 JD per tenant. Any charges collectively exceeding the balance of the deposit will be charged directly to the tenant.

Tenants are required to follow checkout procedures which begin by scheduling a room inspection within one week of their departure. Given the results of that walk through, the tenant may then visit Qasid?s accounting office for partial refund of their checkout fee deposit per the details below for how those refunds are handled. They must also return their key set to the institute or pay a re-keying fee which will vary up to 25 JD depending on which keys are not returned.

Payment Deadlines

Once a Qasid Housing room assignment has been accepted, the housing rent and checkout fee deposit are to be paid in full no later than the first day of orientation events for the term. If you are unable to complete your housing payments in a timely manner, please notify us so that we can discuss a payment plan with you. We are naturally more flexible towards enforcement of the deadline policies with those who extend us the courtesy of remaining in contact with us about their payment delays.

Unless other arrangements are made in advance, tenants who miss?the orientation day?deadline and have not yet concluded their payment of both the rent and checkout fee deposit by the 10th day after their scheduled move-in date?(regardless of whether or not they have actually moved in) may be restricted from attending Qasid classes until the payments are received?or a payment plan acceptable to Qasid is established. Tenants who have?still not remitted their housing payments?or established a payment plan acceptable to Qasid by the 20th day after their scheduled move-in date?(regardless of whether or not they have actually moved in)?are at risk of being asked to vacate their apartments and find alternate accommodations.

Anyone wishing to cancel their room assignment agreement after it has been accepted is subject to the policies detailed in the Commitments and Cancellations section herein.

Payment Methods

All housing fees may be paid online via the Payment page of Qasid?s website within the Admissions menu?which also has instructions for sending?bank-to-bank wire transfers as also shown here below.?Or, you may?make your housing payments in Amman by credit card or in cash (Jordanian dinars or US dollars) with Qasid?s accounting representative either at the orientation venue or on the Qasid campus. CREDIT &?DEBIT CARD?NOTE | Please be aware that credit or debit card users (only VISA and MasterCard are accepted) who wish to pay in person must bring the actual card with them to use this payment method. Jordanian financial regulations require that domestic card transactions be made ONLY with the card itself being swiped through a card reading device. Manually entering the card number, expiration date, and a PIN code is not allowed.

Refund Methods

Regardless of how your payment was made, all refunds will be transacted through one of the following means:

• Cash | If you visit our accounting office in person you may receive a refund in Jordanian dinars, but not in other currencies.?Or, if you have already departed, we can have you authorize a representative to receive the amount in cash on your behalf for delivery to you.
• Online classes | You may opt to retain your credit balance with Qasid and apply it towards the cost of online instruction.
• Credit or debit card | For online payments which were made through our website, a credit may be applied to the same card. However, credit or debit card payments made in person through our accounting office may not be refunded in the same manner. An alternate method must be used instead. All credit or debit card refunds must be conducted within 6 months of the original payment.
• Wire transfer | You may have us initiate a wire transfer to your bank account. Please know, however, that you will incur the cost of all transfer fees imposed by our bank and yours, which will likely total at least $40.00 USD.

Please contact Qasid’s accounting office with any questions relating to refunds.

Wire Transfer Instructions

A?common form of housing?payment is via electronic, or ?wire?, transfer between banks. Please keep in mind that because your bank and any intermediate, corresponding bank will likely withhold a commission for their services, you will need to send a total amount equal to the actual amount you intend to reach Qasid?PLUS your estimated commission fees in order for us to receive the required funds in full. This transaction cost can typically be anywhere from $10 to $40 per bank, depending on the bank?s regulations, so contact your bank for more information. In the event that Qasid does not receive the full amount, the remaining balance will be included in a subsequent invoice. However, Qasid covers the fee that its own bank charges for receiving funds, which is variable but never exceeds $5 USD. So subsequent invoices for under paid fees?will only be issued if the amount that arrives is below the amount due by $5.00.

In addition, once you have initiated the transfer, please email accounts@qasid.com?with a transaction, reference, or confirmation number along with name of the student(s) for whose housing?the funds are intended. This will allow us to verify that the funds have?indeed reached us within the deadline. This email is especially important if the person under whose name the transfer is made differs from your own (or the student(s) on whose behalf the funds are being sent). We cannot guarantee that you will receive credit for the payment if we cannot validate for whom it has been made.

Provided here below then, is a table?with all the information you should need for wire transfers. Keep in mind?that this account information is ONLY for the payment of HOUSING?related fees.

Please note that it?s very important to include the IBAN number when you make a wire transfer to Qasid. The?Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ) has stated that any bank transfer that does not have the (IBAN) will be rejected.

Utility Costs

Municipal utility costs of water and electricity accrue and are shared among all tenants of each apartment, to then be charged at the end of the tenancy period as mentioned above. Electric meter readings for each apartment are recorded throughout the tenancy period to aid in approximating the cost. The precise, actual cost per student is impossible to calculate, however, due to a number of factors (unpredictable taxes and fees beyond the relative utility units used, students using a varying amount of each utility, etc.). So our accounting office determines an amount per student based on both a complex algorithm simulating the utility company calculations as well as an experienced estimate of the variable factors, including each tenant?s dates of occupancy and any disproportionate usage reported between tenants.

Tenants may notice a wide range in electricity bills between apartments. This is due in part to the price per kilowatt hour (KwH) rising as the consumption of kilowatt hours rises. So using between 1 and 100 KwH may cost about .03 JD per KwH while the rate can then increase incrementally to over .27 JD per KwH between 750 and 1000 KwH. This means electricity becomes more expensive as the billing cycle goes on, making energy conservation very important. This awareness becomes even more essential in the winter and summer terms?the peak heating and cooling seasons.

Residency Between Academic Quarters

Qasid Housing tenants who commit to living in Qasid Housing while attending the institute in the following term will not pay rent for the interim days between the two terms. However, all such tenants remaining in a given apartment are responsible for payment of the utilities for their present apartment during the interim period. Unless other arrangements are made in advance, continuing tenants become accountable for the utility costs of their apartment for the following term upon the official, move-in date for that term. The utility costs for the interim days will be added to the following term?s utility bill which is due at the end of the tenancy period for that term.

It is understood that, due to the seasonal expiration dates of the institute?s lease agreements with Qasid Housing landlords, continuing tenants may be asked to move into a different Qasid Housing apartment and room type for the following term. In the case of a student being moved into a more expensive room, Qasid will charge the following term rate for their prior room type.

Departing Tenants Wanting to Extend Their Stay

It may be possible for Qasid Housing tenants who do not intend to continue their studies at the institute in the following term to remain living in Qasid Housing for a limited number of days after the official checkout date. The actual number of days is at the sole discretion of Qasid, typically relative to the duration between the present and upcoming sessions affording enough time to prepare the apartment for the incoming tenants. Tenants will be charged a prorated, daily rental rate relative to the total rent for the academic term divided by the number of days in the rental term.

• poring over each housing application to find the most compatible roommates | housemates for you,
• striving?to assign you the closest room type and budget requested,
• seeking every means to facilitate any special needs you have identified,
• prioritizing?your preferences over new applicants if you are renewing your room agreement for the?following term,
• seeking and leasing an apartment and room on your behalf for the duration of the entire term,
• preparing your apartment and room to be clean and comfortable upon your arrival,
• and a dozen other subtle, interrelated processes all intended to make Qasid Housing your ideal home-away-from-home.

Cancellations thus have a rather disruptive ripple effect as we must then work?against the clock (and often times around the clock) to reassess and rearrange those various factors as they relate to the entire fabric of housemate and apartment dynamics for the term, which inevitably impacts other students and potentially increases housing costs for all.

You are welcome to opt for Independent Housing and secure your own accommodations; however, please do not be unfair to your colleagues and classmates by using Qasid Housing as your?backup plan. If you apply for and are awarded a Qasid Housing room assignment, we expect that you?ll fully commit to the offer.

Therefore, due to the intricate logistics and planning involved, acceptance of the housing agreement is binding. In making the housing reservation?we have done our utmost to arrange the best study-abroad accommodation value available for you, fully trusting that you intend to fulfill your financial commitment for any and all housing costs for the entire term.

At the same time, we understand that sometimes things happen that are beyond anyone?s control. Accordingly, if due to extenuating circumstances after your acceptance of the assignment, you notify us of a need to cancel your housing contract up through the end of the 7th?day after your scheduled move-in date (regardless of whether or not you have actually moved in), a member of Qasid?s hospitality team will review that request. If approved, there is a cancellation fee?due which amounts to 30%?of the total housing term rent, while any prepaid?checkout fee deposit will be refunded in full at your expense if any transaction fees are involved. Qasid will then bear responsibility for the remaining 70% of the financial rent burden.

Beyond?the end of the 7th?day after your scheduled move-in date, if you wish to leave early for any reason (with the exception of an unexpected, emergent situation), you will nonetheless remain 100% financially responsible for your rental agreement through the duration of the term.

Students whose enrollment at Qasid is discontinued involuntarily for any reason must vacate Qasid Housing within 3 days of the discontinuation date, and remain responsible for all applicable housing costs.

At the bottom of this page is a?link to access the housing preference form?for the most relative?academic term through your Qasid Portal account. Details are specified in the preference forms themselves, but an overview here will help give some context.

If your preference is Qasid Housing, please keep the following in mind

1. Because Qasid Housing is heavily oversubscribed (more applications than availability for first and second choices during our busy seasons), we use a housing lottery system in order to award spots. Our housing lottery is similar to those used at most US-based universities: All admitted students that complete their housing application before the deadline stand an equal chance of being awarded a housing spot. In other words, someone who submits their application on day 1, and someone else who squeezes it in three minutes before the deadline, both will be given equal consideration. Anyone who submits after this deadline will also be considered for a housing placement, but will likely not get their top selection. Please also note that continuing students already living in Qasid Housing are given priority in the housing selection.

2. In order to be eligible for Qasid Housing, all newly admitted students must meet the following conditions:

• Be enrolled for at least 7.5 weekly hours of instruction at Qasid (private tutoring or conventional courses),
• Submit the housing preference form, having selected ?Qasid Housing?,
• Pay the tuition deposit, and
• Acknowledge all portions of the study policy agreement.

Please note that all steps must be completed by the deadline specified in the housing preference form and near the top of this webpage. A?link to access the housing form through your Qasid Portal account?is included at the bottom of this page, while the tuition deposit and study policy agreement forms for online submission will be sent after?your admissions application has been accepted.?For academic admissions, complete the admissions form in the admissions portal here. The first three documents can be completed in a single sitting and in under an hour, while the Student Application can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes depending on what you?d like to include. Questions about housing should all be directed to housing@qasid.com, while questions about the tuition deposit, study policy agreement, or student academic application, should be directed to admissions@qasid.com.

3. When completing the housing preference form, please indicate each of your desired?room types only once. We will do our absolute best to accommodate everyone?s first or second choice, but given the supply?|?demand dynamics, we obviously cannot guarantee this. Each applicant should be financially prepared to pay for their third most expensive room type preference, as this may be all that is available in some cases.
4. Within two weeks after the housing form becomes available, we will email you with news on whether or not you were awarded a spot in Qasid Housing. If affirmative, a housing assignment letter will be included that details your room type, the total rent amount for the term, and your move-in and checkout dates. Confirm your acceptance of the offer within the deadline, and the room is yours. If on the rare occasion that we aren?t able to award you a spot, you will then be invited to consider Independent Housing.
5. Newly attending students who would like complimentary shuttle service to their home?upon their arrival should submit Qasid’s online?Airport Transportation?form found in the Service Requests menu of their?portal homepage.?Simply look to your right upon your exit from the baggage claim area to meet a Qasid driver who already knows your Qasid Housing residence location, and will provide your key set in addition to taking you there.

If you prefer Independent Housing, simply select that option on the housing form

We like to reiterate that submission of the housing form is required for those seeking their own housing arrangements, given our sense of obligation to know?each of our students has?adequate accommodations. Although Qasid does not offer apartment or housemate search services for those opting for Independent Housing, we can suggest that you start searching on www.expatriates.com, www.airbnb.com, www.opensouk.com, and some of the other sites mentioned in the Housing Options section above as soon as possible to get a sense of what?s available.

Newly attending students who would like complimentary shuttle service to their independently arranged home?upon their arrival should submit Qasid’s online?Airport Transportation?form found in the Service Requests menu of their?portal homepage.

Your arrival in Jordan | Qasid Housing & Independent Housing

Regardless of your accommodation plans, to prepare for us to greet you, please review the information in the following sections in the Student Life menu of Qasid’s website:

Travel and Visas

Arrival and Departure

Airport Trasportation

Qasid Housing Move-in date

The first day of orientation and the official move-in day for Qasid Housing are both specified near the top of this webpage as well as in the housing preference form and the room?assignment letters. Please do your best to arrive anytime in the afternoon?of the move-in day, and before the morning of the orientation day, in order to give yourself a breather and a chance to settle in.

Although we don?t encourage it, you are of course welcome to arrive in Amman before the official move-in time. If you do plan on coming early, we can provide you with information about nearby hotels and hostels; you are then free to contact them before you depart, secure your reservation, and arrange to pay the hotel |?hostel directly. As a student beginning your?stay in Amman in advance, if you have completed the Airport Transportation?form, one of our drivers will greet you at the airport and take you to your early-arrival destination, where you?ll stay until the afternoon of the official move-in date.

During your stay

We have done our utmost to ensure that your accommodations will fulfill your expectations and support your progress with your studies and cultural learning experiences. If, however, something does go awry, or general questions arise, please reference the contact information at the bottom of this webpage to let us know how we can best respond.

At some point around the mid-term exam period, each Qasid Housing resident will be sent a Continuing Student Survey via email through which they let us know of their intent to continue tor conclude their studies at Qasid at the end of the present term. Those who anticipate continuing will also receive a follow up email in the days thereafter which explains the process for notifying the institute of their future housing plans as well.

Checkout procedures

All Qasid Housing residents are required to follow checkout procedures which begin by scheduling a room inspection within one week of the official checkout date or their early departure date. Given the results of that walk through, the tenant may then visit Qasid?s accounting office for partial refund of their checkout fee deposit if applicable. Tenants who will not remain in Qasid Housing for the following term must also return their key set to the institute or pay a re-keying fee which will vary up to 25 JD depending on which keys are not returned. An email with detailed, checkout instructions will be sent to each resident.

By this time, Qasid Housing residents intending to remain in Qasid Housing will have submitted their housing form and received a new room assignment offer. In most cases, such residents are allowed to stay in their same rooms, and there is no rent charged for the interim days between terms. Time permitting, these students often opt to visit home or elsewhere for a break.

Those departing Jordan

Students who have completed their studies and plan to leave Jordan are then welcome to sign up for Qasid’s Airport Transportation shuttle service to the Queen Alia Airport.

Preface

While the majority of the Housing Overview page is dedicated to describing the conventional, Qasid Housing and Independent Housing options for individually enrolled students, presented here is an outline of?the institute?s Partner Group housing process and the?affordable, Partner Group Facilitated Housing option.

As an introduction for anyone unfamiliar with Qasid’s Partner Programs, this offering refers to?unique agreements covering?academic, tuition, special event, and housing arrangements which?we make with specified?groups of students?rather than individuals?from universities, NGOs, government offices, or other types of sponsor organizations. The programs are customarily recurrent in nature, involving the enrollment of new students from the sponsor on an annual basis. For more information about initiating a partner program, please contact Anik Misra, Qasid’s Director of Programs at anik@qasid.com.

We invite Partner Group coordinators to review the procedural?details?presented here, and contact Qasid?s housing team with any questions, comments, or suggestions via email at housing@qasid.com.

Our Process

To efficiently manage accommodations for the hundreds of Partner Program Group participants which Qasid serves each year, the institute has an interactive, online process in place. It allows program coordinators to communicate their program?s housing information directly to Qasid?s Hospitality Team, which then takes the necessary administrative and logistical steps to host them according to their preferences. Completion of these housing protocols is required regardless of whether or not the program chooses to utilize accommodations arranged through Qasid.

The Partner Group housing process consists of the following steps:

• After negotiating the program package provisions with Qasid, the program coordinator submits a Partner Program Group Housing Form which clarifies the basic accommodation parameters and points of contact, and provides essential participant information.
• The participant data is first used to?create online, student portal accounts for each new participant as an element of the institute?s record keeping system allowing students to view their file and access various services.
• At the same time,?Qasid?s Hospitality Team begins preparing any requested housing assistance.
• A representative of Qasid?s Hospitality Team then remains in contact with the program coordinator as needed until the participants arrive, at which time they are greeted at the airport and taken to their new homes in Amman?whether their residences are arranged by Qasid or not.
• During their stay, residents of Qasid Housing and Partner Group Facilitated Housing are served by the institute’s?Housing Care team, which works days, nights, and weekends to resolve any facility related issues that arise. Qasid’s administrative staff also remains available during campus hours every weekday to respond to any housing question, concern, or situation that needs addressed.
• Upon the conclusion of the program, participant residents then complete a checkout procedure, collect any applicable housing refunds due from deposits or rent discounts, and are then escorted to the airport for their respective departure flights.

The Partner Program Group Housing Form

For Qasid to best serve its Partner Program Groups the institute has created an online registration page for group coordinators to easily inform Qasid of their housing plans and preferences. Among the choices, program coordinators may opt to have their program participants:

• • take advantage of Qasid?s Partner Group Facilitated Housing offering,

• • choose between a room in Qasid Housing or finding their own Independent Housing, or

• decline Qasid?s housing assistance all together, and procure their own, Independent Housing accommodations.

Submission of the Partner Program Group Housing Form is a required step?whether Qasid?s direct assistance with housing is desired or not. As your host for your Arabic studies, it is essential for us to know that housing arrangements of one kind or another are in place for everyone in your program.

Also regardless of what level?of housing a program prefers, an essential aspect of completing the housing process is to obtain each participant?s minimal, student record information so that Qasid can create online portal accounts for each of them as part of the institute?s records management system. This information consists of each student?s first and last name (differentiated as separate fields), their gender, and an acceptable email address for them. We ask program coordinators to please?have this data ready in a simple, four column spreadsheet format to be uploaded within the housing form itself, or to be prepared to commit to a date by which you believe it can otherwise be provided.

The other primary aspects of the housing form inquiry include gathering contact information for the program support staff, setting the program dates, and defining the financial transaction plans for handling the rent, deposits, and refunds if applicable.?

If the housing form indicates the program has requested Partner Group Facilitated Housing, we will review the request in detail and respond to the coordinator with any questions before beginning to perform an apartment search. After that, follow up correspondence will be conducted as needed to complete the preparations and welcome you to Amman.

Or, if the housing form indicates that each program participant will choose between a room in Qasid Housing and finding their own Independent Housing, we will look for their personal housing form submissions and place participant, Qasid Housing applicants as closely as possible to their preferences.

Otherwise, if the housing form indicates that the program will procure its own accommodations for everyone participating, we will note that in our records and remain ready?to assist in whatever other way we are able.

As soon as you are ready, you may access the?Partner Program Group Housing Form. Please know that our present online app is not capable of retaining the form responses for later completion, so the form?must be submitted within a single, uninterrupted browser session.

Partner Group Facilitated Housing Overview

Partner Group Facilitated Housing refers to a standard set of arrangements which are tailored to provide the highest value and convenience possible for study abroad, Partner Group participants. The?general parameters described here have been?developed to align with the provisions outlined a majority of our program package agreements, while also allowing unique requests to be handled effectively.

For programs requesting this housing option, shared rooms (two people per room) are reserved in local apartments for all students, although some individuals may receive a private room depending on each apartment?s particular floor plan, room configurations, and the number of participants assigned to the residence. Most apartments include 2 to 3 bedrooms, 1.5 to 2.5 bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a combined living | dining room. And, while some?apartments may feature air conditioning, due to the unpredictable nature of apartment availability Qasid is unable to promise that any apartment or individual room will offer this amenity.

Although?Qasid will dictate the quantity of participants who will reside in each room and apartment, we prefer that program coordinators determine which specific participants those will be and notify us accordingly. Also, unless an alternate agreement is made, program coordinators may request a distinct apartment for themselves and any family members joining them, at the cost of 700 JD monthly. The same, discrete apartment arrangement may also be reserved for other supporting staff members if desired.

Apartment Locations

With Partner Group Facilitated Housing, Qasid prioritizes the placement of all participants together in apartments reserved for that group exclusively, and which are located in the closest possible proximity to each other. The institute?reserves the right, however, to place participants together with residents in Qasid Housing apartments as warranted by the circumstance.

Priority is also given to reserving apartments near Qasid?s campus, although they may be situated outside the 1 kilometer radius within which Qasid Housing units are normally located.

Additional Features

The rent price associated with Facilitated Housing apartments?for Partner Groups also includes wireless internet access, along with affordable drinking water available on site. The facility maintenance services of Qasid?s own Housing Care team are provided too.?And with whichever housing option is chosen, complimentary airport transportation to and from Jordan?s Queen Alia airport is also granted upon each?participant?s initial arrival to Amman, and upon their final departure at the conclusion of the program.

Partner Group Facilitated Housing Summary

To recap the description above, Partner Group Facilitated Housing includes:

• Apartments which are likely – but not assured – to be within 1 kilometer?(10 minute walking distance) of Qasid
• Shared rooms for a majority of?participants
• Most participants residing in apartments reserved exclusively for their program
• Private apartments for program support staff upon request
• Wireless internet access
• Drinking water available on site
• Qasid’s own?Housing Care maintenance service
• Airport transportation for all participants for their initial arrival and final departure

How Partner Group Facilitated Housing differs from conventional, Qasid Housing is that it does NOT include:

• Apartments assured to be within a 1 kilometer radius (10 minute walking distance) of the Qasid campus
• Personal choice of room type (shared or private, small or large, etc.) for each student
• Bi monthly apartment cleaning service

Housing Guidelines

Qasid has spent 15 years building good relations with its surrounding community and in particular with the landlords from whom it leases apartments. Maintaining these relations for the benefit of present and future students relies on the respect that the institute and its student residents display towards the landlords and their neighbors.

Qasid therefore has a set of rules and regulations which we require every student resident to abide by and which are accompanied by strict consequences for specific violations. We expect every Group participant who anticipates residing in housing arranged by Qasid make themselves aware of these policies at the Housing Guidelines section here in Qasid’s?Housing Overview page.

Pricing

For Partner Groups requesting the institute?s housing assistance through conventional Qasid Housing or through Partner Group Facilitated Housing, there are two primary costs to be aware of. One is the rent price for the apartments, and the other is the checkout fee deposit used to ensure that utility, cleaning, and maintenance costs are covered. A third, financial issue is the potential, checkout fee deposit refund if a credit is due after the utility, cleaning, and maintenance costs?are deducted.

For financial policies relating to Qasid Housing, please review the Housing Costs and Payments section here in the Housing Overview web page.

In the case of Partner Group Facilitated Housing the rent costs are customarily included (although not always explicitly defined as a separate line item) in the price of the program?s package agreement negotiated with the institute. Please note that no price adjustments will be made based on perceived accommodation quality or feature variations between rooms or apartments. There will inevitably be differences in the apartments over which Qasid has little or no control, which must be accepted as an inherent aspect of local, market supply and demand.

If, instead?relative to Qasid Housing or Independent Housing?each participant resident will be paying their rent costs individually, this simply needs to be noted within the online, Partner Program Group Housing Form.

The checkout fee deposit is 150 JD per participant resident (or 200 JD per married couple or family) and represents a potentially, partially refundable amount. It will be used to compensate for the utilities of tap water and electricity along with cleaning and maintenance costs required after the resident vacates the apartment. Municipal fees for tap water and electricity accrue throughout the tenancy period and are then shared?as applicable?among all residents of each apartment at the end of their stay.

A dry-cleaning fee of 10 JD per resident will also be deducted at that time to refresh the linens, as will a general cleaning fee totaling 5 to 10 JD per resident. Any charges exceeding the balance of the deposit will be billed directly to the respective residents or program organization. In the absence of identifying a single person responsible for any losses or damages, all residents or the program organization will split the related repair or replacement costs.

Payments

Rent and checkout fee deposit payments, remitted either directly in a consolidated manner on behalf of all participant residents by the partner organization itself, or handled independently by the individual participant residents are to be paid in full no later than the first day of academic instruction stipulated in the program agreement.

Rent and checkout fee deposits may be remitted in one of the following manners:

• • In a consolidated, lump sum amount on behalf of all participant residents paid by the partner organization directly to Qasid?s accounting office.

• • In a consolidated, lump sum amount on behalf of all participant residents paid by an authorized, partner organization representative who is also in Amman to preside over the program.

• Independently paid by each, individual participant resident according to available payment methods.

One other option for a Partner Group to cover their checkout fee costs is to forego paying any checkout fee deposit in advance, and instead agree to have an authorized representative who is also in Amman to preside over the program pay the total of those charges just prior to the group?s departure.

As with the conditions for the rent transactions, the checkout fee deposit payment conditions are also included in the online, Partner Program Group Housing Form.

Checkout Procedures

Partner Group participant residents are required to follow checkout procedures which begin by scheduling a room inspection to take place within one week of their departure. Given the results of those inspections along with the associated utility and cleaning fees for each apartment, Qasid?s accounting office will prepare a partial checkout fee deposit refund or request for additional payment relative to the transaction conditions stipulated in the Partner Program Group Housing Form. Each participant resident must also return their key set to the institute or pay a re-keying fee which will vary up to 25 JD depending on which keys are not returned.?

Qasid reserves the right to withhold the release of transcripts for any Partner Group participant resident who either does not comply with the checkout procedures or for whom any required housing payment remains unpaid in full.

Preface

Students should?be aware that Jordanian society, while a mosaic of cultural customs and religious practice, tends towards the conservative side, especially in residential family settings. Qasid Housing units are situated in such areas, and we therefore expect that all resident students and their guests will adhere to the regulations outlined below. Doing so can help assure optimal relationships with your neighbors and enhance your overall experience while in Amman. In response to violations of?these policies disciplinary action is at the sole discretion of Qasid?s Director.

Please note that specifically in violation of policies 1 and 2, student residents are subject to strict disciplinary action, including possible eviction from the apartment and expulsion from Qasid, without the return of the checkout or tuition deposits.

1. Neighborly sensitivity | Tenants are to avoid the practice of loud sounds and parties, drinking alcohol, the use or possession of illicit drugs, or other behavior which is disturbing to others such that Qasid receives a complaint. In addition to its application to your neighbors, this also includes?mutual cooperation among your fellow housemates with regard to respectful utility usage, cleanliness, quiet hours, visitor?arrangements, and the like.

2. Visitors | Apartment visitors ? anyone not assigned as a tenant in a respective apartment ? are subject to the curfew period of 11:00 PM to 8:00 AM, per the following regulations :

2.1 Any visitors of a gender opposite to the apartment tenants are not allowed at Qasid Housing apartments during the curfew period unless the host tenant receives the prior, email consent of the Qasid Housing point-of-contact and the Qasid Housing point-of-contact receives the prior, email consent of all other apartment tenants.

2.2 Any visitors of the same gender as the apartment tenants are allowed at Qasid Housing apartments during up to 3 curfew periods within an academic term unless and until the Qasid Housing point-of-contact receives a complaint by any other apartment tenant. For additional such stays by the same visitor(s), the host tenant must receive the prior, email consent of the Qasid Housing point-of-contact and the Qasid Housing point-of-contact must receive the prior, email consent of all other apartment tenants.

2.3 All of the above mentioned communications are to be sent to Qasid via email using the address of housing@qasid.com.

These rules are not simply a matter of prudence, but rather, given the respect afforded to gender expression and marital relations across the Jordanian social spectrum, violation of this policy jeopardizes the favorable reputation which the institute has spent over 15 years building within the local community. It also honors the privacy and individual sensibilities of every apartment tenant. As a precaution it thus represents the protection of Qasid?s ability to maintain rental contracts with landlords in order to continue providing student housing. And, it imparts the courtesy of mutual notification to avoid disagreements regarding each other?s rights.

3. Eligibility | Students are required to maintain a minimum of 1.5 daily hours (7.5 weekly hours) of Arabic instruction at Qasid in order to live in Qasid Housing for the respective term.

4. Trespassing | Tenants and their visitors may not enter bedrooms other than their assigned rooms without the express consent of either the bedroom?s current tenant or, of Qasid Housing?s point-of-contact if the room is possibly vacant or in the process of being vacated.

5. Sublease Restriction | Tenants are prohibited from subleasing, or otherwise providing access in their absence to, a Qasid Housing apartment or any portion thereof to any third party.

6.?Smoking |?Smoking is prohibited indoors, and is permitted only in outdoor areas, including the balconies or patios of those apartments which feature them, as long as the adjoining doors and windows are closed to prevent smoke from entering the building.?Beyond the obvious irritation to others, the fire hazard, and the increased?cancer?risk?that smoking indoors entails, the smoke odors can permanently affect the furnishings, bedding, and fabric curtains, which will entail cleaning and | or replacement costs.

7. Pets |?Animals are not allowed in Qasid Housing properties.

8. Acceptance of condition | Tenants accept the entire housing premises in its current state of functionality, appearance, and cleanliness, and agree to return it in a like condition. Defacing the walls or furnishings in any way (such as using adhesive tape which peels off the paint when removed) is not permitted. Tenants with personal preferences for features other than or in addition to those provided may request their preference be supplied at either the tenant?s cost alone or sharing the cost with the institute at Qasid?s sole discretion and ownership of the item (a different mattress, chair, table, etc.). No rent price adjustments or refunds will be given based on perceived accommodation quality or feature variations between rooms or apartments. There will inevitably be apartment differences over which Qasid has little or no control, which must be accepted as an inherent aspect of local, property market supply and demand factors.

9. Right of Entry | Tenants acknowledge Qasid?s right to enter the apartment at any time based on circumstantial need, such as emergency, maintenance, investigation, or cleaning. Qasid will intend to provide ample advance notice of its visits but cannot always predict its timing.

10.?Premature Departure | Tenants who move out before the official checkout date must notify the Qasid Housing point-of-contact at least one week before their departure. They are required to attend a walk-through of the apartment with a Housing Care staff member to establish its condition, and they must return their key set to the institute. Any rent refund for the remaining days of the rental agreement is at the sole discretion of Qasid on a case by case basis.

Limit of Liability

Other than in cases of proven, intentional negligence on the part of the institute in providing the accommodations and services mentioned herein, Qasid remains free of any liability for loss or damage to any tenant?s, or tenant?s visitor?s, person or property while on Qasid Housing premises. Tenants are responsible for the well being and behavior of themselves and their visitors.

Disclaimer

Each student’s?housing package?is?subject to change which may result in an adjustment of costs due to modifications in the number of occupants in the apartment, the specific type of room selected, and the like. Such changes are exceptional, and we will always endeavor to give you fair notice on the rare occasion that such amendments become necessary. The terms and conditions outlined here?supersede any prior?terms and conditions.

Guidelines for students living in Independent Housing are less formal than those in Qasid Housing, and are to be worked out between students and their Jordanian landlord; suffice it to say that being attentive to local customs and respectful of cultural |?religious norms will go a long way in cultivating a healthy and warm relationship with one?s neighbors.