Living in Tallahassee
Inviting Departments at FSU are asked to take primary responsibility for assisting a visiting scholar with getting housing and getting settled. The International Center will be glad to provide any guidance we can on issues the scholar may encounter prior to and upon arrival. Please feel free to contact us if additional information is needed.
Housing
Scholars are eligible for university housing in Alumni Village or Rogers Hall, on a space available basis. At some times of the year, particularly the end of August and early September, university housing is completely filled and not available to scholars. In those cases, off-campus housing is usually the only option until space in university housing becomes available. If on-campus housing is available, a major advantage is that the contract is month-to-month. If the scholar decides upon arrival that he or she would like to be in a different location, there is no penalty for moving out even after one month.
Rogers Hall is on campus, but is shared living space (meaning that the scholar would have a roommate). Alumni Village (individual apartments, appropriate for families) is located about 1.5 miles from campus. Bus transportation is available from this location to the university campus, but many scholars find that being able to walk to their department and the libraries is preferable. On-campus housing is furnished, including beds, desks, sofas, and lamps, but not including linens (towels, sheets, pillows) or pots, pans, dishes, silverware, and other kitchen items. Scholars may borrow without charge some used household items, if they wish, from the International Center’s Lending Closet. The Lending Closet normally contains pots, pans, dishes, and silverware.
To apply for on-campus housing, the inviting faculty member at FSU must send an e-mail to Mr. Frank Cuevas in the Housing Office requesting consideration for a particular scholar to be placed in Alumni Village. The department will also need to request a temporary identification number for the scholar’s use on the application for housing. They can obtain this number by calling graduate processing. See Social Security for more information.
For cost and other information, scholars can check the university housing web site at www.housing.fsu.edu.
Scholars should know that if they arrive into Tallahassee on a weekend, they will need to stay in a hotel until Monday. The University Housing office, where the scholar will check into their housing, is not open on weekends. Their normal office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:30pm. This office is located in the Student Life Building (map: http://www.fsu.edu/cgi-bin/map/zoom?LIST=23). Scholars will also need to have the utilities connected before moving in if living in Alumni Village. The city utility office is also not open on weekends for connection service. See the section on utilities below for more information.
In the case that there is no space available at Alumni Village, scholars may need to have extra funds reserved for a hotel while locating housing. For non-university housing and hotel information, the inviting department should provide assistance as necessary. Scholars may want to visit sites such as www.apartments.com or www.forrent.com where they will be able to contact property management for certain facilities through an e-mail system. In this way, preliminary arrangements may be able to be made from abroad. The International Center neither endorses nor recommends any of these services, as this is not our area of expertise, but offers the above sites for informational purposes only. Scholars should be careful of illegitimate offers and scams, particularly in sublease situations.
Scholars should be aware that most off-campus property owners offer leases on a yearly basis. Leases are legally binding agreements which often require that the lease term be paid for, even if the scholar moves out early. If the scholar’s program is shorter than one year, they will need to look specifically for a short-term lease. Scholars should read any lease agreement very carefully in order to avoid any unnecessary and excessive fees for moving out early. Some short-term leases require additional advance written notice that you will not be renewing the lease at the end of the lease term, and will charge additional rent if notice is not given in time.
It should also be noted that there are many off-campus properties in Tallahassee that rent one bedroom of a 3 or 4 bedroom shared apartment. Renting only one bedroom in this type of arrangement will not be appropriate if a scholar has a family or will have family visiting during their stay. These also may not be the type of living arrangement that scholars are seeking, so they should be very careful that they understand the apartment layout and what exactly they are renting.
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Utilities
Scholars may connect their utilities without a Social Security number and Driver’s license by appearing in person with their passport and the required deposit amounts at 435 North Macomb Street, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. To obtain more information on procedures and fees, visit www.talgov.com/you/service/connect.cfm. Please note that scholars will not be able to use the on-line connection option without a Social Security number and Driver’s license or Florida Identification card number. Scholars should be aware that they will need to pay $295 in deposits and connections fees to the City of Tallahassee prior to moving into Alumni Village.
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Telephone
Scholars may connect their local telephone service (land line) by appearing in person at the Sprint office, at 1544 Governor’s Square Blvd, with their passport and another form of identification. A $25 deposit is required. Land lines are good to have in an emergency, as 911 emergency calls can be traced to the specific address in the event that the scholar or their family were unable to effectively give an operator the address. This type of service is recommended for scholars whose native language or their family’s is not English.
If the scholar would like a mobile phone, it should be noted that it will be difficult for the scholar to complete a long-term contract for a mobile phone without a Social Security number. The contract is unlikely to be accepted without a Social Security number, as the phone provider does a credit check based upon a Social Security number. Scholars should be aware that the temporary identification number (999#) issued to them by FSU is not a Social Security number and may not be used for a mobile phone contract.
Scholars may consider trying to establish a mobile phone service from abroad which will work while they are in the U.S. They should, of course, be aware of all fees which will be incurred for this type of service.
In the alternative, scholars may consider a “pay-as-you-go” mobile phone plan. “Pay-as-you-go” phones may be purchased at discount stores such as Walmart, Target, Circuit City, and Best Buy, and a set number of minutes to be used within a certain timeframe can also be purchased in the same location. Scholars should be sure that they understand well all the provisions of such a plan, such as the time within which the minutes must be used, when the phone number and/or minutes expire, and what the international exchange for minutes is (more minutes may be deducted for international calls).
The International Center will provide upon check-in a phone card which contains about 30 minutes of call time to an international number. This is a service provided free of charge from a company called Zaptel.
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Expenses
Scholars should be made aware that it will take several weeks for them to be paid by Florida State University if this is their funding source. Scholars who are paid from abroad may also find that it takes some time for their funding to arrive from their home country. Therefore, scholars should have sufficient individual funds available prior to their arrival in order to purchase insurance, provide any deposits for housing, phone services, electricity/gas/water services, and generally maintain themselves for these first few weeks. The International Center estimates that they will need $1,500 to $5,000 depending upon their transportation needs, insurance choices, and living arrangements. Insurance coverage must begin from the day a scholar arrives, regardless of their initial financial resources, so scholars should budget accordingly in advance or purchase insurance before leaving home.
Scholars might expect to incur the following expenses upon arrival:
$295 Utility deposit and connection fee
$25 Deposit for phone service
$600 Initial term of health insurance coverage
$300-500 Initial Food and household items
$35 Month-long bus pass
$400 First month of rent at Alumni Village OR
$1700 (approximately) First and last month’s rent, deposit, and application fee for off-campus housing
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General Information on Tallahassee
For more information on FSU, Tallahassee, getting settled, events, and maps, scholars may want to visit the following sites:
- www.fsu.edu
- www.fsu.edu/~facinfo/
- www.talgov.com/res.cfm
- www.seetallahassee.com (a visitor's guide)
- http://tallahassee.bestredyp.com/
- www.tallahassee.com (the local newspaper's site)
- Tallahassee's weather history
- www.netcrc.org (Tallahassee's Cultural Resources Commission)
- www.fsu.edu/~calendar/
- www.marquee.fsu.edu
- www.morethanyouthought.com
- Florida State Parks events
- Georgia State Parks events
- Leon County Public Library events
- Tallahassee Leon County Civic Center events
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FSU Card
The FSU Card is a scholar’s library card, allowing them to borrow books from the library. It is their security key to certain areas of campus. It is used for the laundry facilities at Alumni Village and Rogers Hall. It is used for copying machines in the library. It allows entrance, with a fee, to the Leach Center fitness facility, as well as other recreational services on campus. It is used as identification in a variety of circumstances on campus. It is an important document for a scholar to have during their stay if they are here for more than a few weeks. For this reason, it is essential that unpaid scholars first be appointed to a courtesy appointment in order to be able to fully utilize university services during their stay. If scholars are here for a very short time and do not intend to use any of the above services, they may choose not to obtain an FSU Card, but it is generally recommended.
It should be noted that scholars may not use the FSU Card to ride city buses for free. Only students are permitted to ride the buses for “free” using their FSU card, because they pay a transportation fee with their tuition for this service. Scholars must pay to use bus service.
The FSU Card may be obtained at the FSU Card Center, behind the FSU bookstore (map: http://www.fsu.edu/cgi-bin/map/zoom?LIST=22 in the building marked Parking Garage).
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U.S. Bank Accounts
U.S. banks may open bank accounts for non-U.S. citizens without a Social Security number, by having the customer fill out a form W-8BEN and copying two forms of identification. Unfortunately, most banks in Tallahassee have an internal policy against opening accounts without a Social Security number. There are 3 banks which will open an account without a Social Security number:
Bank of America – closest branch – 803 Lake Bradford Rd (close to the stadium)
Suntrust Bank – closest branch – in the FSU Card Center (#70 on campus map)
Wachovia Bank – closest branch – 150 S. Monroe St.
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Driver’s License/Florida Identification Card
If scholars are in the U.S. in any status other than “tourist” for more than 30 days and will need to drive during their stay, they are required to obtain a Florida driver’s license, even if they do have an international driver’s license. Scholars do not need a Social Security number in order to obtain a Florida Driver’s License or Florida Identification Card. They will need to show all their immigration documentation, including the passport, visa, I-94, and DS-2019 form. They may be required to take a written examination and a driving examination, depending upon their country of origin. Automobiles are not provided for the driving examination. For information on Florida driving regulations, please visit http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/handbooks/.
Obtaining a Florida Identification card may be helpful for scholars, so that they will have some other form of identification other than their passport. The Florida Identification card can be obtained in the same location as a Florida Driver’s license. They will need to show their immigration documentation in order to obtain the card. Florida Driver’s License and Identification Cards may be obtained at:
504 Capital Circle SE – phone: 488-8290, for appointments, call: 487-1983
Requirements, procedures, and fee information is at
http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/ddl/geninfo.html
Scholars should note that driving classes offered through listings in the phone book do not involve actually driving a car. These are classroom classes offered to improve driving skills for driver’s who have violated a traffic law. There are not any formal companies in Tallahassee, at this time, which offer courses which teach someone how to drive a car. Friends and neighbors may be able to help.
A new procedure has been implemented which allows the driver’s license to be granted through the 30 day grace period after the end date on your DS-2019 form. A memo detailing this is available at the International Center should you have difficulty having that grace period included on your driver’s license. Please bring it with you to your driver’s license appointment.
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University Parking Permit
If scholars are driving to the main FSU campus, they will need to purchase a parking permit. If scholars are being paid by FSU, they can have the permit deducted from their paycheck, or they can pay by credit card on-line at http://parking.fsu.edu. If they are not paid by FSU, they can purchase a visitor parking permit by applying in person at University Center C 5406 (map: http://www.fsu.edu/Campus/newmap/). Those working in Engineering or the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory may not need to obtain a parking permit for daily use, but then should remember to park in metered or gated visitor parking (and pay by the hour) when visiting the main campus. There is, unfortunately, no free parking on the main FSU campus.
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Carpooling
Scholars may be interested in riding to campus with others in their area who are driving into FSU at the same time of day – carpooling. They do not need to own a car to participate in a carpool. They may instead contribute toward a driver’s gas and parking expenses. Commuter Services of North Florida offers a carpool matching service. Interested carpoolers can sign up on-line and receive a list of other drivers/riders in their area who are traveling to and from campus at the same time. They can then contact these people to arrange to be included in their carpool, if there is available space. To sign up for this service, scholars or their family should go to www.commuterservices.org.
Scholars’ spouses may also be interested in signing up for this service to ride with others going to English classes or other routine activities, or to arrange a vanpool – several riders each pay a small fee for a private van to transport them to certain functions or activities. Commuter Services also helps arrange vanpools.
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Private Vans
There are a few private companies which provide transportation for a fee. They are:
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These companies will also contract (for a fee, which can be divided among the participants) with a group of people to provide transportation to a regularly scheduled event or class – this is called a vanpool.
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Bus Transportation
Transportation on campus routes circle FSU and FAMU campuses only. The campus routes are Routes 40-49 only. Be certain to wait for these buses only at designated campus route signs – these are larger signs that indicate the specific route name, i.e. “Garnet” or “Gold”.
City buses going to all other locations in the city require that a fare be paid. The individual fare is $1.25 in one direction only and should be paid with exact change on the bus. There is a machine which accepts the fare on the bus itself. Change for larger bills is not given No tickets for individual rides may be purchased elsewhere, though weekly or monthly passes may be purchased at the downtown station. No ticket is given after the fare is paid on the bus; the bus driver monitors fare payment. If scholars would like to transfer to another route headed in the same outgoing direction, they may ask the bus driver for a transfer when they initially pay their fare (riders should not wait to ask for the transfer later). The transfer is a little ticket that the rider gives to the next bus driver. It is free – there is no charge for transfers. Transfers may not be used for return travel and must be used for the next available bus, not later in the day. A round-trip bus ride will cost $2.50. Scholars generally may not ride city buses for free; only students may use their FSU card to ride for free.
The employee bus pass program, providing free or subsidized monthly bus passes, is only available to employees appointed to USPS, A&P, and faculty positions. These are specific payroll classifications. The program is not available to employees in OPS or Courtesy classifications, the classification into which most scholars in the J program fall.
For more information on bus routes, timetables, fees, and how to ride the bus, visit www.talgov.com/starmetro/index.cfm. Scholars may also obtain bus guides (timetables) on the bus, at the downtown station, or at other information racks around the city. The guides are free of charge and riders can take as many as they might need (for family member, etc.).
“Outbound” on the timetables at the above site means a bus is going away from the downtown station. “Inbound” means the bus is going to the downtown station.
The times and stops listed are only “timepoints” along the way. These are not the only stops on this route. Any stop marked with a blue and white bus sign is a place where you can get on any bus which travels along that route, unless the stop is marked only for specific routes (this is rare). Be sure that you stand on the correct side of the street to travel either “inbound” or “outbound”, but keep in mind that, if you make a mistake, you will eventually get to the downtown station anyway.
Scholars and their family should keep in mind that bus routes will change in the evenings and weekends. For instance, bus 20 will become bus 31 in the evening and on Sundays. These night and weekend routes offer later hours, but shorter routes. So they should be sure that the night route on which they are returning home will actually make it close enough to their home that they are not walking a very long distance or in a dangerous area at night. All bus routes and schedules are on-line at www.talgov.com/starmetro.
Bus transportation may be drastically different than in a scholar’s home country. Typically, buses run less frequently than they may be accustomed and are not as direct to the places they may want to visit. The bus lines also do not cover all areas of the city. Scholars should note that they must wait for buses at only designated stops. The buses do not stop if waved down. Riders may speak to the bus driver, ask for advice, or tell him or her where they will need to stop, if the rider is unfamiliar with where the stop is. This is permitted and encouraged. Riders should signal that they need to get off the bus by pushing the yellow strip next to their seat or pull the line above their head, at least a block or two before the point where they need to stop. The bus driver will need sufficient time to plan for the stop. It is not necessary to signal at major stops, like shopping centers/mall or the downtown station.
All city buses go in a circular pattern and converge at the downtown station. So, if a rider becomes lost, they should simply stay on the bus until they arrive downtown again. Then, they may ask for more information or directions at the downtown information booth.
The main downtown bus station and their hours are:
111 W. Tennessee St.
Monday-Friday: 5:40am to 10:00pm
Saturday: 6:00am to 10:00pm
Sunday: 9:00am to 6:00pm
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Walking and Bicycling
There are many walking and bicycling trails and bicycle lanes on most roadways. Scholars and their family should be very careful walking in Tallahassee. The weather becomes very hot and there are many gradual hills. They could become easily overheated while walking or biking around town. Scholars should sure to bring sufficient drinking water and to stop often for breaks.
Scholars should also avoid dangerous areas of town. These include neighborhoods north of Alumni Village, neighborhoods north of Tennessee St. and east of Woodward Ave., and some neighborhoods on South Monroe. If a scholar is unfamiliar with an area of town, they should ask a friend, neighbor, the police non-emergency services, or the International Center if the area is safe.
It is generally not safe to walk or bicycle alone late at night on campus. A service called Safe Ride is available to transport scholars from campus to Alumni Village, or from a building to their car, if they find themselves on campus late at night. Safe Ride can be called at any emergency beacon on campus (the red poles with blue lights on top) or by calling 644-7233.
» Click here to view Tallahassee bike trails.
Be sure to follow all bike rules - http://www.bigring.com/Florida_Law.html.
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English Language Classes
The International Center offers usually twice a week English Conversation Club meetings, which offers scholars and their families information and practice in using English idioms and slang in a friendly and supportive environment. These meetings do not provide assistance with grammar or writing. There is no charge for attending these meetings; they are free and open to everyone.
Leon County Schools Adult and Community Education offers various levels of formal English instruction free of charge at three different location. Enrollment is required and involves a placement examination. The placement exam is also free of charge and offered at three locations. More information is at www.ace-leon.org.
The First Baptist Church, at 108 West College Avenue, in downtown Tallahassee, also offers various levels of formal English instruction free of charge to anyone. The English classes are non-religious. They also offer free childcare for pre-schoolers during lessons and free transportation from Alumni Village. For more information, call 222-5470 or visit www.fbctlh.org.
Formal intensive English instruction is also offered at the Center for Intensive English Studies on FSU’s campus. Tuition is charged for these classes, but anyone may apply for admission to enroll. More information is at www.cies.fsu.edu.
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Cultural Activities and Volunteer Activities
The International Center offers many opportunities for scholars and their families to experience the Tallahassee community, meet new friends, and learn more about what FSU and the surrounding community has to offer. To receive updates on cultural programs offered by the International Center, anyone may subscribe to the programming listserv on our web site.
Scholars are automatically signed up for the scholars’ listserv upon their arrival and will receive weekly updates on activities in the community and updates on immigration, tax, employment, and research issues.
Families may also be interested in meeting new people through volunteering. The International Center has a variety of opportunities for volunteering. Additionally, the Center for Civic Education regularly publishes a list of opportunities in the community. To subscribe or for more information, please visit www.fsu.edu/~service/opp/index.htm.
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Exchange Visitor Advisor Contact Information
If scholars or departments find themselves in need of more information, assistance, or guidance, at any time, please feel free to contact the Exchange Visitor Advisor directly at:
Tanya Schaad, Exchange Visitor Advisor/Alternate Responsible Officer
Phone: 644-0977 (on campus, dial 4-0977)
E-mail: tschaad@admin.fsu.edu
Regular work hours: 7:00am to 4:00pm
Walk-in hours (no appointment necessary): Wednesdays – 9:00am-11:00am
Orientation for new scholars: Every Friday at 11:00am (scholars should set aside 1 ½ hours for orientation)
If a scholar or department cannot reach the advisor directly during normal business hours or after 4:00pm, call:
Front desk: 644-1702
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