Tacoma's Museum of Glass and loft apartments down the street

Homestay and Housing Search

Living in Tacoma, WA

Tacoma is a mid-sized city of about 220,000 people and a total area population of about 260,000 when you include the nearby smaller cities of University Place and Fircrest. TCC sits at an intersection of these three cities.

It is important to know that Tacoma Community College does not currently have a residence hall or other on-campus housing. TCC does offer a homestay program that is managed by the International Programs Office. Students who do not live in homestay either make arrangements with local friends or family or they rent an apartment, home or condominium on their own.

Living With a Host Family

Homestay is an exciting and unique way to learn about American culture and improve English language skills. It is much more than just renting a room or having a landlord. As a TCC Homestay student, you will live with one of our local host families who will help you adjust to living in the U.S. They will include you in their family life and provide support that will help you succeed in your studies. All TCC hosts are screened by TCC and receive an orientation and ongoing support from our International Programs Office.

TCC has hosts from many different backgrounds. Some have children at home, others do not. Some host more than one international student. We have single host parents as well as couples. TCC hosts represent a wide variety of race, ethnicity, religious practice, age, and even national origin. Some have been in the U.S. for generations while others are immigrants who were international students themselves.Every host is different so each homestay is a different experience. We look at your interests and requests and the interests and requests of host families to make the best match possible.

Homestay placements are quarterly commitments (3 months). At the end of each quarter, you have the option of staying with your host, changing to a new host, or moving out of homestay entirely. Many students will live with the same family for their entire time at TCC and form lifelong connections.

Homestay Application Deadlines"

Quarter (Term)	Application Deadline	Arrival Dates for Airport Pick-up
Spring 2022	Feb. 15, 2022	Mar. 20-21
Summer 2022	May 15, 2022	June 11-12
Fall 2022	August 15, 2022	Sept. 17-18
Winter 2023	Nov. 15, 2022	TBD

Homestay Space is extremely limited! Please note application deadlines and apply ASAP.

Due to COVID-19, the TCC Homestay program was on pause until Fall quarter of 2021. We are excited to welcome students to our Homestay program once again but space is still limited. Many host families are waiting for more progress against the COVID pandemic before they accept students into their homes again. Students who want homestay need to apply before the posted deadline AND must complete the registration process once they receive their visa. We are unlikely to be able to accommodate students who apply late and/or delay in submitting their visa

Note that homestay rates and options are changing for the 2022-23 school year beginning in September, 2022. The following information is only for Spring and Summer quarters of 2022. Look below for information and applicaiton for the 2022-23 school year.

Students Applying for Summer 2022 who plan to continue in homestay for Fall of 2022 need to also submit a 2022-23 application.

Homestay Placement Fee: $250

One-time placement fee for students who join the Homestay Program that is charged to your student account after you arrive. Students receive the Homestay matching service, continued support from the staff throughout their time at TCC, and airport pick up.TCC offers two homestay options:

Complete Homestay | $675 per month

3 meals per day, of which the host prepares dinner and the student prepares breakfast and lunch.

Partial Homestay | $525 per month

No meals provided; the host provides a room for the student and access to a kitchen.

Homestay Changes effective Fall 2022"

To keep up with rising food, utility, and other costs, TCC is raising the monthly homestay rates and the one-time placement fee. This is the first rate increase in many years. In addition to these increases, we will offer a shared room option where 2 students would live in the same room, similar to a college residence hall. Each student sill still have their own bed, desk, storage, etc. Only hosts with large bedrooms will be able to offer the shared option, so space may be limited.

Both the Compelete and Partial meal plans will have shared options. the new rates below are per month and paid directly to the host family.

Complete Homestay, private room	$950
Complete Homestay, shared room	$850
Partial Homestay, private room	$700
Partial Homestay, shared room	$600

Additionally the Homestay Placement Fee will increase to $350 and will be charged to your student account once you accept your host family placement. Payment will be due at the same time as tution.

Applying for Homestay

Please select and submit the appropriate application.

If you are requesting summer homestay and planning to continue in Fall quarter, you only need to submit the Summer application for now.

We will have you sign an updated renewal contract for the new school year after you arrive.

Summer 2022 ONLY

2022-23 School year

After you apply, please review the following resources:

Review and understand the Homestay Handbook
Follow all New International Student Steps
Provide Arrival Information (provide arrival information for airport pick up)
Pay the Placement Fee with tuition (the placement fee is charged to your student account.

TCC begins the matching process following the application deadline for that specific term. This process takes 2-4 weeks

Applying early DOES give you priority in the matching process, but we do not make host family assingments until after you confirm your visa. Students who already have an approved visa may have priority over students who applied earlier, but do not have a visa yet. All students will receive their family's profile approximately 2 weeks prior to arrival.

If you are experiencing a delay in receiving your visa or booking your flight, please make sure to communicate with TCC International Housing before the deadlines.

Please note that while TCC homestay has reopened, the worldwide situation with COVID continues to change. Please be sure to stay up to date with travel requirements. You can find up to date information here: CDC travel requirements

Also note that if you have applied after the deadline for a particular quarter, we may not be able to accommodate you in homestay. It is also important to understand the visa application process in your home country as many U.S. embassies are in limited operations. The wait time in some countries can be many months if you do not already have an appointment. You can find approximate wait times using this U.S. State Department tool: Visa Appointment Wait Times

Not requesting airport pickup?

Please note, if you do not arrive on one of the pre-scheduled arrival days, you must make your own transportation arrangements from the airport.

There are many options available for students who are arriving on a different day or plan to arrange their own transportation. The best options for transportation from the airport are generally ride share such as uber or lyft; although, there are many taxi services as well. Depending on where you are staying, there may be a shuttle available. The website for the SeaTac airport has some good information and links to different options:

App Based Rideshare Info Taxi Service Info Door to Door Shuttle Info

Not Staying in Homestay?

Apartments and other Housing Resources in Tacoma

It is important to remember that TCC International Programs is not an agent or property manager. We do not place students into local apartments, homes or condominiums. We cannot act on your behalf. We are happy to provide resources and answer questions, but students need to contact local landlords directly. Other considerations:
- Leases are legal contracts so you must be at least 18 years old to apply on your own.
- Most places will charge an application fee for every adult who wants to live there. These range from $50-100 per person.
- Most leases will require at least a 6 month commitment. Some few will accept month-to-month, but often charge higher rent.
- You will usually need to proof of income that is 2.5-3x the monthly rent (some will accept the financial documents from your I-20). Many may ask for a co-signer (such as parent) with higher income.
- You will need to pay a deposit. These can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, but a portion will be refundable when you move out.
- Having an established credit record is often required, but some places will waive this and charge a higher deposit.
- Most rentals will also be unfurnished. There are some furnished options but they are less common and more expensive; although usually still more affordable than a hotel.
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Below are some of apartments within walking distance of TCC where international students have lived in the past without needing a co-signer. The COVID pandemic changed many things, and especially the rental housing market. Policies at these apartments may not be the same as before. TCC does not endorse any of these properties or guarantee that your application will be accepted.
There are large number of search tools for housing. Some properties will advertise on all of them, while others may only use one or two. Most of the listings you find here are from property management companies or professionally managed apartments. Almost all of these apartments and houses will be un-furnished but some of the search tools will allow you to filter furnished options
Craigslist is a community search site. You will find many listings here that do not appear on other sites. This includes private owners who may have a 2^nd home to rent or even just a spare room in their home. This can be a great resource to find less expensive options and, In many cases, single rooms may already be furnished as well. It is very important to use some caution on this site though. Some postings may be scams attempting to steal money, information, or even lure people in person.
- Craiglist individual rooms and roommates wanted
- Craigslist apartments and houses for rent
In addition to traditional apartments, vacation rentals and sites that cater to traveling workers are also great places for students to look. These rentals are all fully furnished and offer shorter rental periods which is good for students who cannot commit to long lease contracts. They are a little more expensive, but many do offer discounts for long stays and they are usually much better options than a hotel.
- Airbnb® | Tacoma - Vacation Rentals & Places to Stay - Washington - Airbnb
- Travel nurse housing/furnished rentals in Tacoma Washington (furnishedfinder.com)
Tacoma is a college town with multiple schools (not just TCC) so there are often other college and university students in the same situation, but also many who are not students. It can be hard to find them though. Some sites are just based on the city while others are more specific to each school.

These are city based networks open to anyone, not just students. The basic search is by city, but you can also narrow results down using filters like budget, gender, age, etc.
- Roommates.com | Find the Perfect Roommate with the official roommate finder
- Tacoma Pierce County WA Roommates | Roomies.com
This is specifically for students seeking college roommates. It is sorted by school so if you do sign up with TCC as your school, you should also search under University of Washington, Tacoma, University of Puget Sound, and Bates Technical College. Pierce College and Clover Park Technical College are also close by in Lakewood.
- Find College Roommates in Washington | Roomsurf
TCC and many other local schools and community service providers also partner with Associated Ministries in an adult homeshare program. This is like homestay, but is a community service for all adults in the area having trouble finding their own housing. Unlike social roommate sites, both home seekers and home providers must be screened and pass certain evaluations.
- Adult Home Sharing Program - Associated Ministries

Become a Host!

We are always seeking enthusiastic families who would like to host long-term or short-term students. Learn more!

Host Information

Have questions? Contact International Housing

International Programs
Tacoma Community College
Building 11, 2nd Floor
Phone/Fax: 253-566-5190
Facebook/Instagram: @tacomaccinternational

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