Housing

Skidmore in Spain provides students the choice of living with a host family or in a student residence in Madrid. While most students choose to live with a host family, both housing options provide a unique opportunity to live with locals in Madrid. Living in a foreign country is exciting, enriching, interesting and sometimes frustrating. It is a fascinating experience in which one learns about different customs and how to speak another language.

The program staff's primary concern is the personal welfare of the students. The Director visits the Skidmore campus each semester to lead a pre-departure orientation and answer any questions they may have prior to going to Spain. Students will also have individual meetings by Zoom to discuss the housing options and their preferences.

Host Family

The host family experience is one of the program's most valuable aspects as it allows students to fully participate in Spanish culture on a daily basis. Student preferences concerning personal comforts, eating habits, health requirements (smoking, allergies, etc.), and family composition are all taken into consideration during family selection. Once the student has been placed in a Spanish home, the program staff is in regular contact with both the student and the family to assure that the adaptation continues to go smoothly.

Living with a host family allows our students to be totally immersed in the Spanish way of life on a daily basis. Because of the importance of this experience as a source of contact with the culture and the language, we place only one student per family. You learn not only about the Spaniards firsthand, but also about yourself: your own values, ideas and beliefs.

The home-stay option includes:

• An individual room with adequate furnishing to facilitate studying
• Two meals a day (breakfast and dinner, depending on your schedule), with a stipend to cover lunch.
• Laundry, including weekly changing of sheets and towels or washing machine access

Student Residence

Single room in the student residence

You will be placed in a student residence in an individual room with private bathroom, small refrigerator, and microwave. All meals are provided in the student dining hall, and students can request to-go meals with advance notice. The student residence provides weekly changing of bedding and towels. Students have access to a self-service laundry room (cost for personal laundry not included).

Please note students who live in the student residence are not eligible to receive a lunch stipend.