Costs and Savings
Cost and Savings on Dining & Housing for 2020-2021
Due to COVID-19 and its unforeseen effects, OSCA rates for academic year 2020-2021 have not yet been calculated. Please use our priior year costs as an example of OSCA savings versus Oberlin College housing and dining plans.
Cost and Savings on Dining & Housing for 2019-2020
OSCA offers significant savings over regular campus dining and housing. At the end of each financial year, any leftover money is refunded to the membership.
| OSCA COST & Savings on Dining & Housing for 2019-2020 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| OSCA | College | Savings | |
| Dining | $4,040 | $8,476 | $4,436 |
| Double room | $5,030 | $8,350 | $3,320 |
| Single room | $6,250 | $8,350 | $2,100 |
In 2019-2020, to dine in a co-op costs $4,040 a year ($4,436 less than campus dining service).
Living in a co-op double and dining in a co-op costs $9,070 ($7,756 less than living in a campus dorm and dining in campus dining service). Living in a co-op single and dining in a co-op costs $10,290 for the year ($6,536 less).
Labor
The labor that members put into their co-op results in these savings. Co-opers work an average of 4 to 5 hours a week. Job hours are flexible, fun, and a good way to meet people. The types of work co-opers do range from cooking or baking bread to being a representative to the Board of Directors or keeping track of co-op finances. Most larger co-ops have “Time Aid” programs that allows members who also have jobs outside the co-op to reduce their hours to sometimes as little as 1 or 2 hours a week.
Financial Aid
OSCA also offers a number of scholarships through its sister organization, the OSCA Foundation, including the Financial Need Scholarship (which covers $500 or $1,000 of a member's semester board bill) and the Emergency Need Scholarship (which is open to all Oberlin students). Information on these and other scholarships are made available to the membership in late August.
OSCA Billing
OSCA bills are issued on August 10 and January 10 and are due within 30 days.
Mail your check to:
Oberlin Student Cooperative Association
P.O. Box 118
Oberlin, OH 44074
For more information on billing, please consult How To Pay My OSCA Bill below. If your question is not answered on that page, please contact the OSCA Financial Office (Wilder Room 402) or email osca@oberlin.edu for more information.