Setting Up and Settling In

Securing housing is an important first step in moving to a new city to start your program.  There are also other important steps that you may need to take to settle into your new home in Baltimore or to prepare for your graduate program.  Here are some resources that will help you as you transition to life at JHU, in Baltimore, and for some of you, to the United States:   

• Obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) – https://ois.jhu.edu/university-community-resources/legal/  
• Obtain a driver’s license through the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) – https://ois.jhu.edu/university-community-resources/local-resources/transportation/drivers-license/  
• Set up a bank account – https://ois.jhu.edu/university-community-resources/local-resources/banking/  
• Purchase books and academic supplies – https://johns-hopkins.bncollege.com/course-material/course-finder  
• Determine your route to the Homewood campus – https://ts.jhu.edu/  
• Review additional costs for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows with families – https://engineering.jhu.edu/studentaffairs/student-experience/family-and-caregiving-resources/  

• Mobile Phone – Cell phone contracts require a Social Security Number. Without this, students may only be able to purchase prepaid plans (“pay as you go”). Using the customers’ name, address, and date of birth, some mobile phone carriers can run credit checks internationally. Based on these reports, they may require customers to pay a deposit of up to $500–750 before activation. If a customer maintains regular, timely payments for 12 months, the deposit may be refunded by credit card or applied to the account balance. It is important to check these details and policies with each mobile phone provider. 
• Pre-Paid Mobile Phone – Prepaid services generally do not require credit history or a Social Security Number. Buyers pay for the device up-front, and can purchase minutes, days, or points at their choosing. Typically, there are no penalties or fees for nonpayment; the service simply becomes unavailable. Often with prepaid mobile phones, customers must pay for the device to obtain service. Also, coverage may be limited by comparison to monthly plans. 
• Electricity – When leasing a home, you may or may not be responsible to setting up an account with the gas and electric company.  If you do need to set up an account, to turn on gas or electronic power in a home, companies may require forms of identification for activation – this can be a driver’s license, Employer ID, or Tax ID Number. Without credit history, power companies may require a security deposit. It is important to check on specific details when negotiating set-up. 
  • Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) Customer Service:  https://secure.bge.com/CustomerServices/service/landing.  
• Internet/Cable – Television cable/internet providers may accept green cards, passports, and other government-issued documents. A negative credit history may require a deposit, but in the absence of credit, the deposit may or may not be necessary. 
• Filing Taxes – There may or may not be costs associated with filing taxes. Graduate students are subject to specific tax filing guidelines by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
  • As a guide through this process the IRS provides Publication 970, which spells out all tax obligations for students. To obtain further information, please contact the Johns Hopkins University Tax Office at [email protected].