It's never too early to consider housing for the next school year.

With summer break less than three months away, the Southeast Missouri State University Arrow will host the first Arrow Off Campus Housing Fair on March 4 to provide students with information about off-campus rental options for the 2015-2016 school year.

"The housing fair is designed for all Southeast students whether they live on campus now or if they live off campus to be able to see the options available from several of the companies in town," Arrow Advertising Adviser Gera LeGrand said. "So in one spot, they would be able to visit -- I believe there's seven different companies that are going to be represented. [Students will] be able to talk with them, pick up applications, see floor plans, see what properties are available all in one spot at one easy place."

LeGrand said the purpose of the event is to place a variety of off-campus housing options in one place for student convenience and to help alleviate confusion or frustration when it comes to looking for a future rental.

"Well not always is it easy to find which companies offer student rentals," LeGrand said. "You know, you just can't really Google and say 'Student rentals Cape Girardeau' and probably get a complete list. This way, in one easy place, they'll be able to talk to the major players who have a number of student rentals available."

Aaron's Sales and Leasing is the presenting sponsor for the event. Other companies that will have booths at the housing fair are Cape Trails, Rent SEMO, R. Hetzel Properties LLC, Executive Property Management, SOTO Property Solutions, Cape La Croix Apartment Homes, Velosity Electronics, Chap Arnold Insurance and Satellite Mafia Systems.

"[Aaron's is] just helping us sponsor [the event]," LeGrand said. "So adding some excitement for the students themselves so that when the students come, obviously they get the information, but this also makes it helpful for them to see what type of furniture and accessories they could get from Aaron's. They've got some great packages available for students that you could get because of coming to the housing fair."

LeGrand said Aaron's has whole apartment furniture packages available for students who wish to rent furniture rather than haul all of their own to Cape Girardeau for the school year period and that special deals might be offered for students who attend the housing fair.

She said this event will be an opportunity for students to plan ahead for the next school year.

"This will also help them think ahead so students don't wait until July and then think that they have to find a rental, and then they might end up somewhere that's too expensive, someplace that is further away than they want to be, they might have to settle. And this will help them, I think, plan ahead," LeGrand said.

Olivia Snare, the Arrow advertising manager, said students will be given a folder when they enter the fair that will have information about each vendor and will be able to hold any rental applications or additional information students may pick up at the different companies' booths.

"By the time you're a junior or senior you're at least looking at moving off campus, so you might as well be aware of it and what that all entails," Snare said. "For me, it was cheaper to move off campus, so they can become aware of that from this [event]."

Punch cards will be given to students upon entry to the housing fair and will include all the names of the present sponsors. Once students go to all the participating vendors' booths at the housing fair, they can submit their punch cards into a drawing for a grand prize. Aaron's will supply the grand prize for the housing fair, a $400 gift certificate to use toward a rental or purchase at Aaron's. The Arrow staff also will give away smaller prizes during the housing fair, like slices of Domino's pizza and Arrow-branded drink koozies.

Snare said the event will help students who may be curious or unsure about off-campus housing.

"I think it gives students a chance to understand what it's like to be off campus," Snare said. "Because when I moved off campus I was a little clueless at first, and so just being able to talk to landlords and companies and stuff, like all the steps that you need to take, I think that'll help, especially for students who are moving off for the first time. ... It's not going to hurt the students; all it can do is benefit them."

The Arrow Off Campus Housing Fair will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 4 in the University Center Ballroom B. All students and members of the community are encouraged to attend.