Registration for an on-campus overnight accommodation program for commuters during finals week opened online last night, Dec. 9.

The program, which will take place Dec. 15 to 20, will provide a maximum of 30 cots per night to students in the Commuter Lounge at the Kimmel Center for University Life.

Reservations, which can be arranged free of charge on a Student Resource Center webpage, will be made on a first-come, first-serve basis and can only be made for the night before a student’s exam. Commuters are able to register online until Dec. 13 at 10 a.m.

Because there will not be an official verification of a student’s exam schedule at the time of registration, the reservations will be made on an honor system.

In the past, commuters were able to stay on campus during finals week by booking a room in Greenwich Hotel residence hall. However, as vacancies in residence halls became scarce, that offer became unavailable starting in the fall 2012 semester, prompting the Commuter Student Council to seek an alternative.

“When the facility continued to be unavailable, I wanted to do something about it,” said Nischala Meni, the vice president of advocacy of the Commuter Student Council who spearheaded the initiative. “Several commuter students who were aware of this facility also voiced their concerns, which only supported my decision.”

LS freshman Kendi Tang said he appreciated CSC’s and university’s effort to provide an alternative.

“I think it’s good that they’re even attempting to try to make up for it because they can see that it’s a struggle for commuters to be around, try to study and do well on their finals without having to worrying about commuting,” Tang said.

Kimmel, which usually closes at 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and 1 a.m. on weekends, will stay open 24 hours for the overnight guests.

Kimmel director Jonathan Ross said NYU Public Safety will staff the front desk with a security officer overnight, with a patrol officer making regular tours of the building.

Associate director of the Student Resource Center Paulina Abaunza said two Commuter Assistants will be present in the Commuter Lounge each night to ensure cots are put away in the morning and students remain on the second floor throughout the night.

CAS freshman Abdii Kassa, who commutes two-hour round-trip from Secaucus, N.J., said the program would ease the strain of commuting.

“This is a good initiative to help commuters get on even footing with people who dorm,” Kassa said. “This [Commuter Lounge] is our home anyways, more than Greenwich Hotel. I feel we’re more at ease here.”

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, Dec. 10 print edition. Tony Chau is a senior editor. Email him at [email protected].