Frequently Asked Questions
Housing Central is the website that staff in Residential Living and Learning use to communicate important information to students. It is actually the housing database/software known as Residence by Symplicity. Each student has a home page where they will find active applications for various processes (housing applications, residency exemption requests, accommodations request, room change request, animal-friendly applications, etc.). Room assignments and roommate(s) information are posted there when assignments are released each semester. In addition to all of this, students will find important links to valuable campus resources. You are strongly encouraged to review their home page and bookmark it on their computers for easy access.
Yes. Stetson University has a three-year residency requirement (under 90 credit hours). In order to accommodate all students subject to that requirement with our current capacity, we need to have most students over 90 credits live off campus. Students with over 90 credit hours can be wait-listed and will be given housing when/if housing becomes available. We cannot guarantee housing to these students.
However, there are exceptions to the residency requirement. You can review these exemptions and how to request an exemption to the residency requirement by visiting the Living Off Campus webpage.
Students apply online. Visit Housing Central for more information.
To successfully apply for housing you must complete the following steps:
- Be admitted to Stetson University for the academic period requested.
- Pay the $500 enrollment deposit and confirm with the Office of Admission your intent to attend Stetson University.
- Receive an invitation to Housing Central three to five business days after you receive your Stetson University email address.
- Complete the housing application for new students which includes the Residential Living and Learning Housing Agreement.
- Maintain your registered student status by paying all university tuition and fees by the designated deadlines. Failure to adhere to deadlines could jeopardize your housing assignment.
Love where you live. Live where you learn. Discover a lifestyle that keeps you closer to the things happening on campus: friends, classes, dining and boundless opportunities. Students who live on campus have greater opportunities to become involved not only in student organizations across campus but with their residence hall and the people living with them. There is evidence showing that students living on campus have a higher academic achievement, stay in school until graduation at higher rates and are generally more satisfied with their college experience. Recognizing this evidence, Stetson University requires all undergraduate students with less than 90 earned credit hours to live on campus. There are some exceptions to this requirement and this information is outlined in the Residency Exemption.
Yes. All entering incoming new students are guaranteed housing. Our goal is for all new students who are admitted, pay their enrollment deposit and submit the Residential Living and Learning Housing Agreement to be housed. If you delay deciding to attend, paying your deposit and/or submitting your RLL Housing Agreement, it could affect whether or not you receive your an assignment in one of your preferred residence halls or being assigned to expanded/temporary housing. Students who are late in committing to Stetson could result in being assigned into expanded/temporary housing which is an assignment in a common area space for a short period, depending on the demand and the date of your deposit.
Expanded or temporary housing refers to areas in the residence hall that were not originally designed as residential ares but have been set up to house students for a limited period of times. These areas include lounges or rooms designated for two people but will accommodate three. Each student assigned to expanded/temporary housing has their own bed and space to store belongings.
It can take up to three business days after your email account is activated for it to be recognized by Housing Central. If you are unable to access Housing Central after three days, please contact our office at 386.822.7201.
You will most likely be assigned to a shared bedroom with access to a community bathroom located in close proximity on the floor. That means you will be assigned to one of the following halls: Carson Hollis, Chaudoin (all female), Conrad (Honors/Bonners students), Gordis, Nemec, or Smith. (Incoming new students approved for animal friendly housing will be assigned to University Hall.)
This living experience will enable to you meet the greatest number of new people and possibly make the greatest number of new friends. We recognize that living with someone whom you may not know is a challenge, but the resident assistant assigned to your floor will be able to work with you and your new roommate to set up expectations and discuss any issues that may arise from time to time during the academic year. We encourage all students to view this experience as a wonderful opportunity to grow and learn more about themselves as a result.
it is highly unlikely that you will be assigned to an individual bedroom or a suite. There are very few individual bedrooms located in the first year area and those are typically reserved for accommodations.
For more information on the halls mentioned above, please visit our residence hall page where the various different communities and housing options are described.
Students are assigned a room based on when they paid their enrollment deposit and submitted their Residential Living and Learning Housing Agreement. Therefore it is to your advantage to apply as early as possible. new student assignments for fall are generally communicative via Stetson email accounts late June.
Spring housing assignments are communicate via Stetson email accounts during the Winter break and summer after May 1.
You can check on your housing status through Housing Central.
Yes! We do our best to honor mutual roommate requests based on space availability. To designate a preferred roommate on the online housing application you will need to know the preferred student's full name and whether they are a new or current* student. You increase the likelihood of being assigned together if:
- You and your preferred roommate submit your application on or about the same time.
- You and your preferred roommate request the same halls and indicate similar lifestyle interests.
- If you are both incoming new students.
- If you are a new student requesting to live with a current student, you cannot prefer each other in the room selection process.
* Given that some buildings have certain eligibility requirements and the Housing Sign Up process for current students occurs early in the spring, we may not be able to honor some roommate requests.
Students who need assistance in exiting their assigned space during an emergency (i.e. fire alarm, weather conditions, etc.) should notify the staff in Residential Living and Learning so that Public Safety can be notified. Students who have been approved for accommodations are encouraged to request assistance during the meeting with the Associate Director for Housing Operations and Administrative Processes
Working with Public Safety and the Academic Success Center, Residential Living and Learning has created a guide for Emergency Response Procedures for Students with Disabilities.
We are very pleased that housing rate only increased by 2.9% for the 2018-2019 academic year where most universities saw a 5-7 % increase. Please visit the residence hall rates page for details on the cost of housing.
All first- and second-year students have to choose a meal plan.
Please see the Dining Services meal plans page for information on meal plan options.
Now that you will be joining the Stetson residential community, we have compiled a recommended packing list of items we suggest you bring and those that you leave at home. This list is not meant to be all-inclusive, but instead to give you a good idea as to what is and isn't allowed.
The list is divided into different areas to help you consider all the items you may want to bring with you. We encourage you to speak with your roommate, prior to moving in, about what each of you can bring to the room due to space and economic considerations.
At Stetson University, gender inclusive housing isn't just for LGBT students, everyone has access to it. We recognize that many students benefit from being able to be in a room or apartment with students of another or multiple genders. Gender inclusive housing isn't segregated to a specific building or hallway; rather, it is an option that returning students self-select during housing sign-up. So whether you're looking to room with your best friend, cousin, twin or partner, we're open to that if you are. Gender inclusive housing isn't a Living-Learning Community or a themed living environment, and it does not have specific programming for students involved because it's aimed at providing an option for students who could possibly live all across campus.
There is no need to call or email the office; you can view your assignment by logging on to Housing Central. If Residential Living and Learning just informed you of a change in person it may take a day for the update to be reflected in the database.
Students can find floor plans, layouts and room dimensions in Housing Central. They should go to the ‘More' tab and then click ‘Documents.'
For students who self-identify as gender non-conforming, transgender, queer, etc., the world has put up many barriers. We like to think that Stetson University's Residential Living and Learning isn't one of them. We do our best to allow you to experience housing sign-up like all other students; like all other students you can provide us your preferred gender and preferred name, too. If you'd like to call in for additional guidance or have questions about how you might navigate our process as a returner or an incoming first-year or transfer student, please email [email protected] or call 386-822-7201. You might want to look at the question of Gender Neutral Housing above too, but know many options exist.
Stetson University is an animal-friendly campus, offering some animal-friendly residence halls where you have the ability to bring your small dog, cat, gerbil, turtle, hamster or fish. Review the requirements and find out how to apply.
For your convenience Stetson University is partnered with On Campus Marketing, an outside vendor, who sends letters to parents/guardians about such products. You can reach them at 1-800-892-8741. Of course, everybody is welcome to use other stores, companies and products. Review linen offers at http://www.rhl.org/stu.
Post a sign on it and inform our laundry vendor immediately by calling 1-888-MAC-GRAY (888-622-4729) or reporting it online at Mac Gray's website.
For students who meet the criteria to request to live off campus a search of nearby apartments or houses might give you a lower rent rate, but please consider that there are many other factors involved with living off campus in which the cost is hard to calculate. These factors include:
- Living within walking distance to all campus buildings
- Easy access to on-campus dining options where you don't need to cook or clean your dishes
- The safety and security of our buildings, which are monitored by Public Safety and Residential Living and Learning staff
- No additional utility bills (cable, wired/wireless internet, water, electricity, heating and laundry are all included)
- Repairs within 24 to 48 hours after a request is submitted
- Recycling is picked up just down the hallway from you