First Year Students

HOUSING BROCHURE

Room selection dates for Fall 2024-Spring 2025

INCOMING FRESHMEN 2023-2024 Academic Year:   The on-campus housing application opened on November 28, 12:30pm, for all new students.  We will start corresponding with those students who have submitted their $90 enrollment fee starting each week.  Please make certain you are checking your SRU email.  Once you receive that email with specific housing information, you will be directed to log into your MyHousing Portal Student Self-Service portal to complete the process.  First year students are required to reside on-campus for two years. Students who have completed fewer than four regular semesters of college, or fewer than 60 earned credits, are required to live on campus per the University. Students may request an exemption from this residency requirement policy via their MyHousing portal; please note an exemption from this requirement is not guaranteed. The most common exemption request would be students who plan to commute from their permanent home address, to which they will upload a notarized letter via the portal.  Download form here or you can create your own.  In short, you either need to complete a housing application, or apply for an exception (also found in your MyHousing Portal).  

Steps to Complete the Housing Agreement Process:

Prior to completing your housing agreement, you will need:

1. A credit card or banking information for an electronic check for the $175 advance housing fee. This is non-refundable after May 1 (regardless if you have cancelled your admission to the University after this date).  It is only refundable on or before May 1 if you officially cancel your admission.
2. Date of meningitis vaccination. This information is required. Your vaccination date can be obtained from your physician or your high school records. A waiver can be electronically requested when vaccination is medically contraindicated.
3. Slippery Rock University’s primary form of communication will be via your SRU email account. Please log in frequently, or forward your University email to another personal account, to be sure you receive correspondence. All first-year students are required to live on campus at Slippery Rock University. If you are a first-year student, you may request an exemption from this residency requirement policy if you meet any of the following conditions:

• Commuting from permanent home address (within 60 miles of campus) Upload a notarized letter confirming this.
• Fully online course schedule (copy of class schedule).
• Over the age of 21 on or before December 31 of current year (student record will verify)
• Married (upload marriage certificate) 
• Dependent child/children in student's custody (upload birth certificate, custody order, or copy of most recent student tax return)
• Active military service or honorably discharged (upload DD220, copy of orders, or DD214)
• Will have over 48 credits by August 1 or have already completed 4 regular full-time semesters (class schedule will verify)
• Student is part-time (upload statement, class schedule will verify)
• *Other (upload detailed statement with any supporting documents)

*This request will be reviewed by a campus committee every 2 weeks.  Exemption from this requirement of living on campus is NOT guaranteed.  Do not sign an off-campus lease until you receive an approvaled exeption statement via SRU email.

STEP 1: Sign the Housing Agreement

• Log into MyHousing Portal: https://reslife.sru.edu
• Username: Your SRU ID (email account)
• Password: Your password is the same one you use to check your SRU email, or if you have never logged in before, it is your six-digit birth date (mmddyySru).
• Select “Application/Agreement” on the menu.
• Select the Fall 2024 agreement.
• Read the agreement carefully; This is a legally binding contract for the entire academic year (two semesters).
• Sign the agreement electronically. This will serve as your signature for the 2023-2024 academic year. Click “continue.”

NOTE: Students residing on-campus are required to obtain a meal plan.  The University will automatically invoice you for weekly 14 meal plan as outlined in your housing agreement.  You may log back in to your MyHousing portal to change your meal plan after July 1st. Please visit https://www.sru.edu/dining or contact Dining Services for more specific details at 724.738.2038.  The meal plan may be adjusted one time until a designated date in September.

STEP 2: Complete the "My Information" Section

• Students requesting specific housing due to medical issues must be registered with the Office of Disability Services. The Office of Housing and Residence Life cannot accommodate requests to medical concerns unless you are registered with the Office of Disability Services.
• Students residing in residence halls are required to have received the meningococcal vaccination. Please provide the date you received the vaccination or waive the vaccination
• You will have the option to give a preference on campus area (Residential Suites, Buildings A-F or Traditional Halls, North and Rhoads). This is only a request and cannot be guaranteed.
• You will have the option to give a Living Learning Community (LLC) preference. After reviewing the Living-Learning Community spreadsheet in this booklet, or online, if you believe one of those communities would be a good fit for you personally or academically, make it a preference.
• Please note: If you select to live in an LLC and your major matches the LLC requirement, you will be automatically approved. If not, your application will be reviewed.
• If you or your roommate are applying for an LLC, you must be aware that both roommates must apply to the LLC – and approved – or the request cannot be honored.
• After you had selected your preferences, click “Continue.”

STEP 3: Complete your Addresses/Contacts.

• Please complete Parental Verification contact. This is required.  Your parents will receive a verification code sent to their email address.  They will then need to log into the housing portal (as you) and enter the code.  If they do not receive an email with the verification code, make sure to check in the spam or junk folder.  If it does not arrive, please call our office for assistance.  724.738.2082.

STEP 4: Complete your Living Requests (Optional).

• You may enter additional preference here.  This is only optional and will be used if you didn’t select your room during room selections.
• After you had selected your preferences, click “Continue".

STEP 5: Pay Housing Fee

• Next, you will pay the housing fee. This step is not optional and without the fee, your application will not be processed. After you have completed both the agreement and submitted payment, you will be directed to sign your meal contract. Changes to your dining plan may be made at the beginning of July via the MyHousing Portal.  If you are unable to pay the $175, please contact the Housing Office for assistance.  
• You will receive an email via your SRU email account confirming that you have completed Step 1.
• If the student is under 18 years of age, a verification will be sent to the parent email entered in the “Addresses/Contacts” section.
• Click Home.

You may search for the name of your intended roommate or roommates at this time.  If you can’t find in the system, please review the *reasons why below.  

GROUP 1:  New freshmen who have completed housing application before February 28, 2024:

Thursday, March 7:  Students (LLC and non-LLC) who have a roommate or roommates may select their room – room must fill so 2 people or 4 people only.  Only one person needs to select the room.  If you have 4 people, talk with your group ahead of time and decide who will be on the same side as who… beds 1 and 2 (A and B) share a restroom and beds 3 and 4 (C & D) share a restroom.
Tuesday, March 12 – March 29 students who completed their housing application before February 28, and do not have an intended roommate, may select their room.

GROUP 2:  New Freshmen who have completed housing application between Feb. 29 – April 1:  Students (LLC and non-LLC) who have a roommate or roommates may select their room – room must fill so 2 people or 4 people only may select their room beginning Thursday, April 4 starting at 12:30pm.  Only one person needs to select the room.  If you have 4 people, talk with your group ahead of time and decide who will be on the same side as who… beds 1 and 2 or A and B share a restroom and beds 3 and 4 or C & D share a restroom.
Thursday, April 9-30:  students without a roommate may select their room.

GROUP 3:  For any student who has completed their housing application after April 2, the Housing Office will do your placement for you.  Students who could have selected their room but didn’t, the Housing Office will do your placement for you as well.

 *Reasons why you can’t find your intended roommate(s) to send them a roommate request:

1. Did they submit their $90 enrollment fee and complete their housing application?
2. Do they already have a housing placement?
3. Did they select an LLC which is different than yours?
4. Is their application incomplete (parental verification for those under 18)?
5. Did either of you apply to the Honors LLC or ROCK Athletics LLC and was your request approved?
6. Do they already have a housing assignment?
7. Is your roommate an upper class student? (you can only see other new freshmen in the que)  If this is the case, contact Mimi and she will assist.

 Helpful hints:

If you mark that you would like to live in a Living and Learning Community, you will only see rooms open in that particular building which are available for you to select.   

Building A:  College of Health, Environment and Engineering and College of Health Professions

Building B:  some of the building is for ROCK Athletics LLC

Watson Hall:  College of Education and Honors only

Building D:  College of Liberal Arts and College of Business

There are no LLC’s offered in traditional housing (North and Rhoads Halls)

NOTE: Current upper-class students will have an earlier room selection timeline, beginning in February.