How do I apply for housing?
How much does housing cost?
Where are the halls located and what do they look like?
Can I see a specific hall?
Do the rooms have cable?
Do I need a telephone?
Can I call long distance or accept collect calls?
Am I required to live on campus and purchase a meal plan?
How do I get a private room?
If I cancel, will I get a refund?
Can I have a guest in my room?
Can I have a microwave in my room?
Can I have a refrigerator in my room?
What do I need to bring with me?
Do the rooms have carpet?
Do the rooms have air conditioning?
Which hall or house is the best?
How do I pay for housing and dining? Can I pay in installments?
Can I sign a one semester housing contract?
Can I use a computer to access the Internet in my room?
Can I build a loft or a bunk bed?
In order to apply for housing, you must:
Please note: First year students will automatically receive a housing packet by mail when their admission status has been verified. Upperclassmen may request a housing packet by calling (936) 294-1812.
The cost of housing ranges from $1,392.00 per semester to $2,286.00 per semester. The Residence Facilities page will show you the different prices per hall/house.
Where are the halls located and what do they look like?
Visit our Virtual Tours section for a 360° tour of some of our facilities. You can view the map of the SHSU campus and descriptions of each hall and house. You may also come by our office, if you are visiting campus, to look at our Tour Book for a pictorial tour.
Rooms are set up for viewing during special events and the summer. During the summer, tours are available at the Residence Life Office, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
Yes, every residence hall and house has basic cable.
Yes, you will need to provide your own telephone, unless you live at Bearkat Village Apartments, Sam Houston Village, or Raven Village which use voice-over-IP technology. Telephone jacks are set up in the rooms.
A personal Voice Mailbox is also available.
Can I call long distance or accept collect calls?
You can call long distance provided you have a calling card from a long distance carrier (e.g., AT&T, Sprint, MCI). You are not allowed to accept collect calls in your residence hall. If you do accept any collect calls, you will be billed the cost of the call plus a $15.00 charge per call.
The University has also implemented a new calling system to the Houston area. If you want to call someone in this area, you can now do it for FREE from your campus telephone.
From any campus telephone, just dial 9 and then the area code and number (Don't dial 1 for long distance). The included area codes are 713, 832 and 281. Not all numbers in these area codes are included in the call list. You can check the list here. If the prefix is not included in the Houston local calling area, the call will not go through.
Also, people from those areas can now call you for free too. Tell them to dial (281) 657-6416. They will then need to enter your five-digit extension (i.e. phone # is 496-1234, your five-digits will be 61234).
Am I required to live on campus and purchase a meal plan?
Only those students who graduated from high school in the current academic year are required to live on campus and purchase a 15, 20 or any 160 meal plan for an academic year. Exceptions may be made for students who meet the approved waiver requirement to commute from a distance of no greater than 60 miles from campus under certain circumstances. A waiver request form may be obtained from the Department of Residence Life.
For example, if a student graduates from high school during the 2008 academic year (December 2007-June 2008), they are required to live on-campus the 2009 academic year (fall 2008 and spring 2009), regardless of the college hours earned.
NOTE: Once an Academic Year Contract has been signed, the exemptions to this policy may no longer be considered.
After the freeze period at the beginning of each semester, there may be space available for a person to have a private room. Requests for a private room may be made with your hall staff. If space is available, then you will be asked to fill out a private room agreement. Once the private room agreement is signed, you will be billed the prorated charge for the private room.
If I cancel, will I get a refund?
The deposit is refundable upon written request if admission to the university is denied or if cancellation for a housing reservation is made according to the following schedule:
Summer Session I Cancel by May 20, 2008 $190.00 refund Cancel after May 20, 2008 no refund Summer Session II Cancel by July 1, 2008 $190.00 refund Cancel after July 1, 2008 no refund Fall Semester 2008 Cancel by July 1, 2008 $190.00 refund Cancel by August 20, 2008 $100.00 refund Cancel after August 20, 2008 no refund
Can I have a guest in my room?
Overnight guests of the same sex must be arranged in advance with roommates, suite mates, and the Resident Manager. Guests must be sixteen years of age or older, and may stay a maximum of 2 nights and 3 days. More information may be obtained through the Residence Hall Handbook.
Raven Village, Sam Houston Village, Randel and Vick houses and White Hall all have in-room microwaves and refrigerators.
Can I have a microwave in my room?
Microwave ovens are not allowed in individual residence hall rooms. However, microwave ovens have been purchased by some hall/house councils and are available for residents' occasional use for snacks. The microwaves are for snack items only, and are not intended to supplement a meal plan.
Can I have a refrigerator in my room?
Students may bring small personal refrigerators. The maximum allowable size for any refrigerator unit is 5.0 cubic feet capacity. Each student in a room may have a unit so long as the combined total capacity of both units in a room is no more than 10.0 cubic feet.
What do I need to bring with me?
You will need to bring linens for a twin bed, pillows, blankets, towels, wastebaskets, an alarm clock, cleaning supplies and toiletries, and toilet paper. Other things you may want to bring include a stereo, iron, curtains, throw rugs or carpet, pictures, computer, posters, and dishes for snacks.
The Residence Facilities page will show you which ones have carpet.
Do the rooms have air conditioning?
All the rooms have air conditioning. The Residence Facilities page will show you which have central air vs. window air conditioning units.
Which hall or house is the best?
Everyone has different needs and desires, so what do you think is best? Refer to the Residence Facilities page to determine which house or hall may meet your needs.
How do I pay for housing and dining? Can I pay in installments?
You can by by cash, check, Visa, or MasterCard. Two options are available for students to pay their fees. One option is for the student to pay everything all at once during registration. The second option is where you request to pay in 3 installments; 1/2 is due at the time of registration, and then 2 quarterly installments thereafter.
Can I sign a one semester housing contract?
All housing contracts are for a full academic year (from fall to spring). However, if you are transferring or graduating in December, you must cancel your spring housing in writing by December 1st in order to receive your deposit back. If you apply for spring only, you will only be required to complete the terms of the Academic Year Contract.
Can I use a computer to access the Internet in my room?
Yes, you can.
Can I build a loft or bunk bed?
Lofts and bunk beds may be built provided that students follow the established construction policy. Bunk beds and lofts are to be freestanding and must not be stacked on the furniture. Bolts, nails, etc. are not to be attached to the walls, floors, ceilings, or furniture to support the bunkbed or loft. All plans must be presented to the Resident Manager and approved by the Asst. Director of Facilities and Maintenance before construction can begin. Click here for information and loft plans.