​​FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS​

No, you will need a valid Bearkat OneCard to access your assigned Residence Hall. If you require assistance with your card, please contact Student Account Services at 936-294-2273 or bearkatone@shsu.edu. 

All students entering SHSU within 1 year of high school are required to reside on campus and purchase a University Meal Plan their first year of collage, usually fall and spring semesters. 

In order to apply for housing, you must: 

1. Be admitted to the University 

1. Fill out a housing application 

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.

Exceptions to the First Year Housing and Meal Plan Policy may be made by the Department of Residence Life.  Some exceptions include the student living at home (or with a grandparent or sibling) within a 60 mile radius to the SHSU campus, financial hardship, a medical condition that prevents a student from residing on-campus, marriage, or prior military service. A waiver may be requested by going through the Housing Portal. 

The housing and dining rates page will show you the different prices per location. 

You can view the map of the SHSU campus and descriptions of each residence hall. You may also check out a limited virtual tour of some of the on-campus housing available. 

A specific tour of one of our showrooms, listed below, is given if we have available staff between 9AM - 4PM. For special accommodations, please contact the Residence Life Office prior to visit to make arrangements. Virtual tours can be found here. 

Halls available for tours: 

Estill Hall 

Lone Star Hall 

Piney Woods Hall 

Raven Village 

For more information, please contact the Residence Life Office. 

All resident facilities have campus wireless internet access. No personal routers are allowed. 

Cable is completely unavailable and cannot be purchased in any of the residence halls. 

After the freeze period at the beginning of each semester, there may be space available for a person to have a private room. Private rooms are one and a half times the double room rate. Requests for a private room may be made with your hall staff after you check in. 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 for the prorated charge for the private room. 

See the Housing Contract Terms and Conditions.

Overnight guests of the same sex must be arranged in advance with roommates, suite mates, and the Residence Hall Director. 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, Baldwin, Crawford, Creager, Mallon, Jackson-Shaver, Lone Star Hall, Piney Woods Hall, and White Hall all have in-room microwaves and refrigerators. If not provided by Residence Life, microwaves are not allowed in individual residence hall rooms. However, microwaves in residence hall lobbies are available for residents' occasional use for snacks. The microwaves are for snack items only and are not intended to supplement a meal plan. 

Maybe. Please refer to the Animals in Residential Facilities for all requirements.

Raven Village, Sam Houston Village, Baldwin, Crawford, Creager, Mallon, Jackson-Shaver, Lone Star Hall, Piney Woods Hall, and White Hall all have in-room microwaves and refrigerators. If you are assigned to be in these buildings, you may not bring an additional refrigerator. For all other buildings you may bring a small personal refrigerator if one is not already provided. 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. 

You will need to bring linens for a twin XL sized bed* (mattress size: 36"x78"), pillows, blankets, towels, wastebaskets, an alarm clock, cleaning supplies and toiletries, and toilet paper. Other things you may want to bring include curtains (tension rod only), throw rugs or carpet, pictures, computer, flashlight (with batteries), posters, and dishes for snacks. See Decorating Tips for more information.

*Students living in Copper Village & San Jacinto Hall Studios have full size beds. 

The Rates and Payment page will show you which rooms have carpet. You are welcome to bring an area rug to campus. 

Everyone has different needs and desires, so what do you think is best? Refer to the Rates and Payment page to determine which house or hall may meet your needs. 

Charges are applied to your student account and payments are made with Student Account Services. To learn more about your payment options visit Payments or watch the short video below. 

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 current Academic Year Contract (spring only). 

Lofts (homemade or commercially built) are NOT permitted in the residence halls or apartments.  However, some residence hall beds are bunk-able, and students may bunk their beds, if applicable, to maximize space in their residence hall room.  Bunk bed pegs are available in the hall offices. 

Students select the specific room where they wish to reside and can make room changes until shortly before move-in.  Room selection time slots are determined by the date SHSU receives the student application and deposit, as well as verification of bacterial meningitis vaccination. 

Students also have the opportunity to find roommates using the housing portal.  Confirmed roommates will receive a common date of priority (average of both dates of deposit) to enter the portal to select a room. 

Residents needing a housing-related accommodation due to a disability are advised to register with the SHSU Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). Students may contact SSD via the SSD homepage, email, telephone (936) 294.3512, or in person at the Lee Drain Annex.

Students have the opportunity to find roommates using the housing portal.  Confirmed roommates will receive a common date of priority (average of both dates of deposit) to enter the portal to select a room. 

No, you may not eat without a valid Bearkat OneCard. If you require assistance with your card, please contact Student Account Services at 936-294-2273.

If you want to move rooms or halls, please talk to your hall staff for available options. 

Register any electronic products with the University Police Department.

You must have a medical need in order to request that the university mattress be removed from your room. A physician’s note stating the medical reason for the request must be provided to the Residence Life Student Relations Clerk via fax 936.294.1920 or email. If your request is approved, the university mattress will be removed from the room. If you do not have a medical need, but would still like to bring your own mattress you may bring it; however, the mattress that has been provided by Sam Houston State University must stay in the room. 

DISCLAIMER: To ensure the security of student data and provide reliable internet access to ALL SHSU students, the following devices are NOT supported by the SHSU network:  

• Routers 

• Wireless Printers 

• Smart Devices (e.g., Amazon Dot, Amazon Echo, Apple Home, Google Home, etc.)  

• Surveillance Cameras (e.g., Nest Cameras) 

Support for additional items may vary. Click here for more information and directions on how to connect to the SHSU Network. 

Consider for a moment your first impression of your residence hall room upon entering it for the very first time. You will probably notice that the room seems pretty typical with box-like dimensions, a window, two standard beds, sterile-looking white walls, several stationary pieces of furniture, etc. Your room looks like every other room down the hallway. The greeting may seem impersonal. It doesn't feel like "home"...at least not yet (read ahead)! 

But then in the following few days the transformation occurs. The previous uniform, ordered and indestructible looking room assumes a more personalized atmosphere. Posters are hung, plants are added, music plays and an identity begins to take shape. The key ingredient is as unique as you, because the key ingredient is YOU!

New students tend to bring far too much to campus, and you should not try to bring all of your worldly possessions. Belvin-Buchanan, Lone Star Hall, Piney Woods Hall, Sam Houston Village, San Jacinto Hall, and Raven Village are the only halls with elevators, so it is better to pack a number of small boxes rather than a few large ones. Spread your heavy items in a number of boxes, and you can pack light items in large plastic bags. When you are packing, keep in mind that you will be sharing your room with someone else. Also, be certain to pack your registration information, ID card, class schedule, and any correspondence from the University in an easily accessible place. 

• alarm clock
• sturdy key chain
• umbrella/rain coat/rain boots
• reading lamp
• bath robe
• area rug/carpet
• toiletries
• small refrigerator (5.0 cu. ft. max) unless one is already provided
• XL twin size sheets (mattresses are 36 " x 78")*
• towels
• laundry basket
• detergent
• sewing kit/safety pins/school supplies
• backpack
• curtains (tension rod only)
• cleaning supplies
• surge protectors
• flashlight (with batteries)

*Jackson-Shaver, Campus Edge and Copper Village have full size beds.

• personal router
• hot pot
• space heater
• microwave
• pets (except for fish)
• waterbed
• candles or incense
• weights (over 5 lbs.)
• hot plates
• skillet
• toaster/ovens
• potpourri burners
• halogen lamp
• extension cords
• ALL cooking appliances

Room furnishings differ somewhat in various halls, but most rooms include a desk with drawers, chair, mirror, dresser, bed, and shelving unit. Before you bring book shelves or extra pieces of furniture, you might check with your future roommate to coordinate plans. 

Accessories: wall hangings, plants, paintings, fans, posters, throw pillows, baskets, full-length mirror, flower arrangements, lamp, bulletin board, comfortable chair, curtains. 

It is important to engrave your personal property with an identification number so that if it is lost or stolen it can very easily be tracked back to you.