Housing FAQ

You may contact the Housing Office either by phone or email. Call the Housing Office at (205) 652-3686 or email us at housing@uwa.edu.

The housing application is available in your MyHousing portal. If you are a newly admitted freshman or transfer student, housing will show in your MyHousing portal the business day after your Enrollment Confirmation Fee (ECF) posts to your account (which could be 2-3 business days after your official payment). If you have attended UWA previously and you do not see an application for Housing on your Housing portal, please call us at (205) 652-3686, or email us at housing@uwa.edu.

The MyHousing portal is your online resource for all things housing and UWA resources.

• See messages and alerts from the Housing Office
• Apply for housing
• See your room assignment and your roommate’s name and email
• View your dining plan and change it, if eligible, before you move in for Fall semester
• Select your room during room selection time
• Sign up for available waiting lists
• Submit and view your Room Condition Report form
• Submit new maintenance requests and view the status of previous requests
• Update your emergency and missing student contact information
• Find Helpful Links, including the Overnight Guest Form, LaundryView, Campus Cable Channel Guide and more.

Freshmen are required to live on campus for up to one academic year. In addition, some University scholarships require on campus residency. For example, students who receive Trustee Scholarship awards as new freshmen are required to live on campus for their first two years. View additional information about the Freshman Residency Requirement here.

When you take into consideration the cost of utilities and commuting expenses, living on campus is very reasonable. Find out more about specific residence hall rates.

Living on campus is generally safer than living off campus. Since residence halls serve as private residences for a large number of students, security and safety are important concerns. The UWA campus is patrolled by campus police officers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Residence halls with fire alarm systems are tested on a periodic basis and every residence hall room has a smoke detector. In addition, Gilbert, Selden Hall, and Stickney Hall are locked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to limit access to only those students living in the buildings and their guests.

Yes. Since the University assumes no liability for personal property damage, loss or theft, we strongly encourage students to have renter’s insurance unless you are already covered by your parent’s homeowner’s insurance policy or their renter’s insurance policy. If your insurance company does not provide property insurance, the Housing Office recommends contacting GradGuard, an official partner of UWA Housing.

Each resident is provided with a desk, chair, bed, closet area and several drawers in a dresser cabinet.

Click here for more information about each of our residence halls.

Check out the full Move-in Day schedule.

Below are other times that halls open and close. See the University Academic Calendar for important university dates.

• Halls close for Thanksgiving Break at 10 AM the Saturday before Thanksgiving and re-open at 10 AM on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
• Halls close for Winter Break at 2 PM the Thursday before Commencement.
• Halls open in the Spring on Registration Day.
• Halls close for Spring Break at 10 AM the Saturday before Spring Break, and re-open at 10 AM on the Sunday after Spring Break.
• Halls close at the end of the Spring semester at 2 PM the Thursday before Commencement.

Due to high occupancy levels, single rooms are not generally available during the fall semester. Single rooms may be available during the spring semester. A single room costs an additional 50% of the standard rental rate.

At times, the Housing Office will offer the opportunity for students to sign up for a waiting list for single rooms in specific residence halls. Students can do this in their MyHousing Portal, where they can see available Waiting Lists. If none are listed, then none are available at that time.

Note that students must have a room assignment already before they sign up for a waiting list, or else they will not be considered.

No, the University does not have family housing or married student apartments. Housing is only available for enrolled students in single-gender rooms. Freshmen who are married and/or custodial parents are eligible for an exemption from the Freshman Residency Requirement.

Students with disabilities who need special housing accommodations should contact Will Atkinson, Director of Retention and Student Advocacy, at watkinson@uwa.edu. While there is not a specific deadline, current and transfer students are encouraged to contact Will Atkinson by March 1st for the following Fall semester. Incoming freshmen should contact Will by June 1st. For other semesters, it is recommended that Will be contacted at least two months prior to the beginning of the semester. 

No, a deposit is not required to live on campus. However, new students must pay the University’s $200.00 Enrollment Confirmation Fee. There is a $100.00 application fee for returning students.

Housing applications for the Fall semester are generally available on January 15. Refer to the MyHousing Portal for specific deadline dates.

Yes.

• All first-year freshmen and all students that live in a residence hall room without kitchen facilities are required to purchase the All-Access Meal Plan.
• A 9-Meal Plan is required of all other residents.
• Hoover residents who have lived on the UWA campus for at least two semesters can be exempted from the meal plan requirement, except during the summer semester.
• All residents, including Hoover residents, must have a meal plan during the summer semester.

Additional information about the meal plans is available here.

The Tiger Access Meal Plan offers unlimited meals in the CAF. Students on the Tiger Access Meal Plan have unlimited access to the CAF during its hours of operation, seven days a week. The Tiger Access Meal Plan is required of all freshman, but is available to all students.

The Tiger Block Meal Plan allows students to use 150 meals per semester with access to all-you-care-to-eat meals at Young Hall Cafeteria, plus 10 guest meals per semester. Upperclass students are required to have at least the Tiger Block Meal Plan.

Tiger Bucks and Dining Dollars are debit-like accounts accessed using the Tiger Card.

Tiger Bucks can be used at all on-campus dining locations and at several off-campus restaurants and stores. Tiger Bucks may also be used to pay for printing services in the campus computer labs. Tiger Bucks roll over from semester to semester and are always available to you.

Dining Dollars can only be used at on-campus locations (Young Cafeteria, Starbucks, Subway and Burger & Fries). Any unused Dining Dollars are forfeited at the end of the Spring semester.

Learn more about your Tiger Card, check your balance or to reload TigerBucks.

UWA has partnered with a college roommate matching service, MyCollegeRoomie. On MyCollegeRoomie, you have the ability to search and find your future roommate.

After regular room selection ends, students who do not select a roommate through MyCollegeRoomie are assigned one by the Housing Office. UWA encourages educational, social and cultural diversity within the residence halls. Therefore, roommate assignments are made without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation or religion.

Yes. You and your preferred roommate may request each other through MyCollegeRoomie. Roommate matching is only available as part of the room selection process. Outside of room selection time, please reach out to the Housing Office to determine if you are still able to match with a specific person.

Fall room assignments are selected by the students themselves. So, as soon as you select your room, you will know your room assignment.

New freshmen who apply for housing by July 15th will select their roommates via MyCollegeRoomie and then select their room shortly after. New freshmen who apply for housing after July 15th may have their roommates and rooms assigned by the Housing Office. Room assignments will be posted on the MyHousing portal.

Transfer students and current students that apply for housing by March 1st will select their roommates during the month of March and their rooms during room selection in early April. Transfer students and current students who apply for housing after regular room selection will participate in open room selection, which is an ongoing process from late May to July.

Students that will begin their residency during the Spring or Summer semester will be assigned by the Housing Office. Room assignments will be posted on the MyHousing portal on approximately December 15th for Spring semester and May 15th for Summer semester. For residents starting the Summer II mini-term, those room assignments will be posted by June 15th.

If you have not already checked into your assigned room for the Fall semester, you should participate in Pre-Occupancy Room Change, which takes place until July 25th. Current residents should refer to the Residence Life Guide on the MyHousing portal for information about changing rooms.

Although most students do get along with their roommates, from time to time, disagreements may occur. Roommate conflicts are a natural part of community living. We want you to learn to resolve conflicting issues with your roommate since the ability to resolve differences is a useful skill that you will be able to utilize in college and after you graduate. Most residents are able to work out conflicts on their own. However, sometimes roommates find that an outside mediator is helpful. You should contact your resident assistant (RA) if mediation is needed. You may also submit a Request for Mediation. Occasionally, conflicts arise that cannot be resolved. In these cases of irreconcilable differences, one or both of the residents will need to change rooms. Current residents should refer to the Residence Life Guide on the MyHousing portal for information on changing rooms.

No. Since our residence halls are used for camps and conferences during the summer, we are not able to show you your particular room. Gilbert Hall may be seen during a campus tour with the Admissions Office. Transfer students may schedule an appointment to see other residence halls, if available, by contacting the Housing Office at (205) 652-3686 at least one week prior to their anticipated visit to campus.

One small microwave oven (800 watts or less) is permitted per room/apartment. It is recommended that roommates discuss who will be bringing the microwave.

Compact refrigerators (4.0 cubic feet or smaller) are permitted at Gilbert, Selden and Reed Halls ONLY. Refrigerators should be energy efficient and not use more than 350 kilowatt-hours per year (KWH/year). For space reasons, it is recommended that each pair of roommates share one refrigerator instead of having two refrigerators in the room. In Gilbert Hall, there is a designated space under the kitchen counter that has been designed to accommodate one compact refrigerator. The dimensions of the space are 34″ high, 24″ wide and 26″ deep.

Note: Patterson, Stickney and Hoover residents are not permitted to bring refrigerators since refrigerators are provided.

Mattresses on campus are twin extra-long (36″ x 80″), except for beds on the sorority wings at Selden Hall (these are full-size mattresses). If you are bringing fitted sheets, we suggest extra-long sheets.

Yes. Every residence hall room and campus apartment have free basic cable TV service. You will need to provide your own cable-ready television and coaxial cable. In order to work with the University’s cable service, a television must have a QAM 256 (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) digital tuner. Most flat-screen televisions manufactured after 2009 come equipped with a QAM 256 tuner, but some do not. If you are buying a new TV, you should make sure that the TV has a QAM 256 tuner. This is especially important if you are buying one of the following television brands: Apex, Dynex, Element, Emerson, Haier, HiSense, Insignia, Magnavox, ProScan, RCA, Sanyo, Sceptre, Seiki, Sylvania, ViewSonic and Westinghouse.

No. TVs may not be mounted to the wall.

Yes. Every residence hall and apartment on campus is connected to the University’s local area network by way of several wireless access points (Wi-Fi). The residence halls do not have Ethernet connections.

Yes. Each residence hall and apartment area have a laundry room available for use by the residents of the area. There is no additional charge for the use of washers and dryers for residents within each residence hall.

Residents can see which washers and dryers are available before going to the laundry room by checking out LaundryView.

Yes. The residence hall rooms have mini blinds.

No. Lofts and bed risers are not permitted. All beds on campus are height-adjustable; they may be raised high enough to store the dresser cabinet under the bed.

Deciding what to bring to college is a major task. You don’t want to bring too much stuff, or you’ll be falling all over everything. However, you should bring things that you feel will make your room your “home away from home.” The Housing Office recommends contacting your roommate in advance to discuss who is bringing what. Here is a list of items you may want to bring (packing list) and what to leave at home.

No. With the exception of fish, pets are not permitted in the residence halls and campus apartments, even for a brief amount of time. Pets are also prohibited within 50 feet of all residence halls and campus apartments.

Fish are permitted as long as they are contained in a 10-gallon or smaller aquarium. Other creatures, such as reptiles, are prohibited, even if they can live in an aquarium.

For information about service animals or emotional support animals, please contact Will Atkinson, Director of Retention and Student Advocacy, at watkinson@uwa.edu.

Yes. However, you must register your vehicle with Campus Police and purchase a parking decal.

Here is information about Gilbert Hall for which we receive the most questions:

• Window Dimensions: 34 ½” wide by 72” long
• Desk with movable stand included: 24” x 48”
• Distance between beds: 82”
• Clearance under the bed when fully raised: 31”
• Refrigerator space in kitchenette area: 24” wide x 34” tall x 26” deep

Additional information is available on the On & Off-Campus Housing page.

Hoover Window Dimensions:

• Phase 1: 48 ½” x 44 ½” H
• Phase 2: 58” x 34 ½” H

Residents do not receive mail at their residence halls. For this reason, residents should rent a campus mailbox at the Student Union Building. Boxes are $5.00 per semester, which must be paid in person with cash or check. Students are encouraged to rent a mailbox during Summer Orientation so that they know their mailing address before arriving on campus. Your address will be as follows:

Your Name
1 College Drive
UWA Box (Your Box Number)
Livingston, Alabama 35470-2098

Yes. Residents needing to stay over Thanksgiving Break or Spring Break must sign up for break housing on the MyHousing Portal at least one week prior to the first day of the break. There is no additional charge to stay over the break, but residents must sign up.

Residents needing to stay over Winter Break must sign up for break housing by the first day of final exams on MyHousing Portal. The fee to stay over Winter Break is $300.00.

Residents that need to stay over May Break must sign up for break housing by the first day of final exams on MyHousing Portal. The fee to stay over May Break is $300.00.

May Break housing is only available to spring residents who have reserved housing for the summer semester and may require relocation to a central residence hall.

No. Smoking and vaping are not permitted in or around the residence halls. This means that smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the building or within 50 feet of the building. E-cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, such as chewing tobacco and smokeless pouches, are also prohibited.

No. UWA does not have a residence hall curfew. Students may come and go from our halls as they please, but we do have a visitation policy that restricts the time when students may have guests in the building. Also, exterior doors at Gilbert, Selden and Stickney Halls are locked 24 hours a day. Residents of Gilbert and Selden use a card to gain access to the building, while residents of Stickney Hall may use their room key to unlock the main entrance.

Yes. To ensure a degree of privacy for residents and maintain a secure environment, the residence halls and apartments on campus have a visitation schedule that limits visits by guests. A guest is defined as anyone (male or female) who is not assigned to a specific room or apartment.

Visitation is defined as the time period when guests are permitted to be in the residence hall and in your room or apartment. However, visitation is a privilege, not a right. Residents must consider the privacy of their roommates when having guests in their room or apartment. Study and sleep needs have priority over visitation; so, roommates must agree on the times when they will have guests in the room/ apartment. If roommates cannot agree on visitation, the Hall Director has the authority to reduce or prohibit visitation within the room/apartment.

Residents who wish to limit visitation hours within their room/apartment should meet with their Hall Director. The Housing Office staff may limit visitation hours and adjust the visitation schedule, as deemed necessary. For safety reasons, it is a violation of policy to let anyone into your residence hall or your room that is not your guest.

Visitation is permitted during the following times:

Gilbert Hall
Sunday – Thursday, 10:30 AM – 12 Midnight
Friday and Saturday, 10:30 AM – 2 AM

All Other Halls
Daily, 10:30 AM – 2 AM

• Visitation applies to each specific room, so residents may not have guests in their room outside of the above times, even if the person lives in the same building.
• Guests that do not live in your residence hall must be escorted at all times while in your residence hall, including when the guest enters the hall, is in the resident’s room or any common areas within the hall, and when the guest exits the hall.
• The host resident must be present in the room and/or in the common area with the guest at all times while the guest is in the room or common area, even for those buildings with outside entrances.
• Residents are held responsible for the actions of their guests; so, it is very important that you do not let your guest(s) travel in your residence hall without you. You will be held responsible for your guests’ actions, even if you are not escorting your guests. If you do not want to be held responsible for the actions of your guests, you should not have guests.
• Children under 10 years of age must be escorted by a parent/ legal guardian at all times.
• Children under 3 years of age are not permitted in the residence halls or university apartments except on Move-in Day and during official open house events.

No more than four guests are allowed in any residence hall room at the same time. If you have a roommate, you must coordinate this with your roommate so that the total occupancy of your room, including you, your roommate and all guests, does not exceed six people. While this policy also applies to an individual bedroom at Hoover, the total number of people permitted in a Hoover apartment is four guests of any individual resident, for a total of six guests in the apartment at any one time.

A resident may have a person of the same sex stay as an overnight guest in their residence hall room if approved in advance by the Hall Director. To request approval for an overnight guest, after speaking with your roommate and getting approval from them, complete the online overnight guest form located on the MyHousing Portal (under Links) at least 48 hours prior to the visit (or by Thursday at 5 PM if visiting over the weekend).

An RA is a Resident Assistant. These students have been trained to assist residents in their adjustment to college life and to assist students with housing concerns. RAs provide programs and activities that promote social, educational, physical and mental development.

We are unable to offer storage for students during the summer. Special summer storage space has been provided by the Housing Office to the International Programs Office, so international students should contact International Programs regarding summer storage.

The Housing Office will notify current residents when the application for the following school year is available. However, the application for returning students is usually available on the MyHousing Portal by January 15th. To participate in the first round of online Room Selection, current residents must re-apply for housing by March 1st.

Gilbert Hall
185 Student Union Drive
Livingston, AL 35470

Hoover Apartments
494 University Drive
Livingston, AL 35470

Patterson Hall
95 Student Union Drive
Livingston, AL 35470

Reed Hall
321 Student Union Drive
Livingston, AL 35470

Selden Hall
261 Student Union Drive
Livingston, AL 35470

Stickney Hall
134 Washington Street
Livingston, AL 35470

Remember that these are not mailing addresses, only physical addresses. Do not use these addresses for packages, as they will not be delivered.

Residents of Stickney, Reed, Patterson, Selden and Hoover Phase I may use removable strips/hooks (on walls that are not drywall) as long as they don’t damage the wall and are removed appropriately at check-out. Residents of Hoover Phase II and Gilbert are not allowed to use 3M Command Strips or similar adhesives. While the strips may not cause damage if used appropriately and for a short period of time, excessive damage can be caused if the object is too heavy, the strip is not removed properly, or it is on the wall for more than a few weeks. Residents of Gilbert and Hoover Phase II may choose to use small thumbtacks or staples (up to 12 across the entire room and none within 12″ of each other) and up to 4 small tacks/nails that are less than 1/16″ in size (tiny!). Hanging heavier items on any of these can result in larger holes, for which you would be responsible. Adhesive hooks and strips are not permitted in Gilbert or Hoover II.

Thumbtacks, contact paper and similar products are not permitted on walls — these will cause damage.

Submit a maintenance request through the MyHousing Portal. Click on “RCR/Damages” in the main menu, then “Maintenance Requests.” You can add work orders and see the status of any requests you have previously submitted.

If you have a question that is not covered here, you should contact the Housing Office. The phone number is (205) 652-3686 and the e-mail address is housing@uwa.edu.

Visit the MyHousing Portal. Click on your application at the top of the page. There is an option to cancel your application. This option is only available for students who have not checked in or moved on campus. If you have already checked in or moved on campus, you must submit an online Housing Agreement Release form.

The Housing Agreement is a legal contract for one academic year. So, in most cases, you will not receive a refund if you move off campus before the end of the agreement period, and will incur a cancellation fee up to $250.

If you are participating in a full-time internship during the Spring semester at least 30 miles from Livingston or graduating at the end of the Fall semester, you may request to be released from your Housing Agreement by submitting a Housing Agreement Release Form by November 15. If your request is approved and you check out of your room properly through your hall director, you will not be charged rent for the Spring semester.

If you withdraw from UWA during the semester, you must submit a Housing Agreement Release Form. If you withdraw after 60% of the semester has taken place, you will not receive a refund on your room or meal plan for the current semester. The 60% point varies from year to year.