Expanded Accommodations in Campus Housing
What happens if I don't have an assigned hall when I get to campus?
If you do not yet know your assignment when you arrive at the University, please come to centralized check-in at the McKale Center on any of our published move-in dates. You must present picture ID to check in and receive your assignment. No one, including parents, will be permitted to do this on your behalf.
What is expanded housing?
Expanded housing is accommodation in a non-student room living space until we have enough cancelations to assign you to a student room.
Where is expanded housing?
In the dorms . . . We use guest apartments and study rooms in the halls as temporary spaces. We also assign students to live with RAs, if necessary. As a LAST and very rare resort, we rent rooms in nearby hotels and staff the hotels like residence halls (if you are temporarily assigned to a hotel, you will be in the first group of students to get a permanent assignment).
Why do we use expanded housing?
To offer campus housing to as many students as possible, we accept more housing applicants than we can accommodate in student rooms. “Overselling” works because some students never show up in August and others leave the UA during the fall semester, both of which free up permanent spaces in the dorms.
What comes in a expanded housing room?
- Guest apartments: the same furniture you get in a regular student room, plus a bathroom and kitchen; 4 to 6 students are temporarily assigned to each apartment
- Study rooms: usually, the same furniture you get in a regular student room; 2 to 5 students temporarily live in study rooms, depending on room size
- RA rooms: the same furniture you get in a regular student room; just you and 1 RA are in the room
- Hotels: standard hotel furniture and features
If you are assigned to a guest apartment, study room or RA room, you are in the dorms living among other students. All accommodations are secure, keyed rooms.
When will I know if I am going to be assigned to expanded housing?
If Residence Life thinks you may initially live in expanded housing, we begin communicating this possibility to you as early as July. If you don’t have a permanent assignment by the time you arrive on campus in August, you will come to the McKale Center, where you will receive either a permanent assignment, if available, or an expanded housing assignment.
How long will I live in expanded housing?
We make permanent assignments as spaces free up, which can take as little as a week. Sometimes, students live in temp housing for a semester. Residence Life will email you when we have your permanent assignment.
How will I move to my permanent assignment from my expanded space?
If your permanent assignment is in a different hall than your expanded housing, Residence Life staff will help you move your belongings from one building to another.
Can I stay in my expanded hall?
If you want to stay in your expanded housing hall, we will do our best to find you a permanent space in that hall; but we cannot guarantee this.
How much does living in expanded housing cost?
While living in expanded housing, you pay the lowest published rent rate for the fall semester. When you move to permanent accommodations, rent charges will be prorated based on your new assignment.