Eligibility for Housing & Room Assignment

Housing Homepage (Overview) | Online Housing Application
Residence Halls | Online Forms

New Students

New students must be accepted to Spelman through the admissions process to be considered for on-campus housing. A housing application will be included in the acceptance packet. Spelman guarantees housing to all freshmen who meet the appropriate application and deposit deadlines.

Returning Students

The room selection process for the next academic year is conducted each spring. To participate in the selection process, students must meet any remaining financial obligation to the College by March 31 (the end of the deferred payment period), and turn in a housing application by the deadline.

Each February, the Office of Housing and Residence Life publishes the procedures that will be followed in making housing assignments for students who are returning the following academic year. Since these procedures may vary from year to year, students are advised to read them carefully as soon as they are distributed. Students will be assigned spaces on an "as available" basis provided the students are in good financial and academic standing with the College. A student who owes the College money may apply for campus housing, but no assignment will be made until her account is paid in full.

A student who receives a room assignment and later decides not to take it should notify the Office of Housing and Residence Life in writing immediately, but no later than June 1. A majority of the $250 housing deposit required at signup is forfeited in accordance with the housing deposit refund policy in the College Bulletin and the residence hall housing contract. In addition, students who fail to cancel their assigned rooms as stipulated may be responsible for paying for housing in accordance with the contract.

Waiting List

Students who request campus housing, but do not receive it because of limited space or because they have not paid their accounts, will be placed on the housing waiting list, which is valid for one semester only.

Note: Wait-listed students are advised to sign short-term leases for off-campus housing so they will be available to move on campus if and when space becomes available.

The Office of Housing and Residence Life determines the number of students that should occupy a given room. Because Spelman has a waiting list for campus housing, the Office of Housing and Residence Life usually assigns a new roommate when a student moves out.

Deferred Enrollment

Prospective students who paid their deposit but deferred enrollment to the second semester must reapply for housing for the second semester by completing a housing application. They will not have to pay a new deposit. Should any such student decide not to reapply for housing, her first semester deposit will be refunded or credited to her account at Spelman if she is enrolled at the College.

Temporary Housing Policy

Based on past experience, the College can reasonably anticipate that there will be a few residence hall vacancies at the beginning of each semester. As a matter of convenience to students, the College permits a small number of students on the waiting list to live temporarily in residence hall lounges and similar rooms until the end of regular class registration. Additional details about the temporary housing policy can be obtained from the Office of Housing and Residence Life.

Off-campus Housing

Since the College cannot accommodate all of the students who want campus housing, the Office of International and Commuter Student Services provides information about off-campus housing facilities.

Room Changes

A student who wants to change to a different room in her residence hall, or to a completely different residence hall, should obtain a room change request form (Links to: http://www.spelman.edu/current/life/residential/roomchange.pdf) from the Office of Housing and Residence Life, complete the form, obtain the required signatures, and return it to the Office of Housing and Residence Life. This process must take place during the designated room change period at the beginning of each semester.

Room Change Procedure

1. The Director of Housing and Residence Life has the final authority in room changes, and must give written approval before any room change is made.
2. Any resident student may ask to move to any vacant room. Vacancies ordinarily will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
3. A student who wishes to move into a residence hall where there is no vacancy must find a student who is willing to change rooms. All parties involved must agree to the change. Under no circumstances should one student pressure another student into changing rooms. If this happens, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.
4. All room change requests must be made during the designated room change period each semester. These dates will be posted in each residence hall. All requests must be processed, and room changes must be completed between these dates. Requests made after the room change deadlines will not be approved except for medical reasons that are verified by appropriate health personnel, or special circumstances as determined by the Resident Director in conjunction with the Director of Housing and Residence Life.
6. Students who make unauthorized room changes will be subject to disciplinary measures, which may include immediate removal from the unauthorized room, denial of a subsequent request to change rooms, forfeiture of the privilege of living on campus, payment of fines, or other appropriate measures.
7. The Office of Housing and Residence Life may require a student to change rooms for health, interpersonal, psychological, disciplinary or other appropriate reasons.