Orientation

• On-campus Housing
  • Residence Halls
  • Apartments
    
• Off-campus Housing

Note: If you are looking for temporary housing, please click here to access our online form.

On-campus Housing

The University has seven residence halls and three apartment buildings for housing students. Among international students, about half of the undergraduates live “on campus” (in University housing), while most graduate students live off campus, in private housing which they locate on their own. In order to get your first choice of buildings and rooms, you should apply for a room as soon as possible.

To apply for a room on campus, an “Application for Residence Halls” form and information is available from the Admissions Office. The completed form and a deposit of $200.00 must be returned to the Admissions Office as soon as possible. A confirmation of on-campus housing will be sent to you when space becomes available. If you are interested in living on campus, you should apply immediately, because rooms are already being assigned and will not be available after June.

NOTE: Smoking is not allowed in any of the St. Thomas residence halls.

Residence Halls

Residence Halls are a lively environment that accommodates students, usually in the age range of 18-23, although there are some older students and graduate students who live in the halls. The University has professional staff that supervises the residence hall facilities and plan activities for students. Students sleep, study and socialize in their residence halls and enjoy getting involved in a wide variety of campus activities. Residence halls accommodate one, two, three or four students per room, depending on the rate paid for the room (see rates below). Each room is furnished with beds, desks and desk chairs, a dresser, and closet space. Each room is equipped with a telephone; students are responsible for paying their own long-distance telephone calls. Some halls have a common bathroom on each floor of 40 residents, while other halls include private bathrooms. There are study and recreation spaces in residence halls as well.

Residents are required to purchase a meal plan, and take most of their meals in a University cafeteria in a separate building. Rooms do not have cooking facilities, and each building of 250-400 students has only one kitchen. Each student should plan to bring their own bedding, which includes bed sheets, pillowcases, pillow, blanket and comforter. If you do not bring your own, you will have to purchase your own bedding and towels immediately after arrival.

If you have a strong preference for either an international or American roommate, we recommend that you indicate such on the “Application for Residence Halls.” Some residence halls have special "first year students only floors". If you are interested in such a floor, you should indicate it on the application.

Residence hall contracts range from $1,670 to $2,882 per semester (summer is extra). There are a number of meal plans available ranging from $735 to $1,420 per semester, depending on your year in school. It is mandatory for all resident students to have a meal plan. If you sign a contract and move into the residence halls, then later decide to cancel your contract and move out, you must pay a $275.00 cancellation fee.

Apartments

The university owns three apartment buildings, which are used for student housing. One building, Morrison Hall is located on campus. The other two buildings, the Grand Avenue Apartments, are located on the edge of campus.

Morrison Hall was opened in 1998 and provides all of the advantages of living off campus with on campus convenience. The furnished apartments each have four private bedrooms, a shared living area and kitchenette, and two bathrooms and are fully furnished. Lounge and laundry facilities are available on each floor.

The Grand Avenue Apartments are traditional apartment buildings. Each apartment is for two or three people who share one bedroom, a kitchen, dining area, living area, and bathroom. All apartments are fully furnished. Laundry facilities and storage lockers are available in each building.

Contracts for Morrison Hall range from $2,733 to $3,592 per semester. Contracts for Selby Hall range from $2,751 to $3,356 per semester .Contracts for the Grand Avenue Apartments range from $1,690 to $3,470 per semester. The university's meal plans are optional for all Grand Avenue Apartment Residents and also for Morrison Hall Residents who have at least junior class status.

Morrison Hall, Selby Hall and the Grand Avenue Apartments are extremely popular and residence is limited to students with junior status. As a new student, it may be difficult to obtain a room in the apartments initially. However, it is possible to move to Morrison, Selby or the Grand Avenue Apartments during the year as openings occur.

For more information, contact:

Off-campus Housing

If you plan to live in non-university housing off campus, it is your responsibility to find accommodations and make the arrangements yourself. You should plan to arrive early to look for an apartment. Apartments are rented from the 1st day of the month. To help you get started, visit the University of St. Thomas Commuter Center homepage, select "Off-campus Housing Listings" and "Display the Housing Listings" to get current housing information. If you are unable to access this page or need additional assistance, contact OISS. See the Arrival section for information on hotels.

Apartments near the campus are very difficult to locate and are usually quite expensive unless two or more people share an apartment. If you live far from campus, you will need to consider how to get to campus, whether or not you will need a car, and the common difficulty in locating a parking space near campus. It is a good idea to find an apartment near a bus line so you can get to classes easily. Remember, owning a car will significantly increase your costs due to the expense of operating, insuring, and parking a car. Relying on the public bus system can be time consuming and will also increase your costs as bus passes may cost $20 - $40 per month.

Rent for a one-bedroom apartment generally starts at $550 and for two bedrooms, $600. Utilities and telephone service are not normally included in the rental price and may average as much as $40 to $60 per month. If you choose to live off campus be prepared for the large initial expense, which may range from $500 to $1,000 for the security deposit on the apartment, the first month’s rent and other deposits.