Frequently Asked Questions

Room Rates, Meal Plan Costs, and Billing

Room rates can be found along with tuition and fees on the Student Accounts webpage. Room rates are consistent across campus for each room type (single-, double-, or triple-occupancy rooms), whether it be a residence hall or on-campus house.

Meal plan options and costs can be found on the Dining Services webpage.

Your best resource for all things student accounts is the Student Accounts webpage. If you have specific questions, email them at billing@kzoo.edu

Housing Assignments

Once a student makes a deposit to the College, they are sent a letter that contains the link to the Entering Student Housing Application to fill out and submit electronically to the Office of Residential Life. When they are received by Residential Life, each application is date-stamped and numbered. During the summer, new students are matched by hand with roommates based on living styles and preferences and assigned to spaces. Students may request specific roommates, and we will do the best we can to accommodate roommate requests as long as the requests are mutual. Requests for specific neighbors will not be accepted. We take into account all of the information students provide to us on their applications. As such, it is very important for students to be honest and thorough when filling out this form.

First-year students will be assigned to one of our first-year residence halls: Hoben and Trowbridge house exclusively first-year students and Harmon houses both first-year and upperclass students. Transfer students will be assigned to one of our upperclass residence halls: DeWaters, Crissey, and Severn house exclusively upperclassmen and Harmon houses both first-year and upperclass students.

There are a limited number of single rooms available and they cost $350 more per quarter. Singles are assigned on a first-come, first-served and space-available basis. If you are interested in a single, it is highly advised that you turn in your Entering Student Housing Application as soon as possible. Most first-year students will be housed in double rooms.

New students will receive their housing assignment and roommate information (if applicable) via their Kalamazoo College e-mail account during July.

Prior to submitting your housing application…

Once a deposit is made to the College, incoming students are sent an electronic packet with a link to the housing application. Once an application is received by Residential Life, it is date-stamped and numbered. During the summer, new students are hand matched with roommates based on living habits, interests, and preferences and assigned to spaces. We take into account all of the information students provide to us, but cannot guarantee all outcomes. That is why it is very important for students to be honest and thorough when filling it out. First-year students are generally assigned to one of three first-year residence halls: Harmon, Hoben, or Trowbridge. Transfer students are generally assigned to one of three upper-class residence halls: Crissey, DeWaters, or Severn. Harmon also houses some upperclassmen. Transfer students may request a first-year building, but placement is not guaranteed. New students typically receive their housing assignment notification via their College e-mail account during July.

There are an extremely limited number of single rooms available for new students, and they do cost more ($350 extra per quarter). Singles are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are interested in a single, it is highly advised that you turn in your housing application as soon as possible. Most first-year students will be housed in double rooms with community bathrooms.

Most bathrooms in our first-year residence halls are community style. However, there are a limited number of semi-private (i.e. shared) bathrooms. Students may specify their preference for this on their housing application. Priority will go to students who have specific needs related to bathroom usage. Note: Students with this configuration are responsible for cleaning their own bathrooms.

If you have specific housing needs based on gender identity/expression, please submit your housing application by the deadline and note those needs accordingly. That is the best way of guaranteeing that they can be accommodated. If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us at reslife@kzoo.edu.

In keeping with the Residential Life Mission and Vision, the Office of Residential Life at Kalamazoo College is committed to making living on campus accessible to all students to help them succeed academically and connect socially. Our office collaborates with the Office of Disability Services to find accommodations that best fit each student’s needs within our residential system.

The College will provide accessible housing to students with disabilities upon receipt of a request for accommodations. The Office of Disability Services will work with students who have special needs when completing housing assignments. This includes emotional support animals.

After submitting your housing application…

Housing assignment notifications are sent via students’ College e-mail address by the first week of July. Only those who submitted their housing applications by the deadline will receive their assignment in this time frame.

Housing assignment information can also be found on Hornet HQ

All rooms are required by law to have windows (yes, even on ground floor – Kalamazoo College is built on a hill and so are some of our buildings). The number of windows varies by room (corner room, etc.) and they all have blinds.

No. Students are responsible for purchasing renters insurance or ensuring coverage of their items under a family policy. This was specified in the housing application you submitted.

For information please view the Room Decorations and Alterations Policy.

Mattresses in the residential system are 36 x 79.5, which are larger than standard sized mattresses and require twin extra long sheets. Students are responsible for supplying their own mattress pads, linens, and pillows.

Each residence hall has a laundry room for the residents of that specific hall and machines require the use of a mobile app called PayRange. Please view the Laundry Policy for other important laundry information .

All residence hall rooms have tile floors. Students are allowed to bring carpet, and many students find good quality remnants at local stores when they move in. Students also sometimes choose not to purchase carpet, but bring smaller area rugs from home. Please keep in mind that the College does not allow the use of carpet tape, as it may damage the tile.

Due to the uniqueness of individual rooms, we do not maintain specific room dimensions.

Since our residence halls undergo deferred maintenance and are utilized to house student employees and summer camps, it is not possible for students to view and/or measure the rooms.

A list of suggested items to bring to campus is posted on the Residential Life homepage titled What To Pack.

Please visit the Policies section to view a list of prohibited items. This page also includes a select list of approved appliances.

Please view the Air Conditioners policy for more information.

The College does not provide cable TV in individual residence hall rooms, but each residence hall room is equipped with one Ethernet connection per student and WiFi is available throughout all residence halls.

Each student is provided with a bed, desk, desk chair, dresser, and closet/wardrobe. Visit the Residence Halls page for more information on specific residence hall offerings.

Lofts are not permitted in any residential facility. More detailed information is located in the loft policy.

The residence halls open for new students on the Wednesday before the Fall term begins so that all new students can attend Orientation activities to prepare for their time at K. More specific information about dates, times, and check-in procedures is sent to all incoming students over the summer with their housing assignments.

New students may not move in prior to their specified move-in date. If you experience travel related delays the day of, please call Residential Life 269.337.7210 to let us know that you will be running late.

During the academic year, the residential system closes for both Winter Break (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving until the start of Winter Term in January) and also Spring Break (a week and a half, typically in March). Only students who meet specific criteria are permitted to stay over break periods. Please view the break housing page for more information and visit the important dates page for a comprehensive Residential Life calendar.

The Fall Housing Selection Process for returning students takes place during Spring Quarter. A lottery is run for each class and students sign up in lottery number order per their class standing. Students must plan to be registered as full-time students for Fall in order to sign up for housing. The assignment process is predicated upon students being knowledgeable about the process, its requirements, and making their own informed choices. It is the responsibility of returning students to locate their own compatible roommates. Any attempts at forgery, misrepresentation, to advantage one student at the expense of others, or to circumvent the assignment process in any manner will result in the loss of assignment for all involved students and referral to the Student Code of Conduct system.

Once the Fall assignment process is over, rooms with vacancies will be assigned at the discretion of the Office of Residential Life, which reserves the right to assign space or modify this policy as needed to meet the needs of the College and its students.

Yes, lottery numbers are called in order during the designated time slot. However, if a student is not present, the next number will be called and the student will need to wait until the end of the session to sign up for a space. For example if a student with number 3 is not present when their number is called, the staff will move on to the next number and the student with number 3 will need to wait until the end of the time slot to sign up.

Students who are interested in single rooms that are not in suites (DeWaters and Harmon) must come to the process during their housing sign up time. If a single is not available then they can be placed on the single room wait list and must return at the end of the process (during the “Late Applicant/People without Roommates” time period) to sign up for a space.

Residential Life staff members are committed to working to meet the housing needs of all students in a nurturing community that values diversity and promotes the dignity of all people. Crissey and Severn residence halls offer gender-neutral suites where students can live with whomever they feel the most comfortable. Students are welcome to go through the general housing process to secure a suite, however, suites are not guaranteed. If you have special housing needs based on gender identity/expression, and feel you need further accommodations or want to look at other options, please contact Adam Kubiak, Associate Dean of Students (269.337.7210 or reslife@kzoo.edu) as soon as possible prior to the housing process. The sooner you contact us, the better able we will be to accommodate your needs. More campus resources for LGBTQAI+ students can be found at the Resources for LGBTQAI+ Students website.

Students must write their own lottery number on their Housing Contract (even if they are signing up with a friend who has a better number). This is how the Residential Life Office verifies that the student is eligible to sign up for housing.

Sorry! Lottery numbers are not transferable. Students may not “give away” or swap lottery numbers.

For fairness for everyone, students are not permitted to sign up earlier than their lottery number or the lottery number of a friend who they are living with (whichever number is better). Also, students should NEVER skip class to come to the housing process! Instead they need to designate a proxy to come in to sign up on their behalf.

Yes! Students may make changes to their proxy plans at any time before the start of the Fall Housing Selection Process. Be sure to communicate with the friend you were originally proxy for and have them submit a new Proxy Form for another student or Residential Life staff to serve as their new proxy.

Students who are interested in living with a visiting international student may express their interest at housing selection and possibly view the roster of incoming visiting international students at that time. The goal of the College is for visiting international students to live with degree-seeking students whose first language is English, so a group of students signing up for a suite may not pull in two visiting international students and put them together in a double room as roommates. In addition, due to the increased cost of single rooms, visiting international students may not be placed in single rooms unless they specifically request it on their housing application.

Miscellaneous

All residential students are assigned a mailbox by the Mail & Copy center. All mailboxes are located in the lower level of the Hicks Student Center. This is where students will be able to receive all USPS, FedEx, UPS, and Amazon deliveries. For more information, visit the Mail Center webpage.

First-year students are not permitted to have a car on campus, but upperclassmen may purchase a parking permit for $180.00 per academic year. Residential students are permitted to park overnight in specified lots, located throughout campus.

Any student is permitted to keep a bicycle on campus and should register their bikes with Campus Safety!

For more information check out the Campus Safety Vehicle and Bike Registration webpage.

A limited number of indoor bike storage spots are available to current Kalamazoo College students in good standing. The storage area is located on the ground floor of Trowbridge Hall and students with a reserved space will be granted swipe access to the building to access the bike storage area. Students can rent one bike space for the academic year and must park only in their designated rack space. Bikes must be registered through Campus Safety and storage space must be reserved and paid for through Student Development. Bikes must be locked while in storage with solid U-shape lock (see Campus Safety for specifications). For more information contact Louise Tennant-Filkins in Student Development.

A limited number of inexpensive storage lockers are available for rental by Kalamazoo College students each quarter and available to current students in good standing. The lockers are located in the basement of DeWaters Hall. Lockers are available through the Office of Student Development, and items such as trunks, luggage, boxes, and small pieces of furniture may be stored in these lockers. No loose articles or boxes may be stored outside of the lockers themselves. Any such items will be disposed of. After graduation or separation from the college, all items must be removed by the end of the term or will be discarded. For more information contact Louise Tennant-Filkins in Student Development.