Q 2. Am I required to live on campus?

A. All full-time WHC students are required to live in University Housing. Exceptions are made for those students who are 26 years of age or older at the date of matriculation, or for those who are married, have dependent children, or own a home prior to their date of matriculation. Students who wish to be exempt must apply for exemption prior to the start of the academic year. Once signed and the academic year has begun the Contract will not be cancelled for this purpose. The Application for Exemption from the Residency Requirement can be found under the "Prospective Residents" section of our website.

Q 3. Is there a deadline for signing up for housing?

A. June 1st deadline to apply to housing for priority consideration. Exceptions will be made for those students who are admitted to the university after this. The earlier you return your Housing Contract, $200 Housing deposit, and Dining Contract (residence hall residents) and Dining pre-payment, the more likely you will receive one of your preferred assignment locations.

Students who are participating in the Housing Plan of the Florida Prepaid Program must submit materials no later than June 1st in order to receive proper billing on their account. Please be advised that the Florida Prepaid Program only covers a portion of the Housing fees, leaving the student responsible for the remaining balance.

Q 6. Will Financial Aid cover my Housing cost?

A. Many student residents receive financial aid. These awards are intended to first provide coverage for tuition and student fees. Any remaining dollars may be applied to University Housing. However, in order for students to take advantage of financial aid dollars being automatically applied to their housing charges, three steps must be completed:

A.
Financial aid must first have been awarded
B.
The Student must have signed an acceptance letter for all awards
C.
The acceptance letter must have been returned to the Office of Student Financial Aid.

If the total amount of financial aid awarded to the student DOES exceed tuition and other fees, and if sufficient dollars are available to cover housing charges, the remaining dollars may be applied to Housing charges.

If there is only partial financial aid remaining after tuition and fees have been paid by financial aid, the Student is required to pay in full all remaining Housing charges not covered by financial aid prior to moving into their assigned space.

If the total amount of financial aid awarded to the student DOES NOT exceed tuition and other fees, the Student must make payment of all remaining Housing charges prior to moving into their assigned space.

Students who have pending financial aid awards will be required to pay in full all Housing fees prior to moving into their assigned space – and then may “reimburse” themselves when financial aid is awarded and distributed during the fall semester.

Q 7. When can I move in? When do classes begin?

A. Please refer to the Occupancy Period section of your Housing Contract or the Important Dates section of the Residence Hall Brochure.

Q 8. Who can I talk to if I’m having a problem with my roommate?

A. If you are having a problem with your suitemate(s), you should talk to your Resident Assistant (RA). Your RA lives on your floor or assigned area, and is an upper-division student who has been carefully selected and trained to assist you throughout the academic year. Very often the RA will talk with the Hall Coordinator or Director and help resolve your problem, usually with a meeting of all parties involved. It is important that you maintain an open line of communication with your roommates so that you can talk about problems you may be having. We expect our residents to treat each other as adults and discuss their differences openly. That is the first step in resolving differences.

If you continue to have problems, and have worked initially with your RA you may next contact the Hall Coordinator or Director. These individuals are full-time, professionally trained staff member who can assist you in taking additional steps.

Q 9. What if I want to change my housing assignment?

A. A room transfer freeze period is in effect from the time your initial assignment is made until two weeks into the fall semester. The Fall Freeze allows us to locate all available spaces. You may complete a Room Transfer Request Form - found at the Residential Life Office. You also need to realize that it probably won't be possible to move to every building at every time of the year, especially at the beginning of the fall semester. In fact, it may take more than a semester to switch into a new room. All freshmen are required to reside in Building 1, while upper-classmen reside in Building 2.

Q 10. Can I stay in my room during University holidays and break periods?

A. The Residence Halls are closed during all breaks and University holidays; however, during these breaks, students who need to stay during this period are required to “sign up” and request permission. This is to provide additional security during the break.

Students who do not need to stay on campus during breaks and University holidays do NOT need to remove their belongings. We do ask, however, that they empty their refrigerators (to avoid spoilage) and power off electrical items such as televisions, computers, etc.

Q 11. What items should I bring from home?

A. While none of these items are required, our current residents recommend you consider bringing the following items:

• Sheets, mattress cover, blankets, bedspread (beds are twin size, extra long – 36” x 80”)
• Soap, shampoo, and other toiletries
• Laundry basket and detergent (there are laundry rooms located in on-campus housing facilities)
• Small area rug (see question on carpeting)
• Dishes, drinking cups, silverware, dish soap and towels.
• Alarm clock
• Calendar/Organizer
• Desk supplies (pens, pencils, notebooks and paper, desk lamp)
• Dictionary and thesaurus
• CD player, headphones
• Computer, printer, surge protector
• A good lock, if you bring a bike
• Umbrella
• Telephone

Q 12. What items should I leave at home?

A. Items that are not permitted include:

• Candles or incense
• Illegal drugs
• All pets, except fish (see below)
• Weapons, including all firearms and ammunition, explosives, knives, and any other dangerous articles or substances

Q 14. Are microwave ovens provided? What about refrigerators?

A. No microwaves or refrigerators are provided in the residence halls.

Residents may bring a small refrigerator and/or microwave. Refrigerators should be no larger than 4.2 cubic feet and should have a maximum of 400 watts at 120 volts. Microwave ovens should be no more than 1.5 cubic feet capacity and should have a maximum of 1100 watts at 120 volts.

Q 15. Is carpeting provided?

A. Carpeting in student rooms IS provided in the residence halls. Vacuums are not provided by the university, so students are encouraged to bring their own.

Q 16. Do I need to bring my own telephone?

A. There is a telephone jack in every bedroom, however, neither local phone service nor long-distance are provided.  Students wishing to sign up for either of these options may do so through the University’s telephone provider, PaeTec.  Information on how to do so will be available at check-in. Each student is provided with his/her own access number so that students will receive their own bill each month. Other options, including voice-mail or call waiting are available for a nominal fee. You may sign up with Paetec at www.campuslink.paetec.com.

Q 17. If I bring my computer, how can I hook it up to the internet?

A. Check out our website for specific information regarding how to make internet connections: www.fau.edu/housing/connect.html. Free, high-speed internet access is provided in the residence halls.

Q 18. Can I hook my television up to a cable-TV connection?

A. Yes. Currently FAU contracts with Adelphia Cable Television for general programming, at no additional cost to you. No “premium” channels are available. Please be aware of the Digital Conversion taking place on February 17, 2009, as this will impact students accessing cable TV in University Housing.  Please go to http://www.dtv.gov/ for more information.