Contract Information
The University agrees to provide the student with the use of accommodations for the two terms of the academic year. The contract begins prior to the first week of classes; the opening date is September 8th, 2012. For non-seniors, the contract ends at 12:00 noon on Saturday, May 25, 2013; however, it is expected that students vacate 24 hours after their last scheduled exam. For graduating seniors, the contract ends at 12:00 noon the day after Commencement.
If a student occupies the space beyond the permitted time, the Housing Department may enter the room and pack and store the belongings therein at the occupant’s expense.
Princeton University expects all students to fulfill the terms of their room occupancy agreements. At the same time, there are extraordinary situations that may necessitate an early termination of the agreement.
If a student occupies the space or picks up the key prior to the start of classes, then cancels his or her contract to move off campus, he or she receives no refund of housing charges.
If there are extenuating circumstances, they must be explained in writing with the cancellation notice and sent to the Housing Department director and verified by the Office of the Dean of the College.
During the academic year, any upperclass student may terminate the housing agreement by locating another full-time matriculating undergraduate student not currently residing in University housing to fulfill the balance of the occupancy agreement. Students residing in single-sex areas must replace themselves with a member of the same sex. Students who pledged independence during Room Draw must replace themselves with a student willing to pledge independence. The new occupant must sign a contract before a replacement can occur and any refund is issued.
The Housing Contract you sign is a binding agreement for the entire academic year. However, you may cancel your contract without penalty anytime through July 15, 2011. The following fees will be charged for contract cancellations thereafter:
| On or before July 15 | no fee |
| July 16 to August 15 | $500.00 |
| August 16 to September 16 | $1000.00 |
| On or after September 16 | ½ semester rent |
Contract Cancellation
- Foreign Study
- Medical Withdrawal
- Required Withdrawal
- Voluntary Withdrawal
- Personal Reasons
- Departure
- Charges
- Meal Plan Policy
Foreign Study
In cases of foreign-field study, students must notify the Housing Department immediately. This notification must be received by the early August contract cancellation deadline, as announced by the Housing Department in February, to avoid the cancellation fees, and must be supported by written documentation of termination from the Office of Dean of the College.
Medical Withdrawal
If a medical condition requires that a student leave the University for treatment for a prolonged time, or if continued residence itself would prove harmful to a student, the agreement may be terminated. Medical documentation from the attending physician or from the director of University Health Services must accompany the request. Normally, refunds are given on a semester-basis; extenuating circumstances should be sent in writing to the Director of the Housing Department.
Required Withdrawal
Students required to withdraw are given up to 72 hours after their receipt of notice of the required withdrawal to vacate their room. Students are billed on a weekly basis for the first two weeks of the semester. Students remaining into the third week are charged the entire semester’s rent.
Students appealing their required withdrawal are given housing for the duration of the appeal. If the appeal is unsuccessful, they are charged rent on a weekly basis for every week or part thereof that the room was occupied. Once the appeal has been decided students have 48 hours to remove their belongings and return their keys to the Housing Department.
Voluntary Withdrawal
Students taking a voluntary withdrawal or leave of absence from the University once classes have begun are charged 50 percent of the semester’s rent if they vacate their room within the first two weeks of the semester. On the first day of the third week of the semester the student is billed 100 percent of the semester’s charge.
Personal Reasons
Whenever changes occur in the relationships between students, the University makes every effort to accommodate these changes by offering alternative arrangements (see Room Assignments and Changes). When alternative arrangements are not possible, the appropriate person in the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students or the Associate Director for Student Housing may recommend the student’s release from the agreement. The request must be supported by written documentation, and the final decision rests with the Director of the Housing Department. Refunds are given on a semester-basis.
Departure
Once a student has received permission to terminate this housing agreement, he or she must move his or her belongings and return their keys within 48 hours. That time limit may be extended only with the permission of the Housing Department. The exception to this departure agreement is that students who terminate their agreement, to study abroad or take one term of advanced standing or a leave of absence thus creating a vacancy for the spring semester, must vacate by 9 a.m. the Monday of inter-session week. If they do not, they may forfeit their spring term housing charges.
Charges
Responsibility for the payment of charges due under the housing/dining services agreement rests entirely with the student. Payment of charges are made pursuant to the procedures and schedule determined by the Office of the Treasurer (Loans and Receivables). Failure to make payments as agreed upon subject the student, under University regulations on nonpayment of fees and charges, to sanctions, including suspension, withholding of degrees, and withholding of transcripts.
Meal Plan Policy
Students are permitted to change the dining contract one time each semester. Changes may be made as follows: Fall Semester - during the third full week of classes (except students who select a meal plan provided in part by a non-University provider); Spring Semester - during the first week of classes. Upperclass students not living in a Residential College may also terminate the dining contract during these same periods. Changes must be made in the Housing Office in the New South Building. New meal plan contracts and upgrades may be signed any time throughout the year in the Undergraduate Housing Office.
- Upperclass
- Residential Colleges
- Room Exchanges
- Roommate Assignments
- Room Selection
- Guaranteed Housing Statement
- Special Need Housing
Upperclass
During the academic year students may apply for a room change beginning October 1. This allows the Undergraduate Housing Office to evaluate all requests. The criteria that govern the room improvement process, which is a segment of Room Draw, do not apply during the academic year.
Vacancies that occur during the academic year are used to solve significant housing problems that occur for medical reasons or from serious interpersonal conflicts within a suite.
Not all requests for room changes are granted or result in a student being assigned a single. Students may also be assigned a space in a suite.
Residential Colleges
Residents of the six residential colleges should first contact the Director of Student Life or resident adviser of their college to pursue a request for a room change. If a room change is approved by the college, the student(s) must come to the Undergraduate Housing Office to complete the necessary paperwork and to exchange keys.
Room Exchanges
Rooms may be exchanged if all roommates are agreeable. Before a roommate exchange is implemented, either the Manager or the Associate Director for Student Housing must speak with all students involved and approve the exchange. In residential colleges, it is necessary to have the approval of the Director of Student Life.
Note: Both upperclass and residential college room changes and room exchanges must be made in the Undergraduate Housing Office and must be completed, including key return, within 48 hours of approval.
Roommate Assignments
As spaces become available within suites, it is the prerogative of the Undergraduate Housing Office to assign new roommates. This may be necessary at any time during the academic year. It must be readily recognized that a fair and equitable allotment of spaces and furniture is ready for a new occupant.
Students who request room changes, those returning to the University for the spring semester, and visiting students are frequently assigned to vacancies in suites. Residents of suites with vacancies at the end of the fall semester should anticipate that a returning or visiting student will be assigned for the spring semester.
Room changes are not granted upon demand and are subject to an assessment period determined by the Manager or the Associate Director for Student Housing. The current roommates are expected to make every effort to welcome new residents into a suite. Each resident of a suite is entitled to the same rights, and division of space, regardless of when he or she begins occupancy. Similarly, each resident is equally responsible for the condition of the suite. If the current residents of a suite know a returning student, they may request that he or she be assigned to that suite. These requests should be made in early January.
The University does not tolerate abusive or offensive conduct toward roommates or neighbors. A student responsible for such behavior jeopardizes his or her assignment in University housing and may be referred to the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students.
Room Selection
All undergraduate students who desire on-campus housing must apply for the next academic year. Detailed information about the draw is available online at www.princeton.edu/us/housing the first week of classes during Spring semester.
Guarantee of Housing for Undergraduate Students - Policy Statement
In support of the academic mission of the University and in recognition that residential living is an integral part of the Princeton educational experience, it is the University’s policy to provide housing for all enrolled undergraduates. Undergraduate students are guaranteed housing, in a location at the discretion of the University, provided that the following conditions are met:
- the student is officially enrolled;
- the student submits all housing forms and/or applications within specified deadlines;
- the student adheres to and complies with all “terms and conditions” specified for undergraduate housing.
The guarantee of undergraduate housing does not apply if:
-
a student does not apply for room draw, withdraws from a housing waitlist, or resides off campus AND does not file a housing application for on-campus housing by the specified deadline. In these situations the student may complete a housing application and be placed on a housing waitlist but without the guarantee of a housing assignment. Upon receipt of a signed housing contract the guarantee of housing eligibility is reinstated for the student.
- a student is the subject of disciplinary action by the Residential College Disciplinary Board, the Committee on Discipline, or the Dean of Undergraduate Students, which includes the loss of housing.
Undergraduate students may not live in University housing when they have taken a leave of absence, foreign study, or when they have been required to withdraw from the University for any reason.
Special Needs Housing
Students with disabilities and other health-related special needs may apply for a room assignment instead of participating in Room Draw. Students who wish to be assigned through the special needs process must:
- Meet with the Dean in the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students in charge of the special needs process or the Manager of Undergraduate Housing to discuss the need for a particular type or location of housing.
- Provide documentation from a physician or other health professional about the disability or special need and how it may best be accommodated. Since doctors unfamiliar with Princeton University may suggest certain accommodations the University simply cannot meet (such as air conditioning); the University may ask students to visit the McCosh Health Center for a second opinion.
- Understand that any alteration to a room or space (such as rewiring or renovation) may require a student to live in that space for more than one year.
Every effort is made to accommodate a student’s health need first. Therefore all other preferences may not be accommodated. Students approved for special needs housing may refuse an assignment and enter the Room Draw. However, at that point there is no guarantee that a student will be able to draw a room that meets his or her need. For more information about this process, students should call the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students at 8-3061.
Since the process must be completed before Room Draw begins, students must hand in their applications to the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students by the deadline date listed in the Room Draw Guide, which is available to students in early February.
Check-Out
All students must check out of their rooms by noon on Saturday, May 25th. Students should plan on leaving campus 24 hours after their last exam. Graduating seniors must check out by noon the day after commencement. A check-out procedure list is available online during the spring reading period.
When a student leaves campus, whether it be anytime mid-contract or in May, he or she must remember that the room must be in the same condition as it was upon arrival, and to:
- Remove all personal belongings from the room and storage. All possessions left in the room are considered abandoned and are discarded. A student is billed for the removal of any possessions left in his or her room or suite;
- Return any Sabbath or kitchen keyes. Failure to do so results in a lock-change fee;
- File a change of address form in the Frist Campus Center mailroom;
- Close his or her U-store account and leave a forwarding address;
- Return all University library books;
- Notify the Telephone Office if there is a change of final billing address.
A student may not return to his or her room after check-out. Students should remove all items from refrigerators during fall, winter, and spring breaks as refrigerators are cleaned during the breaks.