Policies for Student Housing
Residency Requirement
All full-time (12+ credit hours) undergraduate students are required to live in University housing. University housing is not guaranteed for part-time undergraduate students and is not available for family units (e.g. spouses or dependents).
Assignments
Room Assignment Process
The Office of Residence Life determines housing assignments based on the following criteria:
- Date and time of the Housing Application being submitted
- Indicated preferences
- Availability of space
- Priority Status
Returning residents who complete the renewal process prior to the given deadline are given "priority status" and are reassigned first through the Housing Selection Process. Incoming first-year and transfer students are assigned next. Returning students who apply after the deadline, or do not apply at all, will be assigned last for the upcoming academic year.
Roommate Assignments
Roommate assignments are based upon:
- Date and time of completed application
- Priority status
- Mutual request for one another
Students who are requesting each other as roommates are encouraged to list one another as desired roommates to ensure the Office of Residence Life recognizes a mutual request.
The University makes all assignments without regard to race, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin, and the University rejects all requests for assignment changes based upon those reasons.
Room Change Procedures
Students agree to observe the room change procedures established by the University and to have prior written approval before making a room change. The full room change process can be viewed here: Room Change Process
Room Changes may result in a change of housing costs due to the varying rates of different housing assignments. Housing will be calculated on a per diem rate for room changes.
Vacancies & Consolidation
If a vacancy occurs in the assigned room, the remaining resident(s) agrees to:
- Move to another room with a chosen roommate;
- Choose a new roommate to move in;
- Accept a new placement or roommate made by the Office of Residence Life; or
- Buy-out the additional space, if permitted by the University.
If a student refuses to accept a roommate as part of the consolidation due to vacancy, they may be retroactively changed the buy-out fee for the time the room has had the vacancy.
Students who believe that they are in need of an accommodation for housing (single-room, off-campus housing, Emotional Support Animal, etc.) must complete the Accommodation Request Process with Disability Services.
Cancellations
New Student Cancellation
New students who no longer plan to attend McKendree University, and have not moved on to campus yet, must contact the Office of Residence Life in order to cancel their housing assignment.
Current Student Cancellation
Students who wish to live off campus, but remain a McKendree student, must follow the Housing Waiver process.
Students who plan to withdraw from the institution must do the following:
First, log onto MyMcK and connect to Self-Service to withdraw from the current and future semester's classes. If the withdraw is happening during the middle of the semester, the student must complete the Add/Drop Form from the Office of Academic Records.
Second, complete the Academic Departure Form.
Finally, reach out to the Office of Residence Life to arrange your check out from housing.
Once these steps are all complete and submitted, the university personnel will start closing the student's account. If additional information is needed, a staff member will reach out to the student via their McKendree Email address.
Fees
Housing Fee
An initial $200, one-time, non-refundable fee is required to access the Housing Application and before a housing assignment is released to a student.
Early Arrival and Extended Stay Charges
Students are not permitted to enter their housing assignment prior to their designated move-in dates, except when approved by the Director or Assistant Director of Residence Life. Approved students who
- move into their assignment prior to their designated move-in date or
- stay past the designated checkout date
will incur a daily per diem rent rate. Sometimes these charges are covered by their athletic team. Unapproved students can see additional charges for violation of the Official Orders and Requests policy.
Damages
Students will be billed for any damages that occur to their assigned space, including common areas. Damages are assessed by Office of Residence Life and Physical Plant staff. Students will be notified of charges via their McKendree student email and will have 30 days from the date of notification to file an appeal.
University keys and IDs are property of the University. Should a student lose or damage these items, they will be assessed a fee for replacement. A list of common charges for damages can be found in the McKendree University Housing Terms and Conditions.
