Housing Selection for Exchange Students

Although exchange students are not required to live on campus and space is very limited, you’ll discover that on-campus living is one of the best ways to get the full RISD experience. Learn more below.

Housing for incoming exchange students is not guaranteed due to limited availability. When space is available, exchange students who live on campus at RISD enjoy several benefits, including:

a resident advisor in your building to aid you in acclimating to our campus and community.
on-campus programming that will connect you with other RISD students and give you a greater sense of Providence.
24/7 security provided by RISD’s Department of Public Safety.

There is not a specific residence hall for exchange students—any hall open to sophomores and up is open to you as well. Therefore, you’ll want to check out what our sophomore and upperclass halls have to offer and think about what type of living space best suits your needs when selecting housing. You should also take a look at our housing rates so you can budget accordingly.

2026–27 housing selection timeline — exchange students

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Any exchange student interested in on-campus housing for the fall semester needs to apply via the housing portal.

Exchange students residing off-campus for the fall semester can also begin registering their address via the housing portal beginning on this date.

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To be considered for fall on-campus housing, complete your application via the housing portal by this date.

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If space comes available for the upcoming school year, we will offer housing placements, first come, first served based on if and when we received a housing application from you.

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Any exchange student interested in on-campus housing for spring needs to apply via the housing portal. Students will receive an email to their RISD email address when the housing portal opens.

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To be considered for spring housing on campus, complete your application via the housing portal by this date.

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If space becomes available for the spring term, students will receive a room assignment based on if and when we receive a housing application from you. Receipt of a housing application indicates desire to reside on campus and assignments will be made as such.

Exchange student housing FAQs

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We bill housing and dining on a per-semester basis. You can access your bill via Workday. To navigate your financial services dashboard, follow these instructions.

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You’ll find your move-in date on your housing contract. Exchange students generally move in at the same time as current RISD students. Under some special circumstances, you may make arrangements with Residence Life if you need an early move-in date.

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Please check your housing contract for your exact move-out date. Exchange students move out at the same time as other RISD students. If you need to make other arrangements, please contact our office.

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As an exchange student, you will need to wait until your visa has been processed and you have received a RISD email account and password. Don’t worry, we have plenty of accommodation options available. If you want to live on campus you will have the opportunity to select your housing.

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Once you have a RISD email and password, you will receive instructions for logging into our online housing portal. From there you can choose your room preference and search for potential roommates.