Housing Selection for Transfer Students

Our convenient online portal is a one-stop destination for you to complete several RISD housing and residence life processes, including:

• applying for on-campus housing
• requesting medical housing accommodations
• completing dining forms
• registering to live off campus (if eligible)

Go to my housing portal

Incoming and returning students apply for housing and room selection each year via the housing portal. Returning students begin this two-part process in February; for incoming students, the housing selection window opens sometime in early May.

The first step is to sign the housing and dining license from within the housing portal ahead of the current-year deadline. After submitting your completed license, you will receive a time slot for room selection, which is the second step in the housing selection process. You can see the 2023–24 dining license or the 2024–25 license for details.

Please note that if you do not sign the housing and dining license by the current year deadline, you will not receive a room selection time slot. Instead, you will be assigned a room.

If you have special or medical needs that should be taken into account during the housing selection process, you should have a non-RISD affiliated medical professional complete a medical accommodation form. This can then be uploaded via the housing portal for review. Forms completed by a RISD Health Services provider, or a provider in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), will not be accepted.

If you need to request an accommodation as part of the room selection process for the coming academic year, do so by that year’s deadline to ensure full consideration of your request.

For students currently in RISD housing, requests for new or updated accommodations are reviewed monthly. To ensure timely review, submit your request prior to the first of the month.

Documentation guidelines

To accurately and equitably evaluate accommodation requests, you need to submit documentation from a medical professional that outlines the condition requiring housing accommodations. Complete our official medical provider form and submit via the housing portal when making your accommodation request. We will not accept other documents in lieu of the official form.

Factors we consider

We carefully review requests and supporting documentation on a case-by-case basis using the criteria below. Be aware that, in certain instances, a member of Health Services or Counseling and Psychological Services might follow up with the treating professional.

• severity of condition
• ability for student to live in RISD housing with or without accommodations
• potentially permanent health impacts or threat to life
• importance of accommodation to overall treatment of the condition(s)
• impact on academic and/or social experience
   

Timing of Request 

In evaluating medical accommodation requests, we take into account whether we receive the request:

• prior to the housing accommodation deadline.
• as soon as possible after identifying need for accommodation(s).
• before or after you receive your housing assignment or a change in diagnosis, etc.

You may be allowed to have an emotional support animal or service animal in RISD housing facilities if you meet the following criteria:

• You provide valid medical accommodation supporting your need for an emotional support or service animal.
• You comply with conditions outlined in RISD’s official service and emotional support animal policy.
  Since not all campus housing is suitable for animals, we reserve the right to relocate you to properly accommodating housing.

If we approve your request, you will need to submit an animal registration form along with all vaccination records. We permit only one animal per student with approved accommodations, and only one animal per living environment. A relocation will be required if more than one student in a shared space is approved to keep an emotional support or service animal on campus.

Undergraduate students must live on campus during their first two years at RISD. However, you can request a residency waiver if you meet one of the qualifications below. Please note that items 1–4 require documentation as proof of your eligibility.

Student exemptions are at the sole discretion of Residence Life, which reserves the right to grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

1. You live at home with a parent or legal guardian at their permanent address, within thirty (30) of the college. For documentation, please provide two (2) of the following:
   • a copy of your lease, listing your parent or guardian as the primary tenant
   • a mortgage statement including your parent or guardian’s name
   • a utility bill, property tax statement, home insurance bill, etc., for the address of your residency, clearly addressed to your parent or guardian by name
   • a copy of your parent or legal guardian’s driver’s license/state ID, which includes the address at which you will reside
2. You are married. If so, please provide a marriage certificate.
3. You have a child, or your due date to give birth is prior to or during the academic year. Please provide either of the following:
   • a birth certificate
   • a medical document indicating that you are due to give birth
4. You are the legal guardian of a minor or dependent. Please provide either of the following:
   • a birth certificate
   • a legal document indicating your guardianship of the minor
5. You are, or will be, older than 21 years of age by September 1, 2024. No additional documentation is required if you meet this eligibility requirement.

Requests are not approved until you receive written confirmation from Residence Life. Students are not guaranteed release from the residency requirement.