Housing Accommodations - Student Accessibility Services
In accordance with applicable federal, state and local disability laws, The University of Tampa will make every effort to provide reasonable housing accommodations for students who have a qualifying disability. Any student needing accommodations related to University housing or meal plan options should contact Student Accessibility Services (SAS) to request appropriate accommodations and provide supporting documentation. Students requesting housing accommodations will also need to meet with the SAS staff to discuss their housing needs on campus before they can be approved for housing accommodations. SAS and Residence Life work collaboratively in order to provide appropriate housing accommodations for eligible students living on campus. Students are not required to reside in on-campus residence halls and the Office of Residence Life cannot guarantee on-campus housing for all students.
Accommodation requests and documentation should be submitted by the housing deadline. Requests submitted after posted deadlines will still be considered, but will be subject to space availability. SAS will notify Residence Life regarding students who are approved for accommodations. Assignments will be made directly by Residence Life based on the approved accommodations.
Continuing Student Housing Selection – Deadlines and Information
- All accommodation requests need to be processed and approved by February 1st to be applicable for the Housing Selection process each Spring semester.
- You will be responsible for selecting the space that meets your accommodation during your assigned selection time unless otherwise specified by Residence Life.
- Service Animals and ESA’s are welcome in every residence hall.
- If your accommodation is approved after the February 1st deadline, Residence Life will work on meeting your accommodation based on availability.
New Undergraduate Student Housing - Deadlines and Information
- All accommodation requests need to be processed and approved by May 1st for students starting in the Fall semester and October 1st for those starting in the Spring semester.
- Residence Life will make assignments based on the approved accommodation.
- Room assignments are sent in mid-July for the Fall semester and in mid-December for the Spring semester.
If on-campus housing is secured, but reasonable accommodations cannot immediately be satisfied due to capacity/facility design/availability/etc., the student’s request will be given priority over other housing requests. Each student’s request will be reviewed on an individual basis.
Documentation requirements can be found on our documentation requirements page. All documentation must be typed, dated, on letterhead, and with a signature from the student’s treating professional. Students should submit their housing accommodation requests and supporting documentation via an Accommodation Request. Any questions concerning documentation requirements should be directed to accessibility.services@ut.edu, which will then be forwarded to the appropriate SAS staff member.
- All residents of University housing are required to participate in the University's meal plan. The 7-meal plan per week option is only available to students living in an apartment with a kitchen.
- If a student has a medical condition that would limit or prohibit them from consuming foods at dining facilities on campus, they may request a reduction or exemption to their University of Tampa meal plan.
- The student will need to submit their request for a meal plan reduction or exemption and their supporting documentation via the Accommodation Request on Accommodate by Symplicity.
- The student may need to meet with a UT Dining Services staff member to discuss their dietary needs. Students may be exempt from their University of Tampa meal plan only after it has been determined that Dining Services cannot meet their dietary needs.
- Charges will not be pro-rated until the student has been approved for a meal plan reduction or exemption, regardless of whether the student has been using their meal plan on campus. The process may take several weeks in its entirety. Any charges accrued before the student is approved for a reduction or waiver will remain and are the responsibility of the student.
- The University of Tampa recognizes the importance of service and emotional support animals to individuals with documented disabilities in the residence halls and has established the following policy regarding service and emotional support animals to assist residents with disabilities. The below policy ensures that residents with disabilities who require the use of a service or emotional support animal in the residence hall as a reasonable accommodation receive the benefit of the support they provide.
- SAS and Residence Life are committed to supporting residents with disabilities and their use of such an animal in campus housing to facilitate their full participation and equal access to the University’s programs and activities.
- See Full Animal Policy (PDF)
- Students requesting a service or emotional support animal must follow the SAS process for registering with a disability, before bringing an animal into campus housing.
- Students will be expected to follow the Student Code of Conduct policies relating to animals. Student Code of Conduct
- UT welcomes Service Animals in all of its facilities when the animal is accompanied by its handler.
- What is a Service Animal?
- A service animal is a dog (or miniature horse) that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.
- Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medication or performing other duties.
- Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a service animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.
- Emotional support animals (ESA) are those whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support.
- ESA’s are welcome in all of the UT Residence Halls, but are not allowed in non-residential buildings on campus.
- If a student is assigned to a room that has an animal and they would like to move, the student is able to request a room change the following ways:
- During Open Room Change
- After Open Room Change, students can meet with their RA or Area Coordinator to talk about their situation and request a move.
- You may also contact the Residence Life Administrative team by emailing housingassignments@ut.edu with questions about the room change process.
The University of Tampa is not responsible for providing an individual with a disability with services of a personal nature, such as assistance in eating, toileting or dressing. If a student is planning to reside in University housing and requires personal services, the student must provide SAS with documentation from an appropriate agency or service that confirms the necessary assistance will be in place effective on the date of residency, and they have passed a background check before moving into the residence hall. If a non-University individual serves as a personal attendant for a student with a disability, they may reside in the same room with the student for whom they are providing attendant services. This individual will be required to adhere to all University policies, procedures and regulations.
- A separate low-distraction living environment accommodation. If a student needs to live or sleep in a near-silent environment we cannot guarantee this environment.
- A different bed. We can remove the existing bed from the room if it is deemed medically necessary so a student can bring their own bed.
- Accepting documentation that names a specific building in which the accommodation is to be provided.
- Assigning or moving a preferred roommate along with a student for which special accommodations are being offered, unless the roommate would otherwise be eligible for the space.
- A dust or allergen-free environment.
