Contractual Agreements
Payment
Your $150 advance payment ($75 for returning students) will be applied to your last bill of the academic year. You will receive several bills each semester. Failure to pay your account by the due date will result in the assessment of a 1.5% finance charge, compounded monthly, on the unpaid balance. Your transcript and grades will be withheld, as will your enrollment for future semesters, until your account is paid.Please contact the Bursar's Office in the Student Union and/or the Residential Life Office if you have questions about your account. Failure to receive a billing statement will not excuse you from a penalty. Check with the Bursar's Office if you do not receive a statement.
Room Assignments
Single rooms may be requested as space becomes available. If you want one, see your Hall/Residence Director who will: (a) assign you to a single room, or (b) put you on a waiting list for reassignment as space becomes available. There is an additional charge for a single room that begins the day you are assigned to one.Once you are assigned a single room, you may change to the double room rate only if you (a) find a new roommate to move into your room with you or (b) move into a room with another person. The rate change becomes effective the date of the move.
Other than for the reasons explained under single rooms, normally you may be requested and expected to move if Residential Life believes it necessary to close a section of your building or to consolidate empty spaces. In addition, a student may be required to move from his/ her community or building for disciplinary reasons.
Room Consolidation
During the semester, if a resident moves out of a double room and the remaining resident is not assigned a roommate, the remaining resident must select one of the following options:- 1. Elect to pay the single room rate and retain the room privately. This option is available only when space is available. Single room rates will be calculated on a prorated basis.
- 2. Choose to move into another half-filled room on the community.
- 3. Find another resident in a half-filled room who is willing to move into the current resident's room.
- 4. Be prepared to accept a new roommate at any time by:
- a. Keeping the unoccupied half of the room in such condition that would allow someone to move into the room on short notice.
- b. Agreeing that the room may be shown to prospective occupants without prior notification and in his/her absence.
- c. Displaying an attitude of cooperation and acceptance toward any resident who may examine the room while considering occupancy.
- d. Agreeing to accept a roommate assigned by the Hall/Residence Director.
This consolidation policy does not require an individual to move off his/her community, but rather could require residents to pay for a single room or consolidate with another individual who is living singly in a double occupancy room. If more than one resident on the same community is without a roommate, the individual who paid his or her housing contract last may be the one to move.
Residents who refuse to accept an assigned roommate and/or does not keep the room ready for a roommate, may be automatically charged the single room rate prorated from the day of notification.
If there is an empty room in Allen, Bennett, Booker, Bost, Davis, Jones, Kamm, Morsani-Smith, Patchin, Peterson-Friend, Sitlington, Stinchcomb, Young, or Zink Halls, it will be locked until it is assigned.
Residents are not permitted to occupy or use any space in their unit to which they are not assigned. This includes bedrooms and/or a bathroom on an unoccupied side of a suite or apartment. Residents found in violation of this policy will be responsible for any and all charges necessary to return the room(s) to an occupiable state by Residential Life standards.
Room Change
To change rooms, see your Resident Assistant/Community Facilitator for moving dates and authorization. You will be charged for improper checkout if you do not receive approval from your Hall Director/Residence Director prior to changing rooms and do not follow proper checkout procedures.Building Transfers
To move to another building, apply for a transfer at the Residential Life Office. You will be put on a waiting list and a transfer will be offered on a space-available basis. When you do move, a charge to cover processing costs will be added to your next billing statement.Summer School Reservations
Several housing options exist if you plan to stay for summer school. If interested, please stop by the Residential Life Office in Iba Hall and complete a summer school housing contract.Subleasing
Subleasing of rooms, room spaces, or apartments is strictly prohibited.Removal from Housing
At times a resident's behavior is determined to be detrimental to the community to a point that removal is the only option. This could be the result of one serious behavioral concern, or a combination of two or more behavioral concerns that warrants removal. If a student is removed from the Residential Life system, he or she is still financially responsible for the remainder of the housing contract.Check Out Procedure
Any time that you move off campus or when you move to another Residential Life facility, you must check out with your Resident Assistant, Community Facilitator, and/or other administrative staff. Failure to check out properly will result in your room and board charges continuing until the end of the academic year, and an additional $25 for failure to check out. Failure to check out properly may also result in cleaning and administrative charges. If you are leaving at any time other than the end of the semester, you must:- 1. Get a withdrawal form from your college or a contract purchase/release form from the Residential Life Office.
- 2. Clear your room of all your belongings and clean the room to our standards.
- 3. Pick up your room occupancy list (ROC) from your Resident Assistant, Community Facilitator, or Hall/Residence Director, who will assign a staff member to check your room for damages.
- 4. Return your ROC to the appropriate administrative staff member who will sign your departure document.
- 5. Turn in your room and mail keys.
- 6. Leave a forwarding address.
If you are leaving at the end of a semester and will not be enrolled at OSU during the rest of the current academic year, you should complete steps 2 through 6 above. You will receive a ROC sheet from a staff member to document that you have completed check out properly.
Leaving Residential Facilities Early
If you are enrolled in the University and you terminate your contract on or after the first day of classes, you will be charged the following:- 1. Full room and board charges through the date on which you are officially released from this contract by the suite, apartment, or traditional hall, and the Department of Residential Life (Note: If you are released during the last two weeks of a semester, you will be charged for the full semester); AND
- 2. One month's additional rent.
- 1. Prorated board through the day your drop the meal plan (or the amount actually used, whichever is larger); AND
- 2. $150 buy-out fee.
- 1. Your initial contract payment; or
- 2. Room and board charges through the date on which you are officially released from this contract by the suite, apartment, or traditional hall, and the Department of Residential Life (If you are released during the last two weeks of the semester, you will be charged for the full semester.)
Due to the Board of Regents' freshman residency requirement, freshmen are required to live on campus. For a freshman to move off campus, the student must request and receive exemption from this policy by filing the Request for Exemption form with the Department of Residential Life.
