Housing and Cancellation Policies
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
Housing Application
The Housing Application is a binding agreement from the time the application is submitted. Students must submit a non-refundable $500 housing deposit that will be applied to the first semester of housing. Students who cancel their housing application will be assessed a $500 cancellation fee. All students living in housing are required to read and agree to the Stevens Handbook.
On Campus, Special Interest, and Stevens-Owned Greek Housing residents: The housing contract is binding for both fall and spring semesters of one academic year
Spring-Only Residents: The housing contract is binding for the spring semester.
Housing Cancellation
Housing Contract cancellation requests must be submitted online through myStevens by clicking the Housing/Dining icon and choosing the “Housing Cancellation Request Form”. After this form is submitted, the Office of Residential and Dining Services will approve or deny the cancellation request within 5 business days. Please provide supporting documentation for the request (if applicable).
Approved Housing Cancellation
Students who meet one or more of the below requirements and are approved for housing cancellation may be assessed a cancellation fee and may have their housing fee prorated. Students must remove all items from the room and return the key before a proration can be considered. Housing charges are not based on usage; charges are based on room assignment term and room fees. Approved cancellation reasons may include:
Absence due to a Stevens-approved program (i.e., Co-op or study abroad)
Leave of Absence (not related to a student conduct matter)
Mid-Year Graduation
Not enrolled at Stevens
Denied Housing Cancellation
If you are canceling for any of the reasons listed below you will not receive a housing refund:
Removed from housing due to a student conduct matter (required to vacate)
Suspended or dismissed from the University (required to vacate)
Decided to secure non-Stevens housing
Housing Cancellation Charges and Timeline
Cancellation from the time of Housing Application submission and before receipt of Housing Assignment: $500 cancellation fee
Cancellation from receipt of Housing Assignment through Add/Drop Period: $500 cancellation fee and 50% of the total yearly housing fee (both fall and spring semesters)
Cancellation from Add/Drop Period through End of the Semester: 100% of the total yearly housing fee (both fall and spring semesters)
Meal Plan Requirements
New Students living on campus are required to get the Tera Bite meal plan
Returning Students living on campus are required to get the Tera Bite, Giga Bite, or Mega Bite meal plan
Students living in Special Interest Housing are required to get the Tera Bite, Giga Bite, or Mega Bite meal plan
Meal Plan Cancellation and Changes
Meal plan charges are based on the meal plan membership selected or assigned, not based on meal plan usage. Meal plans can be changed during the first 2 weeks of the semester as long as the desired meal plan meets the Stevens residency requirements. Meal plans can also be changed to a higher plan anytime throughout the semester. If you are eligible for a meal plan cancellation, you will be prorated based on the weekly rate (Friday-Thursday) of your approved cancellation date. The balance of any unused Grubhub Dining Dollars will be retained and can still be used after the meal plan is canceled. Meal plan cancellations will not be granted after the third (3rd) week of the semester.
Meal Plan Swipes and Grubhub Dollars
Unused Meal and Snack Swipes do not carry over from semester to semester
Unused Grubhub Dining Dollars will carry over from fall to spring semester
Unused DuckBills will carry over from semester to semester (for more details please visit the DuckCard Office)
HOUSING POLICIES
Access
Students are not allowed in boiler rooms, on ledges or roofs, maintenance closets or cable closets in the residence halls or rental facilities. Residents are provided with access cards to operate the outside door of the assigned residence hall and are expected to aid in maintaining the security of their building. Residents are not permitted to copy their room key. At no time should building entrance doors be propped open or room doors left unlocked when the room is unattended. Hallway and stairwell fire doors must be closed at all times.
Consolidation
In a shared room, should your roommate vacate, you may be given one of the following options at the discretion of the Office of Residential and Dining Services: 1) You may be asked to move to another room for consolidation, or 2) You will be assigned a new roommate. At all times the university reserves the right to assign or to re-assign students to any space as needed. Your account will be billed accordingly for any changes to your room or building.
Construction
Nothing may be bolted or fastened to any wall in a manner that would cause damage to the wall. Furniture bolted to the walls by the university may not be removed. All rooms must be left in the original condition at the end of the school year. Any alterations not consistent with office policies will be corrected immediately at the student’s expense. Lofting of beds is prohibited.
Damages
Students will be held responsible for all damages in the room, building and common areas, including all doors. The cost of damages will be charged to his/her account and a service charge may be assessed to cover processing. If damage is done to a community space, and person(s) responsible are unable to be determined the damage charge will dispersed among all members of the building or floor. Room condition reports must be completed online and returned to the Office of Residential and Dining Services within the first week of occupancy.
Electrical items
Electric kitchen appliances, particularly those with heating elements such as toasters, toaster ovens, hot pots, coffee makers and George Forman grills, are prohibited and may not be stored in student rooms. Only one microwave (700 watts or less) and one refrigerator (3.2 cubic foot or less) are permitted in each room. All multiple-outlet taps (power strips) or extension cords must contain a built-in circuit breaker or fuse. Electronic projects, test equipment, and other electrical devices are not permitted in residence halls if they exceed reasonable limitations. The use of floodlights, air conditioners and space heaters is not permitted in the residence halls without permission of the Office of Residential and Dining Services.
Extended housing
An additional charge will be required of any student requiring campus housing during periods when residence halls are normally closed. This includes early arrivals and late stays.
Extermination
All insect extermination in the residence halls is mandatory. Residents are not permitted to decline extermination unless there are written medical reasons. Failure to comply with mandatory extermination practices may result in the suspension of housing privileges.
Fire safety
Tampering with the fire safety equipment, fire alarms, sprinklers or sensors is prohibited. This includes willfully de-activating any alarm bells or smoke sensors. Displaying fire exit signs in a student room will result in a fine. Fire drills and the evacuation of each building, whenever a fire alarm is sounded, are for the protection of all students. Accidental activation of the fire alarms due to negligence is a violation of Stevens fire safety code. Any violation of fire rules and regulations may result in the loss of residence privileges, as well as a fine.
Furniture
Non-Stevens issued furniture is not permitted in the residence halls and UCC residential towers. Oversized furniture including additional big closets, storage, and large musical instruments are not permitted. Moving Office of Residential and Dining Services issued furniture out of one’s room is not permitted. Each student is responsible for the furniture in his or her assigned room, and the student will be charged for damaged or missing furniture. Furnishings may not be removed from the lounge or other public areas of the university. Waterbeds are not permitted. Mattresses must be kept on the bed frame. The Office of Residential and Dining Services will not provide additional furnishings or store Office of Residential and Dining Services issued furniture.
Guests
Residents must obtain the roommates’ permission before having a guest. Overnight guests are limited to 2 days in a 7 day period and no more than 5 days in a 30 day period. Students will be held responsible for the actions of any guests. Gatherings in student rooms must be limited to 1 guest per resident living on campus and special interest housing. Residents and quests must not disturb others. Residents are not permitted to entertain a large group of individuals. Overnight guests must be registered with the Office of Residential Residential Education through Roompact. The guests of a room do not have the privilege of extending the use of the room to anyone else.
Health and Safety
The Office of Residential and Dining Services reserves the right to inspect all rooms where students reside within Stevens housing. This includes both on-campus housing, special interest housing, and the UCC Residential Towers. Health and Safety inspections occur every semester by the Office of Residential and Dining Services staff members and are designed to address any health and safety violations within a room, apartment, or common area. Residents will be notified of any violations. In the interest of fire safety, open flames of any kind are prohibited in and adjacent to the residence halls. Combustibles and other flammable items, including live Christmas trees, accumulations of paper, flammable liquids, (lighter fluids), tires, candles (with or without wicks), incense, etc., are also prohibited. Halogen lamps are not permitted in the residence halls. Food may be kept in rooms if properly stored in sealed containers. Kitchen facilities are available in each residence hall for the preparation of snacks. Cooking and food wastes must be disposed of properly. You must stay with your food and monitor it at all times while you are cooking. Automotive and related equipment may not be stored or repaired in the residence halls. Residents are responsible for keeping their rooms in a sanitary condition consistent with good safety and hygiene. Due to New Jersey state law, smoking is not permitted in any residence hall and in the UCC Residential Towers. Smoking cigarettes, electronic cigarettes known as e-cigarettes, hookahs, and bongs are prohibited. These items and other paraphernalia are not allowed to be used or stored within Stevens housing including on-campus, Special Interest, UCC residential towers, and Fraternity and Sorority Housing. Pets, excluding fish in a 10-gallon or less tank, are not permitted. Sports, in general, are not permitted in the residence halls. Gambling, as well as the use or possession of weapons, explosives or fireworks, is prohibited and will be confiscated by campus police. No objects of any kind may be placed on the outside window ledges. Objects may not be allowed on inside ledges or windows if they do not meet appearance and safety standards. The Office of Residential and Dining Services reserves the right to address any signs/posters in windows damaging to the campus appearance. Weapons of any kind (knives, swords, paintball guns, firearms, etc.) are prohibited from Stevens housing.
Narcotics
Stevens will not condone the use, sale, or possession of illicit drugs, narcotics or other controlled substances on the property of the university or on the property of any affiliated organization recognized by the university. No warnings will be issued. An infraction will subject the student to disciplinary action by the university in the form of suspension or dismissal. In addition, the student may be subject to prosecution under federal, state and local law. Please also note that hookahs and bongs are prohibited and are not allowed to be used or stored within Stevens housing including on-campus housing.
Personal belongings
The Office of Residential and Dining Services takes no responsibility for any personal possessions left in the residence halls. Items are left there solely at the risk of the owner. It is therefore advisable to remove all valuables from rooms during closed periods. Residents should also protect themselves by carrying fire, theft and liability insurance, as the university insurance does not include your personal property or personal liability at any time, and the university assumes no liability for the personal property of the student. Students are also responsible for theft of leased computers. When a resident’s possessions are left in a room and the checkout deadline has expired and no information has been relayed to the Office of Residential and Dining Services regarding the plans of the resident, a housing designee will bag all belongings and store them for no more than 15 days. No responsibility will be assumed for the stored items and after 15 days the items will be discarded.
Personal Modes of Transportation
Stevens reserves the right to limit personal means of transportation within any residence hall. Bicycles, unicycles, push scooters, and other similar means of personal transportation are prohibited from the residence halls. Stevens has implemented a complete and total indoor ban on electric scooters, electric bikes, and electric hoverboards. Charging of the detached batteries within the residence halls is also prohibited. All personal modes of transportation must be secured in outdoor bike rack.
Public displays and postings
Residents are not permitted to post, hang or display anything that may be deemed offensive or inappropriate by any student, administrator or guest. This includes but is not limited to posters, flyers and white-board messages in hallways, on doors or anywhere visible from the exterior. It is the responsibility of all residents to confirm with the Office of Residential and Dining Services that any item to be posted is allowed, prior to posting.
Quiet hours
Students are responsible for maintaining reasonable noise levels in their rooms and must avoid disturbing or disrupting other students. The privilege of having such equipment may be revoked if it disturbs other residents. Televisions, audio equipment, and musical instruments are permitted in student rooms, with the exception. The use of amplified musical instruments and/or stereos that are disturbing to the community and that cannot be turned down or used with headphones to prevent unnecessary noise issues are prohibited. Therefore, musical instruments of any type generally should not to be played in the residence halls. Larger musical instruments such as immobile harps, pianos, drums, and organs are not allowed in Stevens housing. No drum sets are allowed. Portable and handheld music devices should not be audible outside of the apartment. No antennas are permitted outside the boundaries of the room. Satellite dishes of any kind are not permitted in the residence halls. Quiet hours are considered essential for all residents. On campus, Special Interest and UCC Residential Towers, hours are Sunday evening through Friday morning, 10 p.m. to 10 a.m., and 1 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. There will be 24-hour quiet hours during final exams at the end of each semester. At times other than quiet hours, students are expected to be considerate of others (courtesy hours).
Recycling
Recycling is state law. In order to comply, bins have been placed in room/halls for the storage of recyclable materials. Only recyclable materials may be thrown in the bins.
Residence hall floor meetings
The resident assistants are the main mechanism through which the Office of Residential and Dining Services communicates with and addresses/answers the concerns of the residents. As such, it is mandatory for all residents to attend their floor meetings throughout the year (typically 3-4 per semester). If a meeting is missed, it is the responsibility of the resident to meet with their RA before or after to cover the information required.
Room changes
Housing assignments are made for one academic year. Approval from the Office of Residential & Dining Services is required to change rooms. A resident wishing to do so must complete the Room Change Form located on their myStevens Housing & Dining Portal. No move is to take place without permission from the Office of Residential & Dining Services. During the first 2 weeks and last 2 weeks of each semester, room changes will not be permitted. Failure to follow proper procedures may result in a fine or judicial proceeding. Keys may never be exchanged by residents. Keys are only issued by the Office of Residential & Dining Services staff.
Utilities
Stevens housing students are expected to manage and minimize their utility use.
Vandalism
Defacing any area of the residence halls, including graffiti, is prohibited. Any public display of objectionable or offensive material is similarly prohibited.
Withdrawal
Students must totally vacate institutional housing and cease using institutional dining facilities within 24 hours after he or she withdraws, requests a leave of absence, or be held liable for room and board charges beyond his or her last date of attendance.