Students with documented long-term or permanent disabilities or medical conditions may request housing accommodations through SAS. To be eligible, the student must have a disability that necessitates adjustments to the living environment to provide the student with access to housing. 

Adjustments to a student's housing assignment due to a disability that does not pose a barrier to the housing environment are considered housing preferences. Housing preferences are not accommodated through the ADA/Medical accommodations process.

Reasonable accommodations are facilitated when the accommodation addresses all of the following:

• Establishes meaningful access or equal opportunity to engage and participate in campus and campus services offered to a person without a disability
• Logically addresses the impacts of one’s disability relative to the barriers/challenges established by and rooted in the academic, housing, and/or campus environment.
• The accommodation is logically designed to and will effectively remove the identified academic/campus barrier to access. 

Apply Early

It is important to begin the housing accommodation process early. Students should submit their accommodation request and all required documentation well before the priority deadline to allow sufficient time for review and housing coordination. 

Requests received after the priority deadline, or requests for which the accommodation review process cannot be completed by the priority deadline, will continue to be reviewed. While we will continue to review requests received after the priority deadline and make every effort to provide approved accommodations, placement cannot be guaranteed after the deadline due to housing availability.

Fall Semester Housing

• Priority Deadline: May 1

Spring Semester Housing

• Priority Deadline: December 1

Student and Family Responsibilities:

• Initiate early: Submit requests for housing accommodations as early as possible, ideally by the priority housing deadline.
• Provide appropriate documentation: Requests must be supported by documentation from a qualified provider that specifically addresses the disability-related need for the accommodation.
• Understand the difference between preferences and needs: Requests based solely on discomfort, lifestyle preference, or general anxiety about shared space are not guaranteed to result in a housing accommodation. 

SAS Responsibilities:

• Review all requests individually and in a timely manner through the interactive process.
• Determine if the request meets the legal threshold of a reasonable accommodation under the ADA/Section 504.
• Communicate approved accommodations to the Department of Residence and all decisions to the student. 

Housing Responsibilities:

• Fulfill approved accommodations based on available inventory.
• Make efforts to meet approved needs, but cannot guarantee specific buildings or room types, especially if space is limited or the request is made late.
• May offer alternative reasonable options if the preferred accommodation is unavailable. 

Student Accessibility Services reviews all requests through the interactive process, but some reasons generally do not qualify as a disability-related housing accommodation. Accommodations in higher education are designed to provide access, not ensure comfort or success. Below are common examples of requests that are typically not approved as disability accommodations:

• Requests made solely to support academic success or increase comfort, such as: 
  • Needing a quiet space to study or focus
  • Wanting a specific roommate
  • Requesting a roommate-free environment due to a past bad roommate experience or to avoid living with someone unfamiliar
  • Wanting air conditioning for general comfort
  • Wanting more personal space (e.g., single or suite-style rooms)
  • Wanting to ease the transition to college, or due to discomfort with independent living for the first time
• Requests that serve as a substitute for skill-building or personal development, such as:
  • Avoiding typical on-campus living challenges
  • Avoiding typical general anxieties related to campus living
• Requests where housing is expected to serve as a primary treatment or medical intervention, such as:
  • Relying on housing, ISU staff, or a roommate to function as a key part of a medical or therapeutic plan
• Requests based on convenience or logistical challenges, such as:
  • Reducing travel time to campus
  • Avoiding the need to plan meals or transportation
  • Concerns about living off campus or further from central campus
  • Wanting greater perceived access to campus resources (e.g., Thielen Health Center, ISU PD, campus events)
  • Requests based on financial concerns alone
• Requests for a personal service as an accommodation
  • An Aide to assist with things such as bathing, dressing, and personal hygiene (students in need of an Aide must hire them themselves and talk with SAS about access)
  • Medical administration/medical monitoring
  • Cleaning, laundry, moving, etc.

Requests like the above are generally denied for these reasons:

• Documentation does not indicate a substantial limitation to a major life activity related to the Department of Residence.
• The university has not caused a barrier to equal access to housing.
• The disability-related need does not require an alteration to the living environment. 

If your housing accommodation request is approved, Student Accessibility Services (SAS) does not assign housing or determine your specific residence hall, room, or location on campus. Instead, SAS shares your approved accommodations with the Department of Residence (DoR), which is responsible for making housing assignments. DoR prioritizes approved accommodations when determining your placement.

Housing assignments are also influenced by factors such as your housing contract completion date and room availability. As a result, students approved for housing accommodations may not receive all of the preferences indicated on their housing contract, such as a preferred roommate, residence hall, or room style. While DoR will prioritize approved accommodations when making housing assignments, SAS and DoR cannot guarantee that housing preferences will be met. 

Students approved for housing accommodations will not participate in room selection, as DoR coordinates placements based on approved accommodation needs and available housing.

If you remain in your current room that already has your accommodation, you will continue to receive them.

If you change your housing placement, you must notify the Department of Residence. Some changes may cause you to have to forgo your current accommodation. Make sure to discuss this with their office before deciding to switch. 

If you would like to explore different housing options after your initial assignment, the room change process may be a helpful tool. When available, the room change process can be accessed through your housing portal. Students may request a room change on a first-come, first-served basis during open periods.

Students living in university housing may bring a variety of personal items to support their comfort, daily living needs, and medical needs. This can include items such as cooling or air-circulation devices, a mini-fridge, and other approved items for managing health-related needs. 

Some items must meet specific safety guidelines. 

• For more information about what is allowed, please visit the Department of Residence Conduct Policies
• For more information on staying cool in housing, visit the Department of Residence Staying Cool in High Heat

Adjusting to college is a process for many students. While accommodations are not designed for general transition support, Iowa State University provides many resources to help students navigate and succeed in campus life.

• Residence Life holds many events and programs to help you get to know those who live near you.
• The Academic Success Center can help you build strong academic skills, including note–taking, studying, and time management.
• Hall desks and community centers offer staff who are there to support you, answer questions, or provide resources.
• Each floor in campus housing has a Resident Advisor (RA) who is there to help you transition to life on your new floor. 

Students at ISU do not have to live in housing; therefore, they can decide to live off campus. If you are considering this, please read the complete cancellation process, deadlines, and penalties.

Housing Contracts & Assignments

Requests for air conditioning are reviewed individually through the interactive process and must be supported by documentation from a qualified medical provider demonstrating a disability-related need that results in a substantial limitation in a major life activity. Requests based primarily on comfort, general sensitivity to heat, or mild conditions that do not substantially impact daily functioning typically do not meet the criteria for a housing accommodation. All requests are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Due to the limited availability of air-conditioned housing on campus, assignment to air-conditioned residence halls cannot be guaranteed, even when a request is approved. Only a limited number of residence halls include air conditioning, and availability varies each year. In addition, air conditioning in residence halls operates on a limited seasonal schedule.

Some students use approved personal cooling devices and other room-based strategies to manage comfort within their living environment in accordance with Department of Residence guidelines. These options are available to all residents and allow for individualized temperature management within housing policies.

• For additional ways to manage room temperature outside of accommodations, students may review the Department of Residence guidelines for air conditioning or visit the Staying Cool in High Heat page for tips.

Housing accommodations are prioritized above roommate preferences in the housing placement process. Depending on when a student signs their housing contract and whether they meet the priority housing deadline, a preferred roommate may or may not be able to remain together due to available space and the need to meet approved accommodation requirements.

When a housing accommodation is approved, the Department of Residence will place the student based on the approved accommodation. If there is a conflict between maintaining a roommate preference and meeting the approved accommodation, the accommodation will take priority. This process is consistent across housing preferences, including roommate assignments, room type, and building preferences, which are all subject to availability at the time of placement.

SAS encourages students to request housing accommodations as early as possible. Preferences selected during the housing application process do not guarantee placement within those preferences. If a housing preference is related to disability needs, students must complete the housing accommodation process through SAS for consideration. Students are encouraged not to rely on housing preferences alone when disability-related needs may require a specific housing arrangement.

Signing earlier establishes an earlier housing contract date, which can affect a student’s self-selection time and may increase the likelihood of being able to select preferred housing options through the Department of Residence process. Students who sign later may have fewer options available at the time of assignment and may be placed based on remaining availability. However, students unsure whether to pursue on-campus housing after the accommodation review may prefer to wait until they have decided whether to live on campus.

Housing accommodation requests are reviewed separately through Student Accessibility Services and do not require a completed housing contract at the time of submission. Regardless of timing, final housing placement is based on a combination of approved accommodations (if applicable), contract timing, and available space at the time of assignment.

A housing preference is a selection made during the Department of Residence housing application process, such as preferred roommate, residence hall, or room type. These preferences are considered during the housing assignment process but are not guaranteed and are subject to availability, contract timing, and overall demand.

A housing accommodation is a disability-related adjustment approved through Student Accessibility Services when documentation supports that a specific change to the living environment is necessary to provide equal access due to a disability. Approved accommodations are reviewed through the interactive process and are communicated to the Department of Residence for placement consideration based on the approved need and available housing options.

Housing preferences alone do not replace the need to request a housing accommodation when a disability-related need requires a specific housing arrangement.

Possibly. Students with food allergies or other disability-related dietary needs may request housing accommodations if their disability creates barriers within the residential environment. All requests are reviewed individually through an interactive process to determine whether a housing accommodation is necessary.

Depending on the student's disability-related needs, potential housing accommodations may include:

• Placement on an Allergen Awareness Floor.
• Housing in proximity to the Special Diet Kitchen.

Students who have concerns about allergen exposure from a roommate but do not wish to live on the Allergen Awareness Floor may also have the option to complete a roommate agreement with the Department of Residence to establish shared expectations related to allergen management.