Housing


Residence Life

Single student housing

You are embarking on one of the great adventures of your life. At UAF, Residence Life is an important part of your total educational experience. The community you live in will help foster close friendships and academic achievement and develop individual leadership ability as well as provide avenues for personal growth.

Our Residence Life program is designed to offer you a comfortable, energetic environment in which to live and learn. Our residence halls are some of the best in the state and the only residence halls in the nation that boast a view of the Alaska Range and Mount McKinley -- Denali -- the highest peak in North America.

No matter what your interests, UAF offers residential environments to meet your needs. Living/learning options include: coed buildings by floor, coed buildings by suites, small community atmospheres for rural Alaskans, apartment style options, single rooms, substance-free environments, quiet lifestyle environments, and first year experience environments. All residential environments are pet and smoke free.

Residence hall students have fewer worries, more time and all the conveniences of home within walking distance to class. Consider some of the benefits of living in our residence halls:

  • 30 channel cable television service included
  • Local telephone service included
  • High speed ethernet connections
  • Laundry facilities provided on site
  • Trained staff on call (24 hours)
  • And there's always something to do: 400+ programs are offered each year

Who is Eligible?

All UAF students are eligible for campus housing but you are not guaranteed housing until approved by the Department of Residence Life. To better manage occupancy, Residence Life may establish occupancy priorities and eligibility/credit hour requirements.

What is the Application Process?

An application for on campus housing will be sent to you upon request, can be found in the UAF Trail Guide, and is available on the web. Please complete the Application/Agreement and return it with $260 ($225 damage/reservation deposit, $35 non-refundable application fee). Upon acceptance, a written confirmation and a receipt for your deposit will be sent to you. Please see Where can I get more Information? for how to contact Residence Life by mail, telephone, e-mail and on the web.

What are the Costs?

On campus costs are very comparable to off campus living costs. This is especially true once the free amenities -- telephone service, cable television, computer connections and laundry facilities are added in. Along with all other fees, residential fees (room and board) are due in full at registration.

Current residence hall and board plan fees are listed in the UAF Expenses section of this catalog (page 49). All room and board costs are subject to change. If rates increase after a student applies, students with accepted agreements will be given the opportunity to withdraw their application without penalty (less application fee). Please see Where can I get more Information? for how to contact Residence Life by mail, telephone, e-mail and on the web. Questions about the board plan can be directed to UAF Dining Services (907) 474-6661.

What if I Cancel my Agreement?

After August 1, students who have submitted a housing contract are expected to live on campus and pay appropriate housing fees for their reserved space. Students who fail to occupy their reserved space by the first day of classes or cancel their reserved space after August 1 will be assessed a minimum of 25 percent of the room rate and forfeit their deposit.

On-campus housing agreements are for the academic year, which means that students living on campus for the fall semester are obligated to live on campus for the remainder of the academic year, so long as they are UAF students. Exceptions may be granted for the conditions listed under the "termination/forfeits" section of the agreement.

Room charges and refunds will be processed according to the following schedule:

Withdrawal Period Refund Amount
August 1 through class day 5 75 percent of semester housing charge
Class days 6-15 50 percent of semester housing charge
Class days 16-30 25 percent of semester housing charge
Beyond 30 class days No refund will be issued

Damage deposits will be carried forward to subsequent academic years for students with agreements. Deposits will be forfeited for several reasons, including but not limited to: 1) failure to complete proper check-in by 9 a.m. on the first day of classes; 2) termination of occupancy during the first 60 days after the official hall opening; 3) canceling room reservations after August 1; and 4) failure to properly check out of the room or apartment. Please refer to the residence hall agreement on the back of the application for campus housing for other specific regulations.

What About Food Service?

Participation in the campus dining program is required of all students living in university residence halls except for graduate students and students living in the Cutler Apartments or Wickersham Hall. Your meal plan is accessible with your PolarExpress card and is non-transferable. Meals are served in the Lola Tilly Commons and meals are all-you-can-eat. The Lola Tilly Commons is closed during winter and spring break.

Students have several meal plans to choose from that allow for the student's individual appetite and schedule. Most meal plans have "munch money" included which can be used at any dining location and at most vending machines on campus. Students not living on campus may purchase a meal plan.

University dining is provided by NANA-Sodexho, an international food and facilities management services company.

For additional information contact the Dining Services office, Eielson Building room 106, telephone (907) 474-6661, or online at www.uaf.edu/food/.

What are the Halls and Rooms Like?

Every residence hall has common areas designed to help foster academic and personal growth. These areas include recreation lounges, study lounges, small kitchens and laundry facilities. Recreational lounges typically have televisions, couches, tables, chairs and pool tables or ping-pong tables. Hall kitchens generally include a range/oven, microwave, sink and table and chairs. Kitchens are intended for preparation of snacks and are not designed for food preparation to replace the university meal plan.

All student rooms have high-speed ethernet connections, local telephone service and cable television service. Each student needs to furnish their own linens, blankets, pillows, towels and telephone. Custodial service is provided for all common areas such as hallways, lounges, and centrally located bathrooms.

EDGE Program

The Education, Development, Growth and Experience (EDGE) program provides support and resources to traditional first-time freshmen to help them achieve academic success. The EDGE program is mandatory for all first-time freshmen under 20 years of age who have less than 20 credit hours and who opt to live on campus. EDGE halls have live-in tutors and twice the number of resident advisors compared to other halls. Alcohol is prohibited in the EDGE halls. In addition, participants receive instruction in academic success skills, campus resources and other topics designed to help them succeed in college.

May I Stay in my Room during Vacation Periods?

All halls are open during Thanksgiving and spring break. During the winter break, most halls are closed. All students living on campus in the fall and spring are eligible to remain on campus over the winter break provided they apply and pay the winter break fee. Summer housing assignments are made through the Department of Residence Life.

Immunization Policy and Housing

The University of Alaska statewide has immunization and test requirements for students living in high-density housing (i.e. residence halls and single student apartment complexes). These requirements are intended to ensure greater health safety for all resident students. While the university urges all students to be immunized against communicable diseases, immunization and test requirements will be strictly enforced on students living in residence halls and single student apartment complexes.

Mandatory Immunizations and Tests

To be eligible to live in high density student residence facilities (residence halls and single student apartment complexes), all students and other persons born after 1956 must complete, sign and submit a health inventory form to the Center for Health and Counseling showing:

1. Proof of immunization against or immunity for measles, mumps, rubella (two MMR are required).

2. Proof of immunization against diphtheria and tetanus (within the past 10 years).

3. PPD screening for tuberculosis (within the past year). If your screening was positive, you must provide evidence of a negative chest X-ray.

Your registration may be withheld for your second semester until these items are submitted. Additional or expanded immunization and testing may be required if the university community's health and safety warrants it.

Exemptions may be granted from immunization requirements based on medical or religious reasons. The chancellor may also grant exemptions to occupants who will occupy student residence facilities for less than a semester. Those exempted from immunization or testing for a disease may be removed from student residence facilities should an outbreak of that disease occur or threaten to occur. Residence Life cannot authorize exceptions to this policy.

Sede Board of Regents' Policy, Part IX-Student Affairs, Chapter XI-Student Health. For more information contact the Center for Health and Counseling telephone (907) 474-7043, email fyheaco@uaf.edu, or online at www.uaf.edu/chc/.

Student Family Housing

UAF offers a variety of on campus housing to meet the needs of student families. The university owns and maintains 130 furnished apartments on campus, ranging in size from one- to four-bedrooms units. They are affordable, comfortable and conveniently located near the center of campus. All apartments are smoke free and pet free.

Who's eligible for Family Housing?

Residence Life gives prioirity to students who are married and accompanied my their spouse, single parents with full legal custody of their children, and financially interdependent domestic partners. At least one adult family member must be enrolled as a full-time UAF student. Students planning to be married by the time they move in may still apply. However, students may not sign an occupancy agreement until they present a marriage certificate or obtain financial interdependence approval.

What is the Application Process?

An application for family housing will be mailed to you by Residence Life upon request (also available on the web). Complete the application and return it with a non-refundable application fee of $35. The application is not a guarantee of accommodations, but will provide Residence Life with information to help us meet your needs.

Residence Life encourages you to return your applications as soon as possible. Waiting lists are established on the basis of receipt of application. All apartment preferences are honored on a first-received, first-served basis. Usually, three-and four-bedroom units are in high demand.

What are the Costs?

Costs for families living on campus are comparable to the costs of living off campus. On-campus student family apartment rental rates include all utilities except telephone. Current monthly rental rates are listed in the UAF Expenses section of this catalog (page 49 of the catalog).

Damage/reservation deposits for family housing are $600. Upon acceptance of your assigned apartment, $300 of the deposit is due. The balance of your $600 deposit and your first month's rent is due when you check in. Although your occupancy agreement is for the entire academic year, you may request cancellation of the agreement for spring semesterwithout forfeiting your deposit if you graduate or are not enrolled at UAF. Cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to the Department of Residence Life by December 1. See the cancellation/termination section of your agreement.

What are the Apartments Like?

The Fairbanks campus maintains four apartment complexes: Stuart Hall and Walsh Hall offer one-bedroom apartments (400 square feet), available for couples without children. Hess Village offers one-bedroom (425 square feet), two-bedroom (720 square feet) and three-bedroom (900 square feet) apartments for families with children. Hess Village also maintains a recreation room for community use. Garden Apartments is a six-plex offering two-bedroom aprtments for families. All complexes are equipped with laundry facilities.

Most on-campus apartments are fully furnished and may include ethernet computer connections and basic cable television service.

Where Can I Get More Information?

Department of Residence Life
P.O. Box 756860
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-6860
Telephone (907) 474-7247
Fax (907) 474-6423
email: housing@uaf.edu
web: www.uaf.edu/reslife/