The University of Vermont is a residential college and the residential experience is understood to be an integral part of a UVM education. UVM is committed to the full participation of students with disabilities in all parts of University life, including residential life.

Requests for particular housing assignments based on a student’s preference, rather than need, for a particular type of living environment or location will not be honored. (e.g. A student with ADHD or a learning disability seeking a single room to serve as a quiet, undisturbed place to study represents a preference, but not a necessity.) Single room accommodations are reserved for individuals whose documentation illustrates clear and substantial needs, and for whom a standard housing assignment with a roommate is not possible.

Students seeking a housing accommodation will need to submit the proper documentation to SAS. Documentation must include:

• Residential Life housing (PDF): To be completed by the student's health care provider and sent directly to SAS via email, fax, or mail.

Documentation and requests should be submitted to SAS by one of the following means:

• Student Portal
• UVM File Transfer
• access@uvm.edu
   

NOTE: The presentation of documentation and/or the recommendation of a care provider does not automatically guarantee disability status or specific accommodations.

Housing Accommodation Request Deadlines

Academic Year 2025-26

• For returning students, the submission deadline for 2025-26 housing accommodation requests is February 25, 2025.  SAS will review requests from returning students after this date, but cannot guarantee the implementation of accommodations for eligible students in time for the start of the Fall 2025 semester.
• For incoming students, the submission deadline for 2025-26 housing accommodations is June 1, 2025. SAS will review late requests from incoming students, but cannot guarantee the implementation of accommodations for eligible students in time for the start of the Fall 2024 semester.
• Transfer students over the age of 20 are not guaranteed housing by Residential Life. Transfer Students can still request Reslife accommodations through SAS, but these accommodations can generally be started only if transfer students are offered housing by Reslife.
• Spring Admits and Transfer students:  The Deadline for Disability Related Housing Requests is November 15
• For students who request and receive a Contract Release from housing due to disability  an on campus space will not be guaranteed if you change your mind and miss deadlines.

These deadlines provide SAS with enough time to review requests, communicate with care providers, and for consideration to be given to specific housing-related needs before the complex housing assignment processes for all UVM students take place. It is critical that requests and all supporting documentation is received by the posted submission deadlines.

Requests are reviewed collaboratively by an ADA Housing Committee, which comprises three SAS staff members and representatives from several SAS campus partners from relevant programs, including Student Health Services, Counseling and Psychiatry Services, Residential Life, and UVM Dining.

If you have a need for a housing accommodation which arises for the first time after a deadline, email access@uvm.edu to make it known that you will submit a post-deadline request. The Housing Accommodation Committee will strive to determine and, for those considered eligible, meet newly arising needs for housing accommodations as soon as reasonably possible given the limited availability of housing options following the assignment process. If accommodated housing is granted, but unavailable, the student will be placed on a priority waitlist until such housing becomes available.

If you wish to seek a housing accommodation request for later semesters, we urge you to note the guidance, notification information, and deadlines posted.

Things to Keep in Mind About Housing Requests

It may help to note that due to the nature of living in a residence hall community, a request for a quiet space may not be a reasonable accommodation. Additionally, because a residence hall is shared by hundreds of students participating in various activities throughout the day, living in a single room does not necessarily give a student a quiet, distraction-free environment. There are spaces on campus where students may go outside of their living space to reduce distractions.

A request for a specific roommate is not considered a disability related housing accommodation. It is understandable that you may feel more comfortable when living with a person you are familiar with, but this accommodation is unreasonable because the University cannot guarantee that your chosen roommate can support your disability and it would impose an extra requirement on another student.