Effective Fall 2016
Revised Fall 2024
Goal
The offices of Student Affairs and Residence Life are committed to assigning student living spaces on the basis of priority for those students who most benefit from the personal, academic and community support of living on campus. To accomplish this goal, new students with the highest developmental need and new international students will be prioritized for assignment to on-campus housing in UTampa residence halls.
Rationale for Housing Philosophy
Students are not required to reside in on-campus residence halls and the Office of Residence Life cannot guarantee on-campus housing for all students. While every effort is made to accommodate all new and continuing students who request housing, most new UTampa students will be assigned to on-campus housing on a space-available basis. Please note that on-campus housing assignments are impacted by the housing application date and roommate requests. New students should submit their housing application in Residence by Symplicity soon after deciding to attend UTampa.
Research in student development and our own student experiences indicate that residential living supports student transition to a university. Residential living for new students may ease student transition to the UTampa environment and provide significant support for the inherent challenges of heightened academic rigor and increased independence in the first year of college.
As students become more independent and move forward through their college experience, many look forward to transitioning to living off-campus. In recognition of this developmental progression, the number of on-campus spaces for continuing students is limited. However, some continuing students who participate in the Returning Resident Room Selection process will have housing options on campus in a continuing student residence hall including The Barrymore Hotel as space is available. To support those students who will be living off-campus, the Office of Residence Life has developed extensive off-campus housing resources and programs that provide information and education for a successful transition to off-campus living.
Questions and Answers
The Office of Residence Life strives to provide on-campus housing for those students who will benefit the most from the personal and community support of living on campus. As such, research and experience has shown that new students benefit greatly from the residential experience to help them transition from home life to independent living and study at a university. To accomplish this goal, most new students will be assigned to on-campus housing in UT residence halls. Residential assignments on campus are limited, and new students with later housing application dates may be placed at the Barrymore Hotel. As students become more independent and move forward through their college experience, many look forward to transitioning to living off-campus.
Incoming new students are not required to reside in on-campus residence halls. However, those who complete their housing application will be provided a housing assignment on a space available basis. Later applicants may be assigned to the Barrymore Hotel. Please note the housing application cannot be completed until the University deposit is paid.
Continuing students who currently live on campus for spring, complete the room selection process and meet all deadlines will be eligible to select on-campus residence halls including the Barrymore Hotel as space is available.
Continuing students will be assigned a selection time in the room selection process, weighted by the number of years they have lived on campus. Those with fewer years living on campus and who meet all housing selection deadlines will be given higher priority for a housing assignment.
Yes. Jenkins, Palm Apartments, and Straz will be designated as residence halls for continuing students. Brevard, Urso and Barrymore Hotel are used for both new and continuing students.
For students who are unable to secure a space during the room selection process, there is a Standby Waiting List, which we continue to use as housing becomes available throughout the late spring and summer prior to the start of the academic year.
For continuing students who would like to have a different room or building, there will be a room change wait list available throughout the late spring and summer prior to the start of the academic year.
For new students, there will be a room change wait list available the third week of classes.
Current non-residential students are not eligible to participate in the room selection process. You may choose to be added to the Standby Waiting List.
Continuing students that have been approved by The Office of Student Accessibility Services for accommodations requiring a certain room layout can be assigned prior to the start of the room selection process. These students need to apply for the next school year by the deadline if they want to be eligible for the room selection process. Students with accommodations can also choose to pick their own room or pick with a group of students if they do not want to be assigned by the Office of Residence Life. Accommodations will be made after documentation has been submitted to and approved by the Office of Student Accessibility Services.
Yes, it’s possible. Continuing students will be able to select rooms in the Barrymore Hotel based on availability. The Barrymore Hotel is considered and managed as an on-campus residence hall. Barrymore Hotel students are considered continuing students and are not prioritized differently than those currently living in other residence halls on-campus.
To support those continuing and graduate students who will be living off-campus, the Office of Residence Life has developed extensive off-campus housing resources and programs that provide information and education for a successful transition to off-campus living. Each year, the Office of Residence Life hosts multiple off-campus housing fairs to assist students in familiarizing themselves with off-campus housing options. Please visit Off-Campus Housing for more information.
There are many off-campus housing options located near campus at a variety of price points. Please visit Off-Campus Housing to view the off-campus resource map. You are encouraged to plan ahead to find an apartment rental rate to best fit your budget. Leased properties typically require an application fee, first/last month rent and utility deposits.
Whether you already have a confirmed apartment and you are still looking for a roommate, or you are seeking both a place to live and a roommate, there are various resources offered by the Office of Residence Life to identify and meet potential roommates. We provide online, self-selecting roommate matching on Facebook. For more information, visit Off-Campus Housing.
Yes. Returning students participating in study abroad or University approved internships who lived on-campus immediately prior to their study abroad or internship experience are eligible to participate in the housing selection process. The semester the student spends abroad or interning will not count as a semester spent living on campus for the purposes of priority in the room selection process.
No. Athletes may participate in the room selection process with all other students. Through that event, athletes can choose from a variety of on-campus residence halls, including the Barrymore Hotel . If all rooms fill during the process, they can complete a Standby Waiting List or they may need to explore other off-campus housing options.
As graduate students tend to be self-reliant, independent and have already adjusted to the university atmosphere, most choose to live off-campus. Graduate students are encouraged to explore options using the Off-Campus Housing resource map. However, new graduate students who pay the housing deposit are eligible to apply to live on campus and will be assigned a room in a continuing student residence hall or at the Barrymore Hotel.
Transfer students tend to be more self-reliant and independent having already adjusted to a university environment prior to attending UT. Some transfer students choose to live off-campus and are encouraged to explore options using the Off-Campus Housing resource map and exploring options and resources using the Off-Campus Housing website. Transfer students are eligible to apply to live on campus via the housing application and based on housing availability may be assigned a room in a continuing student residence hall, including the Barrymore Hotel or in new student housing. The Office of Residence Life cannot guarantee housing for transfer students.
