FAQs - Room Selection Process

Frequently Asked Room Selection Questions....

1. Do we need to pay a $100 room reservation deposit to participate in this process? No, a room reservation deposit is not required to participate in the Returning Student Room Selection Process. You must, however, submit your Housing Application on Self-Service THD by the deadline. Students who submit their applications after that will be assigned after all the students who meet the application deadline have selected their room assignments. 

2. What are the room rents for the 2024-2025 academic year? The 2024-2025 room rates are provided below. 

Room Type/ Rent Per Semester
BT Double/ $4400 per semester
BT Single/ $4750 per semester
BT Premium Single/ $5050 per semester
   
TH Double/ $4750 per semester
TH Single/ $5050 per semester
TH Premium Single/ $5250 per semester

 

3. Do we need to form a full group of 4 or 6 individuals to apply for an apartment? Yes. You must choose the apartment size you want and form a full group to fill it. If you need assistance finding people to fill your group or are looking for a group to join, please join our exclusive People Looking for People Facebook page. Students who aren't able to form a full group will need to initially select a room assignment in Berkshire Towers and waitlist for assignments in the Townhouses.

4. Can students who are transferring to MCLA this fall join our group? Yes, on a limited basis. Incoming transfer students who have been accepted at MCLA and paid their $200 enrollment deposit may participate in this process as follows. In Berkshire Towers, a currently enrolled student may pull in a transfer student as a roommate in a double room. In the Townhouses, a group of four or six may pull one transfer student into their group. It is important to speak with RLH if you are interested bringing in a transfer.

5. Can we form a coed townhouse? Yes. All returning students are eligible for coed housing in Berkshire Towers (some restrictions apply) and any Townhouse. You should really take a moment and think about this option first. Remember, if you have a vacancy in the apartment later on, you are responsible for filling it....and filling it quickly. If you can't, you may lose your coed status. 

6. What's the difference between coed and gender-inclusive housing? Coed housing is where students live in the same environment with students of different genders, but each room in the environment is single gender. We offer coed housing in both residence areas.  In the Townhouses, a coed apartment can have a different gender in each bedroom. Gender-inclusive housing takes assignment flexibility up another notch. With gender-inclusive housing, any multiple occupant room can have more than one gender in it. This option is available anywhere that coed housing is available.

7. Can we form a 21+ townhouse? Yes. If everyone in your group will be 21 or older by Fall check-in, you are eligible for a 21+ apartment from the day returning resident student check-in begins. In 21+ apartments, the consumption of alcohol is allowable if everyone present is 21 years of age or older.  If everyone in your apartment turns 21 after September 1, 2024, please contact the Office of Residence Life & Housing to update your 21+ status.

8. What about the Room Selection pick times? How are they determined? Each student gets an individual pick time that is based on credits completed as of the end of the Fall 2023 semester. If you are seeking housing in Berkshire Towers, room selection is completed in individual or roommate pairing rank order. The higher the pick time, the higher your priority in the assignment process. If you are seeking housing in the Townhouses, all of your group's individual completed credits are added up and divided by the number of people in your group to create a pick time. Again, the higher the group rank, the earlier your pick time will be in the Room Selection Process. 

9. I require housing accommodations, what process do I need to go through? If you have a medical condition or disability that requires a housing accommodation, please go to the MCLA Disability Resources web page for information and forms. 

10. I don't have an on-campus residency requirement. Can I move off-campus after the fall  semester? No. The Residence Area Occupancy Agreement (RAOA) is a full-year commitment. If you find that you are unhappy in your room and/or apartment, you are expected to seek alternate housing accommodations on campus, not move off-campus.

11. I live within the College-designated commuting range. Can I commute from home after the fall  semester? No. Please see the answer to question #10.

12. I don't have an on-campus residency requirement and I'm not yet sure whether I want to live on- or off-campus. Can my friends and I just reserve a Townhouse now and then cancel our Residence Area Occupancy Agreements when we find an off-campus apartment? Students who do not have an on-campus housing residency requirement are welcome to live on campus and welcome to participate in the returning student housing assignment process. If you do participate in the process and change your mind about living on campus between the date you select an assignment and June 30th, you may cancel your Residence Area Occupancy Agreement by paying a $300 cancellation fee. The cancellation fee option is not available after June 30th.