Living on Campus FAQs

Summer housing move in for undergraduate and graduate students in on-campus housing will be on Sunday, May 14th from 11am-1pm in the Cann Hall office. Carts will be available to assist residents in moving. More information regarding summer housing move in and transition housing will be sent in April 2023.

Fall 2023 move in times and instructions will be updated here and sent via email in early July. 

All residential students must be in compliance with the university’s vaccination policies before they are permitted to check into the residence halls. Please see the Coronavirus page of the website for the university's vaccination policy and the Coronavirus FAQs page for more details. 

We recognize – and research supports – that undergraduate students thrive academically and socially when living on campus in community with their peers. On-campus living engages students in co-curricular activities, cultivates a sense of belonging, helps foster independence, and supports the development of skills essential to academic success.   

For that reason, Widener University requires that traditional, full-time undergraduate students live on campus during their first two years of study, unless they are living at their permanent address with their parents or guardians. 

If you do not register for on-campus housing as a first- or second-year student, we consider you to be a commuter living at your permanent residence with a parent or guardian. Commuters may qualify for less financial aid. In addition, commuters are ineligible for some Widener aid programs, including the Campus Experience Grant.   

Married students, students with dependent children, students with at least two years of military service, and students age 24 or older are exempt from this policy.

Students wishing to commuter from the address of a parent or legal guardian should NOT submit a housing application. No other action needs to be taken with the Office of Residence Life. Students are strongly encouraged to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid to discuss what impact changing from a residential to commuter student may have on their financial aid. Commuter students may qualify for less financial aid. In addition, commuter students are ineligible for some Widener aid programs, including the Campus Experience Grant. 

Undergraduate students who have commuted or lived on-campus for two years are eligible to live off-campus their junior and senior years. Students interested in living off-campus should NOT submit a housing application. First-year and sophomore students who have not met the residency requirement criteria are NOT permitted to live off-campus. First year and sophomore students who may be found living in off-campus housing may be referred for disciplinary action.

Smoking Policy

In July 2010, the university implemented a tobacco-free policy that prohibits the use of tobacco anywhere on campus.

Alcohol Policy

It is our policy that all freshmen residence halls are alcohol-free residences. This means that the possession and/or consumption of alcoholic beverages by anyone regardless of age is prohibited. The vast majority of our freshmen are under age 21, so we believe that this policy will help to improve students’ living experiences in freshman residences. 

Please see the Student Drug and Alcohol Policy in the Student Handbook for a complete description of Widener's rules and regulations covering alcohol.

With the exception of fish tanks under 10 gallons, all animals—except for service and assistance animals—are not permitted in residence halls, off-campus graduate housing, or other university facilities.

Review the Service and Assistance Animal Policy in the Student Handbook for more details.

• Alcohol, including empty containers
• Pets, unless specified above in the Pet Policy
• Weapons, firearms, or explosive devices

Electronics & Electrical Appliances

• Broilers, electric frying pans, hot plates
• George Foreman™ grills, toaster ovens, griddles, or any open exposed heating elements
• Power cords without a multi-plug power strip with an internal circuit breaker
• Microwaves outside of a micro fridge unit
• Any type of air conditioning unit

Decorations & Room/Furniture Modifications

• Candles (including decorative ones)
• Cinder blocks 
• Furniture without fire retardant material 
• Halogen lamps or decorative lighting (string lights, etc.)
• Live Christmas trees
• Nails, hooks, double-faced adhesive tape, or other items that damage walls 
• Power tools
• Water beds

• February 27th:  The housing application for the 2023-2024 academic year will open on the housing portal. During this time students can form groups to select housing together, indicate interest in specialty housing communities, rank their preference for communities and housing types, and update their information in the housing portal.
• March 15th: Students with a completed housing application will receive their housing priority number and selection time via email. The information will also be posted in the housing portal the following day on March 16th.
• March 20th-24th: Housing selection will take place from 9am on March 20th through 5pm on March 24th. Students in a group should have the member with the lowest priority number select housing for the entire group. Only one person in a group needs to select housing for the whole group. This should happen in consultation with members of the other group. Within a week of a student selecting housing, their room assignment for the 2023-2024 academic year is viewable in their housing portal. 
• Early April: Students will receive an email confirmation of their 2023-2024 housing information as well as information about the cancellation and room change process. 
   

Housing applications are submitted through the Housing Portal. Here, we'll ask you questions about your living preferences with a roommate and other interests; this questionnaire helps to place you with another student with similar interests.

To log into the Housing Portal, use your Widener credentials. 

For returning undergraduate students, if you would like to select your own housing, applications are due by 12pm on March 15th. After this time, housing applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the residence halls reach capacity. The residence life team will manually assign you housing based on your preference and space availability if the application is submitted after March 15th. If you submit your application after this date, we may not be able to honor specific room or roommate requests. Please note that requests for specific accommodations such as single and apartment-style communities may not be met with request submitted after May 15th.

The Housing Portal is powered by StarRez, a world-leading software that provides the most intuitive and easy-to-use system for students to apply for housing and find or select their own roommate.

Of course, you can! Students are welcome to select a preferred roommate. Every effort will be made to accommodate this request, as long as both students indicate a wish to room with one another and their housing applications are submitted by the deadline. 

We have an open room change period in the beginning of the semester. During this period, students can meet with their area coordinator and talk about the room change process. If there are vacant spaces available and the area coordinator approves the room change, the students may change rooms.

Steps to Select a Preferred Roommate

Directions to select an intended roommate are part of the Housing Application. You will be directed to create a group with your intended roommate. Please note that once the group is created, requests need to be accepted by the individual who created the group in order for residence life to honor the request.

Once a student occupies his or her assigned room, the roommate assignment may not be changed unless the Residence Life office gives approval. 

What happens if you don’t select a roommate?

Students who submit an application by March 15th, but do not select a preferred roommate or suitemates will have the opportunity to select their own housing on the last day of housing selection. Please note that limited housing including single rooms and apartment-style communities may be available at this time. 

Students who submit an application after March 15th and do not select a preferred roommate are assigned roommates by the Residence Life office based on responses to the roommate matching questions within the housing application so that we can match compatible students.

What do I do if I want to change rooms?

Beginning in early April, waitlist forms will be available for students to express interest in moving into a single room or apartment-style community. Student requests will be processed throughout the summer if a space becomes available. The requests will be processed in the order in which they are received.

Students requesting a room change after they have selected housing for the upcoming school year may email residencelife@widener.edu and an appointment will be scheduled before the end of the academic year to discuss the possibility and options of the room change. Our office will try our best to work students in these circumstances, but cannot guarantee room changes after a student has selected their own housing.

After July 1st, the Office of Residence Life is unable to accommodate room change requests until the open room change period starts after the University census date the third week of the semester. After the University census date, students will have the opportunity to participate in the open room change process for up to two weeks where they can submit a room change request through the housing portal. The office considers requests in the order in which they are received followed by academic standing. If there in adequate residential space in the halls at this time, students without a roommate in a double room may be provided the opportunity to buyout the other space in their room for the semester or academic year. More information about room buyout will be sent in the email about open room change if space permits. Students are unable to buyout a room before this time.

Outside of the open room change period, students can request a room change through the housing portal. However, students may need to meet with their Area Coordinator or participate in a roommate mediation before a room change may occur. During the last 3 weeks of fall semester, a room change freeze period is in place with only room changes for emergency situations processed until the University census date takes place the third week of the spring semester. For more information regarding room changes, please email residencelife@widener.edu.
 

Getting Along with Your Roommate

Once you move in, you and your roommate will meet with your Resident Assistant (RA) to complete a roommate agreement. This agreement opens up the lines of communication to discuss living preferences and talk about any differences you might have.

The Residence Life office reserves the right to reassign any student to a different room at any time. While every attempt will be made to notify the resident student of a change in room assignment prior to his or her arrival on campus, situations may arise that make this impossible.

The Student Accessibility Services Office is here to help accommodate individual needs that necessitate special housing accommodations. 

Please forward your requests and all documentation to:
Widener University, Student Accessibility Services
c/o Rebecca Ross, Director
One University Place
Chester, PA 19013
610-499-1266
rross@widener.edu

If you've submitted your housing application by the deadline, you should receive an official letter correspondence from the Residence Life office via your Widener email by July 18th indicating your housing assignment information.

Can't find the email? No worries!

Log onto the Housing Portal using your Widener credentials and select “Housing Application” this will provide you with housing assignment information.  

Please note, this information is not visible until letters have been officially sent to all residential students.

Here at Widener you will find a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive residential community with housing options that suit a variety of interests, living styles, and specific needs or wishes. For more information about specific residence halls, including room and window dimensions, lighting, furniture included, etc, visit the Residence Halls page. 

Returning students have the opportunity during housing selection to apply for fall-only housing or the entire academic year housing. Fall-only housing should be submitted for students who are graduating in December, planning on studying abroad, participating in a co-op experience where they will be residing at another address, or are a student on an exchange program for only a semester.

Returning students may indicate interest in the following specialty housing communities for the 2023-2024 academic year. Information about the communities, location, and the contact information for their program coordinator is listed below.

• Gender Inclusive Themed Community is intended as an affirming and supportive space for LGBTQIA+ students who have already completed at least one year at Widener University. This community may share programming and co-curricular opportunities with The Lambda House. Housing in this community is gender dynamic and includes all gender bathrooms. The community is located in New Hall. For more information about the community, please email Dr. Sage Milo at smmilo@widener.edu.
• Sophomore Year Experience Themed Community is a themed community intended for students in the second year at Widener who are interested in increasing their involvement at Widener, strengthening their study skills, and further exploring career options. The community is located in the suite-style housing in Harris Hall. For more information in the Sophomore Year Experience Themed Community, please email residencelife@widener.edu.
• Gaming Themed Community is a themed community intended for returning students interested in video, board, and table top games. Programming in this community will feature opportunities to connect with others students sharing a similar interest hosting in a common area space featuring spaces to support gaming. The community is located in New Hall. For more information on the Gaming Themed Community, please email residencelife@widener.edu. 

Please email the Office of Residence Life at residencelife@widener.edu by November 15th to have your housing assignment adjusted. Students who contact our office after this date may be assigned a different housing assignment for spring semester.

Students who applied for housing and need to cancel their housing assignment can do so by submitting the Housing Release Request form through the Housing Portal. Students can submit a housing release request form for any reason, as long as they meet the residency requirement, through June 30th with no financial penalty. 

Students who submit a housing release between July 1-31 will be approved for any reason as long they meet the residency requirement. There is a $250 cancellation fee applied for any approved housing release in July.

Students who submit a housing release request after August 1st must meet the criteria listed in their signed housing agreement and may be responsible for the $250 cancellation fee or only refunded a percentage of their housing costs based upon the date of approval.
 

• March 29th: The housing application for the 2023-2024 academic year will open on the housing portal. Graduate students are able to indicate their preference in University on-campus housing and University-owned off-campus housing through the same application. During this time students can form groups to select housing together, rank their preference for housing types, and update their information in the housing portal.
• Early April: Students with a completed housing application will receive their housing assignments on a rolling basis based on the date of their application beginning in early April. Assignments will be emailed to students and will also be reflected in their housing portal after they have been assigned.
   

Graduate students have the option in living in a suite-style community in Dixon Hall South and Dixon Hall North through on-campus housing or living in an off-campus University-owned row home in the neighborhoods surrounding campus. 

Dixon Hall North and South are two-bedroom suites where each graduate student will have their own bedroom. There is a shared bathroom, living room, and kitchenette. Each unit also has in-unit washer and dryers. The units are partially furnished with bedroom furniture provided. Students need to provide their own common room furniture. The kitchenettes include a sink and microwave. Cable and internet are provided. Gender dynamic housing is an option in this community. This housing type costs $4650 per 6-month period (July 1-December 31st; January 1st-June 30th). The cost is added directly to the student’s university account.

University-owned off-campus houses are throughout the surrounding neighborhood of the Chester campus and are three or four-bedroom row homes. Each student is provided their own bedroom and then shared the common area spaces including a bathroom, full kitchen, and living room. There is a washer and dryer for each house. The houses are unfurnished. It is the responsibility of the students to provide their own furniture. The University-owned off-campus housing rate is inclusive of utilities. However, students are responsible for setting up their cable and internet in the houses. Gender dynamic housing is available only if there is a formed group that fills all bedrooms of the house. This housing type costs $525 per month and is ebilled to the students monthly.
 

Graduate student housing in the on-campus option in Dixon Hall North and South begins on July 1st. For students who are in a program that begins before July 1st, summer transition housing is available for an added cost on a limited basis. Move in is Saturday June 1st from 11am-1pm or during business housing Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm the following week. After hours move-in outside of these times is unavailable at this time.

Graduate student housing in the off-campus University-owned houses may begin June 1, July 1, or August 1. Students who choose to move in after these dates will not have their monthly rate pro-rated. Limited housing based upon unit turnover is available for a June 1 move in date.

Graduate students living in on-campus housing will have the cost of their housing applied each semester to their student account. Students moving into their housing after July 1st will not have their housing prorated. Student are responsible for paying their student account in a timely manner. Payment plans are available through Enrollment Services.

Graduate students living in off-campus housing will pay their rent monthly through an invoice sent to the student account. Students who are late in paying their outstanding invoice more than twice may have their lease terminated by the University.
 

Students currently residing in University owned on-campus housing in Dixon Hall South or off-campus housing will be given priority in selecting their housing. In order to remain in your current unit, you must have all available bedrooms fully occupied and be enrolled in a program for the entire academic year (fall and spring semesters) full-time. More information will be sent to eligible students in early March.

No, the University does not provide family housing for graduate students including dependent children, partners, or spouses. Only students enrolled full-time in a Widener University graduate program are permitted to live in University housing.

Only students enrolled full-time in a Widener University graduate program are eligible for housing. Students who decide to go part-time for a semester, can email the Office of Residence Life at residencelife@widener.edu for a one-time exception. Students who withdrawal or unenroll from the University will have 48-hours from the date of withdrawal to move out of University-owned housing.

Students who applied for housing and need to cancel their housing assignment can do so by submitting the Housing Release Request form through the Housing Portal. Students can submit a housing release request form for any reason up until their date of move-in with no financial penalty. Requests submit more than 14 days before move-in will have no financial penalty. Requests submitted less than 14 days before move-in may have a $250 cancellation fee applied. 

Students who submit a housing release after their date of move-in must meet the criteria listed in their signed housing agreement and may be responsible for the $250 cancellation fee or only refunded a percentage of their housing costs based upon the date of approval.

• March 6th: The housing application for the 2023-2024 academic year will open on the housing portal. During this time students can select roommates to live together, indicate interest in specialty housing communities, rank their preference for communities and housing types, and update their information in the housing portal.
• May 15th: This is the priority deadline for students to submit their housing application for consideration of medical accommodations, roommate preferences, and specialty housing options. Housing applications submitted after this date will be considered on a case-by-case basis may not receive a housing assignment with a desired roommate, admittance into a specialty housing community, or medical accommodations.
• Mid-June: Students will receive their housing assignments sent to them via their Widener University email. Included in the email will be their building, room number, and name of their roommate. Students can view this information on the housing portal as well including the Widener University email of their roommate. If a student is admitted into a specialty housing community, they will also receive this information.
   

Beginning in Fall 2023, Hanna Hall will be a first-year all-single-room community. Students will live in expanded single rooms and share a common bathroom. The residence hall is broken down into wings with two bathrooms per floor. Floors or wings of the building may be identified by gender. This is an opt-in community for students, as the residence hall is not air-conditioned.

The cost of the expanded single room is the same as an air-conditioned double room. Please note that it is unlikely that students will be assigned a single bedroom outside of this community unless they have an approved medical accommodation.

Absolutely! Students are welcome to select a preferred roommate. Every effort will be made to accommodate this request, as long as both students indicate a wish to room with one another and their housing applications are submitted by May 15th. Please note that if one individual expresses in a themed or living-learning community that is different from the other person on their application, the students may only be assigned as roommates if space permits in the themed or living-learning community building. 

If you happen to meet someone you would like to room with during Pride Registration I that you did not originally indicate as a possible roommate pairing by May 15th, there is the opportunity to change rooms during first-year student room swap from June 13th to June 23rd. Interested students should stop by the Residence Life office in Cann Hall at the end of Pride Registration I. More information will be sent in the housing assignments letter in early June. 

The residence halls do not close for fall, Thanksgiving, winter, or spring break. However, meal plans may not be active during these times. Students wishing to remain in housing during winter break must be registered as full-time students by finals week in the fall semester.

Summer housing is available for Widener students completing internships, working locally, conducting summer research, or taking classes. Summer housing is an additional cost from academic year housing. Students must be enrolled as full-time students by finals week in the spring semester to be eligible for summer housing. The summer 2023 housing application will be live on the housing portal on April 10th. 

Incoming international or transfer students who have completed at least 30 credits will have the opportunity to live in a returning student community in Boettner, New, Metropolitan, Harris, or Turrell Halls. Students may want to consider the sophomore year experience themed community in Harris Hall suites that feature specific programming focused on leadership and academic skill development to help students get involved on campus and academically persist.

Space in the community is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. International and transfer students can indicate desired roommates on their housing application or may be randomly assigned to live with other community members they match with based on the roommate questionnaire on the housing application. 

Students with a specific religious or cultural need in the residence halls should email ResidenceLife@widener.edu to explore possible housing accommodations to meet your needs, if available. Please note that Widener University does not have any single gender residence halls.

Each year approximately 1050-1350 students choose to live on campus. During the 2022-2023 academic year, 85% of first-year students chose to live on campus. In addition, more than 75% of residential student shared that they stay on campus or in Chester on the weekends in our Fall 2023 Residential Experience Survey.

No, there is no age limit to living on campus. Incoming students over the age of 21 may be housed in returning student communities regardless of their credits. To discuss your specific situation further, please email ResidenceLife@widener.edu. 

Residential students as expected to follow the expectations in the Residential Student Handbook. Residential students should review expectations before they move into the halls. For more information on quiet hours, guest expectations, and the visitation policy, please see the 2022-2023 Residential Student Handbook. 

New student housing assignments are anticipated to be sent to the student’s Widener University email and available on the Housing Portal on Monday, June 12th. Students who apply for housing after this date will receive their assignment within 5 business days of submitting their application.

The Residence Life team will host a first-year/transfer student open room change from June 13th-June 23rd. Students can request a room change by meeting with a Residence Life staff member to discuss their desired room change during open office hours from 3pm-5pm in the Residence Life office in Cann Hall after Pride Registration I. Students who cannot attend Pride Registration I in-person can email ResidenceLife@widener.edu to set up a virtual meeting from June 13th-June 23rd. Room changes will only be processed after June 23rd for approved medical accommodations. 

After June 23rd, students must wait until the official open room change period, the third week of the semester, to request a room change. More information about this process will be emailed during the first few weeks of the semester.

Students wishing to have a room change outside of the room change process must meet with their Area Coordinator and possibly complete a roommate mediation, if appropriate before a room change will be approved.

Students may request gender-inclusive housing at any time and the office will do its best to most a student into gender-affirming housing as quickly as possible.

No, first-year and international students, unless approved for an exemption due to medical, religious, or cultural needs that are not met in on-campus housing, are not permitted to live off-campus. Widener University has a 2-year residency requirement policy. Please see the policy listed at the top of this page. Students found to be in non-compliance of this policy may be ineligible for some Widener aid programs, including the Campus Experience Grant, and may be referred for disciplinary action.

The Student Accessibility Services Office is here to help accommodate individual needs that necessitate special housing accommodations. 

Please forward your requests and all documentation to:
Widener University, Student Accessibility Services
c/o Rebecca Ross, Director
One University Place
Chester, PA 19013
610-499-1266
rross@widener.edu

Students requesting cultural or religious accommodations should email ResidenceLife@widener.edu. 

All first-year residence halls except Hanna Hall are air-conditioned. Hanna Hall is an opt-in expanded single residence hall community that offers incoming students the option of a single room for a reduced cost since the building is not air-conditioned. Students will not be randomly assigned housing in this community. 

Students can learn more about the dimensions of their rooms, amenities in their communities, and see a 350O video of a room layout in their building on our residence hall web page.

Most residence halls have the following basic amenities: an XL twin bed, desk, study chair, wardrobe, and one dresser for you and your roommate to share.* Cable television, wired and wireless Internet access, and laundry facilities are also included.

*Please note some residence halls vary in furniture type. Refer to the Residence Halls page for more details. 

Items for Move-In Day

For move-in day, you might want to bring cold drinks, a hand cart, and a towel. It is also highlight recommended that you label all boxes with the student’s hall and room number.

Recommended Items to Bring to Campus

Roommate Tip: Avoid Doubles! We encourage new students to contact their roommate before move-in to coordinate who is bringing what to campus. It’s a good idea to check with your roommate to avoid duplicating certain items like a TV or refrigerator.

Bathroom Essentials

• Hair dryer
• Personal care products 
• Rubber shower shoes
• Shower caddy to transport items from room to shower 
• Towels & washcloths 

Room Essentials

• Alarm clock
• Cleaning supplies
• Desk lamp & light bulbs
• First-aid kit 
• Flashlight & batteries
• Iron & ironing board
• Laundry supplies & clothes basket
• Pillows & linens for extra-long bed
• Plates, mugs, cups, & silverware
• Radio
• Refrigerator (5 cubic feet or smaller) or micro-fridge unit 
• Room fan
• Study lamp
• Surge protectors
• Television
• Wastebasket

Quiet Hours: Sunday – Thursday 9pm to 7am

Quiet hours in all residence halls and apartments will be from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday during normal school session. In addition, 24-hour/day quiet hours go into effect prior to final exam week and continue through closing. 

Residents are expected to be considerate of others at all hours and are expected to act in a manner conducive to effective study.

Review more information about Quiet Hours in the Student Handbook for more details.

Residence halls are co-ed by floor, wing, or suite depending on the style of the building.

If keys are lost, you must report the lost key to the Office of Residence Life, the lock will be replaced and new keys will be issued. 

Students will be charged a fee to cover the cost of having a lock replaced. If a key is damaged or broken the student will not be charged any fees as long as all parts of the key are returned to the Office of Residence Life.

All maintenance requests can be submitted through SchoolDude.

If this is your first time submitting a maintenance request, you must register for a SchoolDude account.

The university does not assume responsibility for lost or damaged personal property by any means or for any cause. Please see the Student Handbook under Residence Life: Program Policies, Procedures, and Regulations section F 7 Personal Property Insurance Coverage.

The safety of your belongings is important to us, and having insurance is the sure way to be safe. You are strongly encouraged to see if you are covered under your parents' or guardians' homeowner policies or take advantage of special insurance programs available for college students. Student personal property insurance can be purchased from companies such as National Student Services, Inc. This is something that you and your parents/guardians should discuss at length.

The staff members in the Office of Residence Life are committed to your success during your time living on campus. Our live-in staff includes several area coordinators and resident assistants. The office also has student office assistants available to answer questions in the Residence Life Office in Cann Hall. They serve as valuable resources and are trained to assist you in a variety of situations. 

• Resident Assistants (RA): RAs are student staff members responsible for creating a feeling of community among their residents by establishing community standards, advising roommate agreements, enforcing university policy, and being a resource to campus services and activities.
• Area Coordinators (AC): ACs are full-time professional staff members whose primary role is to assist students in building an inclusive community to enhance personal and academic growth. The AC's work is performed within the framework of the Residence Life mission and includes intentional efforts to interact with students, assess their needs, and promote community growth and development. Supervision of RA staff and undertaking various leadership areas are also central to the AC role. 

Meet the Residence Life Team

The university's post office is located in the University Center, lower level. Your address is:
Your Name
Widener University, Box #
One University Place
Chester, PA 19013

For more information, visit: https://sites.widener.edu/postoffice/

An ATM can be found in the lobby of Old Main and TD Bank is located in University Crossings at 1410 Providence Ave, Chester, PA 19013. 

For hours and services offered, visit TD Bank. 

Each residence hall has laundry facilities. These services are included in your housing fee and are available to all residential students.

To request housing to accommodate a disability, please visit the website for the Office of Student Accessibility Services. Accommodation requests are reviewed once all documentation is received. Please note that all deposit and application deadlines for housing must be met. Late requests will be considered on a space available basis. 

Information for driving directions, public transportation, campus maps, parking permits, and shuttle information can be found on our Maps & Directions page.

Yes! However, since parking is at a premium at Widener, students without a specific need are advised not to bring a vehicle to campus. Both university and public transportation provide access to the entire university and surrounding areas every day.

If you choose to bring a car to campus, parking permits are required to park in campus lots. For more information, visit our Maps & Directions page.