Frequently Asked Questions

Students may apply after their acceptance to Texas Tech and as early as one year in advance of their enrollment. Students are encouraged to apply for housing as early as possible for the best opportunity to receive a room assignment in their hall choice.

Applications are available on-line at www.housing.ttu.edu. Students must be admitted to the university before completing the application for housing. Students must establish their e-raider account prior to accessing the application for housing. Contact IT Help for Students at 806-742-HELP for assistance with e-raider accounts.

Each residence hall has its own special features and the student must determine which hall is the best for him/her. In addition to the traditional halls (community bathroom), Texas Tech offers suite-style and apartment-style halls. All traditional halls have built-in furniture (except Bledsoe, Sneed, Horn & Knapp) and are very similar in size and room layout. Horn, Knapp, Bledsoe, and Sneed Halls, have moveable furniture. Some halls are co-ed, some have special feature floors and others are reserved for students of sophomore or above classification. Gordon Hall, a suite-style residence complex, is a home for students participating in the Honors College Program. Carpenter/Wells and Murray Hall offer upper-class students apartment and suite style on-campus housing. Location of the residence hall may also be a factor in the student's decision. Each person should make his or her own choice of halls based upon those factors which are of most importance to him or her.  You can find a map of campus and the location of all the residence halls at http://www.ttu.edu/campusMap/.

If a student wants to live with a specific person we will do everything we can to honor the assignment request. The requested roommate must be admitted to Texas Tech before they may be listed as a roommate in the room selection process. Requested roommates must meet the eligibility requirements for learning communities or other special interest housing selected by the applicant.

In the event of a cancellation, the student must submit a cancellation by visiting http://www.myhousing.ttu.edu. The student should refer to the contract for the applicable application term for complete details on cancellation deadlines and refunds/credits for any advance payments made.

Written cancellations should be made as soon as the student determines he/she is not attending Texas Tech. Cancellations may not be made by phone or e-mail. Cancellations may result in forfeiture of advance payments and other fees. Refer to the contract and other brochures for specific dates and penalties.

You may apply for housing at anytime after you have been admitted to the university; however, space is limited and late applicants may not be guaranteed a permanent assignment at the beginning of the semester. If needed, lounges and other areas may be used for temporary assignments at the beginning of the semester. After no-shows are reported, students in temporary assignments are reassigned to permanent room assignments. Most students are reassigned within the first three weeks of the semester. Freshman students should apply for housing prior to June 1 to avoid delays in registration during summer orientation/registration.

You may view the 2006-2007 academic calendar which outlines important dates at: http://www.depts.ttu.edu/officialpublications/calendar/06-07calendar.html

Housing and dining charges are included on your university account along with tuition and fees. Payments must be made by the due dates established by Student Business Services. For important billing and payment information go to: www.sbs.ttu.edu .

Because of the popularity of cellular phone service, telephone service is not provided in the Residence Halls. Only Carpenter/Wells and Murray suites provide phone service. Residents may request for a land line to be installed in their assigned rooms for an additional cost. To request phone service, contact University Student Housing for rates. Emergency call-out phones are available on each floor of Residence Halls where service is not provided in student rooms.

Student rooms are not carpeted. You may choose to carpet your room as you personalize it to your taste. It is recommended that carpet not be purchased until you actually move into your room.  Carpenter/Wells and Murray Hall have carpeting in some areas.  For typical room measurements check the furnishings page.

Students may complete an application to request permission to paint their room during the first few weeks of the semester. University Student Housing will provide the paint (five approved colors) and the supplies. Rooms cannot be repainted solely for decorating purposes.

All halls will be air-conditioned as of Fall 2008.

Intensive study floors are designed to provide a living option for students who desire a more studious environment. Programs specifically designed to target the needs of these students include: study skills, test taking and time management. Conversations, TV's, stereos, and other sounds must be maintained at a level which will not disturb other residents.

Substance-free floors provide students who choose not to smoke, drink or use drugs with an option where they will be living with others of similar preferences. This option is offered in addition to the established university policies prohibiting the use of alcohol and drugs. Residents also sign a community agreement stating that they will not return to their residence hall room under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

All residence halls with the exception of Gordon, Murray and Carpenter/Wells Halls, have community bathroom facilities. Bathrooms are located on each floor or wing. Bathrooms have private showers and toilets. Each residence hall room has a sink.

All residence hall rooms are furnished with regular twin mattresses.

Three computer labs (Chitwood/Weymouth, Carpenter/Wells and Sneed) are available for student use. Computer facilities are also available at the ATLC (Advanced Technology Learning Center) located in the Library. Computer labs are also located in several of the academic buildings. Students may also bring personal computers and access many computing services with the high-speed Ethernet network in their rooms.

Individual Ethernet computer connections are available in each residence hall room. Students can use the Ethernet to access academic systems or the Internet. The computer must have an Ethernet card installed to use the service.

Each residence hall has a laundry room located in the building. All laundry rooms accept Raider Card accounts.

Limited parking is available in each residence hall parking area. Students are encouraged to apply for a parking permit as soon as they receive confirmation of their residence hall assignment. Students who cannot be accommodated in the residence hall lot may purchase a commuter-parking sticker. For additional information contact the University Parking Services at (806) 742-3811 or visit the website at www.parking.ttu.edu to purchase a permit .

Students can bring their own microwave and refrigerator as long as the appliance meets the electrical requirements and are in good operating condition. Microwave ovens should not exceed 1500 watts. Refrigerators must not exceed 1.5 ampere or 180 watts. All electrical appliances should meet UL or equivalent certification.

Overnight guests of the same gender are allowed. Residents are required to register overnight guests with the hall office.

Animals, with the exception of fish in a properly maintained aquarium of 20 gallons or less, are not allowed in the residence halls.

All students with less than 30 eligible credit hours (excludes dual credit, AP, and CLEP) at the time they enroll must live on campus. This policy is based upon the university's philosophy that the student will receive a more complete educational experience by living in a residential community. Research also indicates that students living on campus have a higher GPA than students living off campus.

Students may request an exemption to the On Campus housing Requirement if they are living with their parent(s), married, over age 21, have been discharged from the military, have a dependent or suffer from an extreme financial or an extreme medical hardship. Requests should be made as soon as possible, but will be accepted no later than May 1 for summer enrollment, August 1 for fall enrollment and November 1 for spring enrollment.

Students who have success completed at least 30 eligible credit hours (excluding credit earned by exam or concurrently earned credit) may be eligible to live off campus. Please feel free to contact University Student Housing with any questions regarding the policy or qualified hours.  

Students may apply for CA positions after they have completed two semesters of residence hall living and have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. Bulletins are posted each fall and spring to announce times when applications are accepted.

Consolidation is a process to match together students who do not have roommates and provide single rooms for interested students. Consolidations begin shortly after the beginning of each semester. During this period, all affected students will be notified and will have the option of finding a new roommate or paying the single room fee.