Housing Accommodations
Housing accommodations may be needed for students who feel that living in the traditional setting described may not work, for those who will need something additional in that setting, and for all students who need accessible rooms.
Housing accommodations are only based on disability-related needs and are determined on a case-by-case basis.
Examples of housing accommodations include but are not limited to:
- Wheelchair-accessible room and bathroom
- Flashing fire alarms
- Bed shakers
- Reduction in number of roommates or single room
- Semi-private or private bathroom
- School or Program
- Columbia College—First Years
- Fall Semester
- May 1
- Spring Semester
- November 1
- School or Program
- All Other Columbia College
- Fall Semester
- February 15
- Spring Semester
- November 1
- School or Program
- Columbia Engineering—First Years
- Fall Semester
- May 1
- Spring Semester
- November 1
- School or Program
- Columbia Engineering—Combined Plan Transfer
- Fall Semester
- June 30
- Spring Semester
- November 1
- School or Program
- All Other Columbia Engineering
- Fall Semester
- February 15
- Spring Semester
- November 1
- School or Program
- General Studies
- Fall Semester
- May 1
- Spring Semester
- November 1
- School or Program
- Morningside Graduate & Professional Schools
- Fall Semester
- May 1
- Spring Semester
- November 1
- School or Program
- Medical Center—P&S First Years
- Fall Semester
- April 1
- Spring Semester
- Not Applicable
- School or Program
- Medical Center—All Other First Years
- Fall Semester
- April 1
- Spring Semester
- Not Applicable
- School or Program
- Medical Center—ETP Nursing
- Fall Semester
- March 1
- Spring Semester
- Not Applicable
- School or Program
- Medical Center—Couples Housing
- Fall Semester
- June 1
- Spring Semester
- Not Applicable
How to Apply
- Check the deadline for your school or program.
- Submit a request for housing accommodations; form varies by school:
- Housing Accommodations Form—Columbia College, Columbia Engineering
- Housing Accommodations Form—General Studies, Graduate and Professional Schools
- Housing Accommodations Form—Columbia University Medical Center
- Also submit:
- Personal statement that includes all pertinent information related to your accommodations requests and an explanation of how these accommodations will mitigate the impact of your disability and why they are necessary for you to live in University housing
- Documentation supporting the specific accommodations requests; meeting the requirements outlined in Disability Services (DS) documentation guidelines for the student’s disability type. Documentation must establish a direct link between the underlying condition and the requested housing accommodations.
- Requests for housing accommodations on the basis of an asthma or allergy condition must include a Disability Verification for Asthma and Allergies form completed by the student’s physician.
How Accommodations Are Determined
In collaboration with Columbia undergraduate and graduate housing departments, accommodation requests are determined by committee on a case-by-case basis, according to documented need and prevailing standards for reasonable accommodations. Housing accommodations are made after a determination of:
- Student’s disability status
- Whether student’s disability necessitates adjustments to the living environment
- Potential alternative accommodations, and what, if any, housing accommodations would be appropriate for the student.
- Available housing options
Housing accommodation requests and documentation are reviewed monthly, generally the first Tuesday of the month. Incomplete applications are not reviewed.
Students who submit completed requests after the committee has met for any given month must wait until the following month to have their request reviewed and considered. The committee communicates its decision via an email sent to the student’s Columbia email address by the end of that same week.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may request a housing assignment as a housing accommodation. Complete the application process outlined on this page.
Students who wish to bring their service/assistance animal to Columbia must be approved for this accommodation through the housing accommodations process before bringing their service/assistance animal onto campus. Read the University Service and Assistance Animal Policy for complete information about related policy, procedures, and expectations.
Students who wish to have live-in or per diem personal care assistants must be approved for this accommodation before bringing their assistant onto campus.
Students who do not qualify for disability housing accommodations may apply for an assignment or transfer to a location that may better address their preferences through standard housing procedures:
- Columbia College and Columbia Engineering undergraduates should contact Housing Services for information on this process.
- Graduate students and General Studies undergraduates should contact University Apartment Housing.
- Students matriculated in programs at Columbia University Medical Center should contact the Office of Housing Services.
To request accommodations related to allergies or asthma, submit a Verification of Disability Form for Asthma and Allergy Conditions form completed by your doctor.
If your need for academic, classroom, or campus accommodations is directly related to your need for housing accommodations, you do not need to submit separate documentation. But your documentation should address the need for all requested accommodations.
However, if your need for academic, classroom, or campus accommodations is unrelated to your disability-related need for housing accommodations, separate documentation is required to appropriately address the non-related requests.
Last reviewed: 6/11/2024