Many questions you have are common questions that every future resident may be unsure about. The Residence Life staff is here to make sure you have all the information you need. If the questions and answers below do not give you what you are looking for, please be sure to contact the Residence Life Office for more information.

Q: Can I apply for housing before I have decided to accept admission to the University?

A: If you are an incoming freshman, no. You must accept admission to the University before you can apply for housing.

If you are an incoming graduate student you may apply for housing prior to accepting admission.

Q: Is there a deadline to apply for housing?

A: No. Housing assignments are done on a rolling, space-available basis. We highly recommend that students apply early to have the best chance of receiving a room assignment.

Q: Is my $200.00 deposit refundable?

A: No. All deposits are non-refundable once received by the Residence Life Office.

Q: Are rooms within the buildings co-ed?

A: No. The buildings are co-ed, and the floors are co-ed, but the individual apartments or suites are all female or all male.

Q: When will I receive my room assignment package?

A: Residence Life places students throughout the spring and summer months. We typically e-mail student room assignments to the e-mail address provided on the contract during the month of July.

Q: What should I bring with me to campus? What can I leave at home?

A: We have made a whole separate page to address these very questions. Please click here for more information.

Q: Can I bring a computer, and is there internet provided in the residence halls?

A: Yes. Computers are welcome (both Mac and PC) in the residence hall. Each bedroom and common area has a jack for high-speed internet access. Please ensure that you have an Ethernet card installed in your computer and that you are up to date on all anti-virus software and patches in order to gain access to the network. For more computing information, please refer to the Residential Computing Services website.

Q: Is there a location on campus to wash and dry clothes?

A: Yes. We have 2 laundry rooms (16 washers and 16 dryers total) for our residents to utilize. The machines work two ways: coin-operated or card swipe. For coin-operated, you will need $1.00 in quarters to wash each load of laundry and $1.00 in quarters to dry each load.

The preferred method of using the laundry rooms is by utilizing Camden Cash on your ID card. There is a card reader in the laundry room that will debit the wash or dry funds (still $1.00) from your account. This is much easier and convenient than worrying about tracking down enough quarters.

Q: I received my roommate information. What should I do to introduce myself and when?

A: Once you receive your roommate information, it is best to give each one a call and introduce yourself. You may even want to send e-mail just to begin connecting with your roommates. Aside from talking about yourself and what your interests are, you should also discuss who is going to bring what to campus. Talking about this ahead of time will ensure that you have an iron, ironing board, TV, radio, etc., rather than having 4 irons, no ironing board, 6 TVs, no TV cables, and no radio.

We also highly recommend staying overnight for the mandatory orientation program. Students that are living in the residence halls will likely be matched-up with their fall roommates during orientation and you will get a great opportunity to meet them before school starts. You can get more information about orientation at the Orientation website.

Q: Can I bring a car to campus?

A: Yes. All residents, regardless of school year, are permitted to have cars on campus. Resident’s parking is first come, first serve. We have 2 lots, one directly in front of the residence halls, and a second just adjacent to the buildings located on 3 rd street. More information pertaining to purchasing a permit will be mailed to your home during the summer from the Parking Department.

Q: How can I contact my family while I am living on-campus?

A: This answer varies dependent upon which building you live in.

For tower residents, each resident has access to a phone line in their bedroom. All you need to do is bring a land-line phone with you to use and plug it into the wall. The phone number for this line is written on the telephone wall plate in your bedroom.

For apartment residents, you will need to contact Verizon to have a phone installed in their room. Rutgers does not require that apartment residents have this phone installed.

In the majority of cases, students are using cell phones on campus rather than the land lines.

Q: May I have guests while living in the residence hall?

A: Yes. We have a guest policy in place which is contained within the Residence Life Living Guide that permits all residents to have guests. You will receive more information about the guest policy, as well as our other policies, at your first floor meeting.

Q: What if I need special accommodations?

A: Depending upon what the circumstance is, we may be able to accommodate certain special needs. Please contact us at housing@camden.rutgers.edu or (856) 225-6471 for more information. In most cases, documentation from a medical or other professional will be required before a special accommodation is made.

Q: How do I receive mail as a campus resident?

A: Each resident is assigned a campus mailbox. You will receive this information in the mail over the summer. If you did not, you can get your box number and combination by contacting the mailroom at (856) 225-6447, or by walking over to the mailroom during business hours; it is located at 4 th and Lawrence Streets behind the Bursar’s Office.

If you are receiving a package that cannot be delivered to a P.O. Box, you should use the address 326 Penn Street, Camden, NJ, 08102.

Q: What is there to do on campus?

A: The Offices of Campus Involvement and Residence Life sponsor many programs throughout the fall and spring semesters. For more information about these programs, refer to the Events and Activities Page by clicking here.

Q: Are there certain rooms that honors students are assigned to?

A: Yes. Each year Residence Life works with the Honors College to set up a living environment for students in this program. This year, all incoming honors students will be assigned to rooms on the 4 th floor with other honors students. This floor of students is still within close proximity to non-honors freshmen to enable peer interaction and will be involved in all freshman programming opportunities available to the general resident population.

Q: Are pets permitted in the residence halls?

A: Unfortunately, no. All pets, regardless of size or care level, are prohibited from being brought into the residence halls.

Q: What happens if I have a problem with my roommate?

A: Not everyone will make a perfect connection with their roommate. We try to get students to try talking to their roommate about the issues they are having. Many times these issues are relatively easy to resolve and just require some discussion. We have supplied a Roommate Resource website for students that has tips and information to accomplish this.

If it does not seem like talking is getting the job done, a Residence Life staff member will step in and assist. We ask that residents start by contacting their RA and discussing the problems they are having. In consultation with an Area Coordinator, a plan of action will be developed; this may involve mediation, setting up a roommate agreement, reviewing Residence Life policies, or in some instances a room change.

One of the best things you can do to resolve these issues quickly is to report the problem to an RA sooner rather than later. Our staff is well-trained to handle roommate problems, but can only act on what we know.

Q: I sent in my housing contract and deposit, but have now decided to commute or live off-campus. What do I need to do?

A: If you decide to cancel your housing contract, you will need to inform the Residence Life Office in writing. You can e-mail this request to housing@camden.rutgers.edu or you can fax a letter to our office at (856) 225-6277. Until we receive a written cancellation notice, you will continue to be charged for any applicable housing and cancellation fees. Please contact our office at (856) 225-6471 for more information.
NOTE: Providing cancellation information to another campus department will not cancel your housing contract. You must inform our office directly for the contract to be cancelled.

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