Housing Requirements

HOUSING REQUIREMENTS

Undergraduate bachelor degree-seeking freshmen and transfer students brand new to the United States are REQUIRED to live in on-campus housing at UMSL their first year in the United States.  

All other international students are strongly recommend to live in on-campus housing for at least their first year in the United States but are not required to. 

Only those students with a signed on-campus living contract will be eligible for airport pickup upon their arrival. 

The dates of airport pickup and move-in for international students are typically the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before the first day of the Global Triton Welcome.

AVAILABLE HOUSING

On-campus housing is open to undergraduate and graduate students through UMSL's Office of Residential Life and Housing.

Oak Hall Residential Hall

Oak Hall is a 400 room dormitory that offers the complete on-campus housing experience. This dorm features full-furnished rooms in a suite-style set-up.

Most freshmen and new undergraduates live in Oak Hall.

For detailed information about Oak Hall, please visit here.

University Meadows

University Meadows is a privately owned apartment complex that offers on-campus apartments for students looking for apartment style housing. Private and shared apartments are available.

For information on University Meadows visit their website.

MEAL PLANS AND DINING OPTIONS

To learn more about UMSL's Meals Plan & Dining options, please visit this site.

TEN REASONS TO LIVE ON CAMPUS

1. Better Grades-students Who Live On Campus Have Better Grades!
2. Build Leadership Skills And Opportunities.
3. Live Safely And Securely!
4. No Hidden Costs- It Is All Included.
5. Make Your Transition To Independent Life And Living Simpler In The USA.
6. Convenience- Spend Less Time Commuting And More Time Engaging In Campus Life And Studies!
7. Close To Everything-UMSL Is Connected To St. Louis Public Transportation
8. Extra Support- The Triton Community At Its Best!
9. Community and Friends- Meet New People, Make New Friends, and Open Your Network!
10. Connection- Feel Like You Are Part of Something Bigger

EARLY ARRIVAL OR NOT LIVING ON CAMPUS

If you arrive to Saint Louis before official move-in dates or will not be living on campus, you will need to make arrangements to stay in a hotel until you can secure permanent living arrangements or move on campus.

The Drury Inn, Holiday Inn, and Pear Tree Inn are reasonable hotels at different price points providing breakfast and WI-FI. However, there are many other hotels available just near the airport at different prices.

Please do not stay with strangers that you have never met, even if they are from your home country.

Please avoid Airbnb’s until you get to know the Saint Louis area better.

If you do not stay by the airport, we recommend booking a hotel within walking distance of a Metrolink stop.

OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING

UMSL Global cannot endorse any specific off-campus housing location.

Here are locations that some students have chosen to live in but note, they are not endorsed by the university and are only being provided as a courtesy:

• Suburban Heights Apartments
• Bermuda Heights Apartments
• University Villa Apartments

Before committing to living somewhere off-campus, please use Google Maps to track the distance to UMSL and to see if there are reasonable transportation options

FIFTEEN THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN LIVING OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING 

1. How much can you afford to pay for monthly rent and utilities such as gas, electricity, water, Internet, cable/streaming services, trash, sewer? Most places in the United States are not all inclusive, each bill is the renter’s individual responsibility.
2. Do you have enough money for first month rent, last month rent, and a deposit to pay upfront?
3. Do you have enough money for fees associated with establishing utilities?
4. How much is renter’s insurance?
5. How far will you commute to campus and what form of transportation are you willing to use?
6. If it is a far commute, how much is public transportation daily? Do the lines run regularly or only sporadically during the times you need to come and go from campus?
7. How much will purchasing, licensing, paying sales tax (once) and personal property tax (yearly), and insuring a car be? How much will you spend on gas for the commute?
8. Will you be dependent on someone else with a car? Do they have a similar school schedule to you?  Are they involved and interested in the same things you are On Campus?
9. How suitable is your housing for daily life – grocery shopping, public transportation, entertainment, distance from university, et cetera?
10. Can you afford to buy furniture and household goods? How will you transport them to your apartment if you do not have a car or truck? Most off-campus housing is not furnished.
11. Where will you launder your clothes? Some apartments provide a washer and dryer but most do not.
12. Are you willing to maintain the property? For example, if you rent a house, you may be expected to shovel the snow or mow the lawn.
13. Do you (or any of your potential roommates) have a social security number? Most landlords will want to do a credit check prior to approving your application to rent an apartment.
14. Do you feel safe in the neighborhood you are thinking about living in?
15. What is the maximum occupancy of the dwelling you and potential roommates are thinking about living in? Many students think it is okay to have many people living in a cheaper place, however, if occupancy rules are violated, the students could end up with very large fines and can be evicted from the dwelling.