Housing Accommodations

Tulane University strives to create intentional and supportive living communities that account for the needs of all students. We recognize that students may occasionally require specific housing accommodations to achieve this goal.

Housing Accommodations Committee

The Housing Accommodation Committee represents a collaborative effort between Housing & Residence Life, Campus Health, Dining Services, and the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility. The Committee provides a student-focused process that allows individuals to receive consideration for housing accommodations based on disability status and medical necessity. 

NOTE: The University’s priority will always be to accommodate the student's documented medical and/or disability-related needs over specific roommate and/or building requests.

The Housing Committee will explore and prioritize all available campus-based resources when reviewing requests and determining necessary and appropriate accommodations.

Azaleas bloom at Tulane University.

Priority Deadlines

To request housing accommodations, submit your documentation to the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility. If you're already approved for accommodations, you can apply for housing accommodations by submitting an "Additional Accommodation Request" through your Goldman Center portal. The Goldman Center cannot approve "guaranteed housing" as an accommodation for Third and Fourth Year students. For additional information on the housing process, see here: Returning Student Room Selection

Deadline to submit an application: 
Spring SemesterOctober 1, 2024
Fall SemesterJanuary 17, 2025
Fall Semester for SPRING SCHOLAR and TRANSFER studentsFebruary 15, 2025

Accepted students should submit their request for housing accommodations based on disability and/or medical need to the Goldman Center for Student Accessibility at their earliest convenience, preferably between March 1 and May 1. You can apply for academic accommodations at the same time as your housing request; please note, however, that your supporting documentation should contain recommendations for both the academic and housing environment if applying for both.

Deadline to submit an application: 
Spring SemesterOctober 1, 2024
Fall SemesterMay 1, 2025

The Housing Accommodations Committee is dedicated to ensuring that all students receive housing assignments that are consistent with their documented needs. Please note, however, that the University may not be able to honor special housing accommodation requests received after the deadline, even if the Committee approves the corresponding student’s request.

**Adhering to the priority deadlines for housing accommodations is critical. Applications and requests received after the priority deadline will be considered on a rolling basis and accommodated depending on inventory.**

Supports for Students in Residence Halls

A Network of Resources

As a Tulane student, you have access to various campus support systems to address housing concerns. The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility is one part of this network, specifically focused on students with disabilities. During the review of your housing accommodation application, you may be asked what campus resources you've already used to address your concerns. Please take time to explore and utilize the supports listed below, as the Housing Committee will prioritize campus-based solutions when considering your accommodation request.

Address maintenance needs, including appliance and air quality concerns, through Campus Services.

Housing & Residence Life has policies and procedures in place for supporting students in dorms, including room changes.

Seek treatment and management support for health concerns through on-campus medical services or through a referral.

College comes with transitional changes and developmental challenges. Seek support for new and existing mental health concerns on campus or through a referral.

Campus housing is not a distraction-reduced environment, but there are plenty of spaces to study across campus.

Tulane Public Safety offers support for campus safety, including safety escorts and crime prevention.

Tulane Hospitality offers support for students in need of dining plan modifications for a range of concerns. 

Students can access support for eating and nutritional concerns through Campus Health.

Tulane's Wave of Support details resources available to students for a range of concerns across the domains of wellness.

Application Overview


Please read thoroughly before submitting your request for housing accommodations. Requests submitted outside of the considerations detailed below, such as applications without documentation or with insufficient documentation, may experience a delay in processing.

The Goldman Center for Student Accessibility's housing accommodation process is designed to support students with diagnosed disabilities, particularly those with chronic medical conditions and functional limitations, by identifying and addressing barriers in the housing environment. Housing requests must be submitted via the online portal. Any other route-- via email, phone, or to another Tulane office-- will not be considered. Below is a summary of the steps involved:

  • Submit a COMPLETE housing accommodation application, with the receipt of BOTH the submitted online request form AND the supporting medical documentation. 

    • Students who have NOT requested accommodations with our office will submit a new application with supporting documentation.

    • Current students with approved accommodations will submit a housing request through the "Additional Accommodation Request" tab on their Goldman Center Portal. If your documentation already on file does not include recommendations for accommodation in the residential environment, please provide new and pertinent documentation.

  • Once you've submitted a completed housing accommodation application (including the online request form and supporting medical documentation), your application will be added to our queue for follow-up. If everything is in order, you'll receive a Calendly link to schedule a consultation, called an Access Interview, with one of our team members.

  • Attend your Access Interview, a one-on-one meeting with a team member to discuss your housing accommodation request in detail. During the interview, we will ask clarifying questions, review your documentation, hear your personal experience, explore available on-campus resources, and outline the next steps in your application process. You may be asked to seek additional documentation to support your request. 

  • After your Access Interview, your request will be processed through the Housing Committee, which meets on the first Friday of every month. Your determination will be communicated to you via email no sooner than five business days after the Housing Committee meets. Tulane University generally does not consider housing accommodations for: 

  • Requests centered on attentional, executive functioning, and learning concerns: please see information for on-campus study spaces and other academic resources for these concerns.

    • Dorm-specific requests/building-change requests  

    • Roommate preferences AND/OR roommate conflicts. HRL is your campus-based resource for mitigating the impact of roommate conflicts.

    • Religious/Spirituality based housing requests 

    • Non-chronic, non-permanent health conditions such as sinusitis, mono, etc. 

Tulane University follows the guidelines of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology in granting housing accommodations for environmental allergens. Students with housing accommodations due to environmental allergens will be permitted to purchase and bring allergen-proof fabric covers for bedding, a dehumidifier, and/or a HEPA filter air purifier. NOTE: By engaging in the Housing Accommodation review process, you permit Committee members to share and discuss information about your medical condition and/or disability status strictly and specifically as it applies to your housing needs. 


 

Supporting Documentation


The Goldman Center requires that students complete their request for accommodation AND provide current documentation before scheduling a meeting with the student. However, we are aware of potential barriers that exist in seeking current documentation necessary to move forward with your request. We work with each student on an individual level to navigate this process and discuss potential solutions and resources. If you have concerns about the documentation requirement, please feel free to contact the Goldman Center for further information and assistance. 

In general, documentation should be written by a medical professional. Documentation must include comprehensive information on the diagnosis (including the DSM 5 or ICD-10 code), associated severity of the diagnosis, and the specific impact and resulting functional limitations of the diagnosis in the academic, housing, or dining environment. Common sources of documentation are health care providers, psychologists, and diagnosticians. The Goldman Center Fillable Provider Form can be used to submit information regarding your request. Important: While evaluators can submit recommendations for accommodations based upon their assessment, actual provision of accommodations is deferred to the appropriate board, school or occupational institution governing provision of accommodations under applicable law.

Suggested Documentation Elements:

  • Typed on letterhead, dated, and signed by the qualified evaluator providing the documentation.
  • Contains information on the diagnosed condition(s), including the DSM 5/ICD 10 codes
  • Details the severity of the diagnosis, relevant symptoms, and associated impact in the academic and/or living environment 
  • If appropriate, discusses treatment, expected progression, and medication side-effects.
  • Discusses current or past accommodations. It may discuss recommended accommodations.

 

 

Download the Goldman Center Fillable Provider Form

See our full Documentation Guidelines 

Frequently Asked Questions 

The University's priority is to support you, the accommodated student, over specific roommate requests. When possible, one (1) roommate may be moved with you before the START of room selection. Honoring roommate requests after room selection is not possible. Accommodating roommate groups (two or more roommates) is wholly not possible. 

No. The Goldman Center works collaboratively with Housing to determine the specifications of the environment needed for equitable access, but does NOT assign specific dorm buildings or specific room requests. 


The Goldman Center will not assign a new dorm building as an accommodation. For room/dorm changes, see HRL's Room Change process. 

Tulane University has a host of on-campus study spaces across campus to support your learning needs outside of the classroom. As such, the University does not approve distraction reduced housing, nor is this a singular reason for being approved for off-campus living. 

Tulane University Libraries Study Areas

LBC Lounges + Study Spaces

Freeman School - Uptown Campus Study Spaces

Lounge and Classroom Reservations

Study Spots On and Around Campus

No. The Goldman Center cannot fundamentally alter the requirements of the housing contract and housing expectations. We cannot mandate residency/adjust residency permissions beyond Housing's policies. 

SoPA students cannot be granted housing until they are considered a student of Newcomb-Tulane College. 

You still are required to formally request accommodation through the Goldman Center even if you have given Housing, or another campus department such as Case Management or Counseling, documentation or information requesting a housing accommodation. 


Again, just to clarify: You MUST submit your accommodation request and supporting documentation to the Goldman Center to have any housing accommodation based on a disability/medical necessity processed. Once you submit an online application to the Goldman Center, you will also be required to have a Welcome Meeting/Consultation to discuss your request with a member of our team. Your request must then be processed through the Housing Committee.