Frequently Asked Questions
A. Once the contract has been signed, you are expected to abide by the terms of the contract.
Q. Can I break the contract?
A. The contract is binding for the academic year or any portion remaining. Refer to Section 10A of the contract for guidelines.
Q. I would like to make a wire transfer of funds to pay my fees. Is this possible?
A. Yes. Click here for directions for international and domestic fund transfers.
Q. Can the room and board bill be paid in
installments?
A. There are three possible payment plans.
- Payment in full each semester
- Two payments per semester, at the beginning and at the mid-semester
- A payment plan proposed by the student and approved by the Director of Housing
Q. If I am released from the contract for any of the stated reasons, will there be a refund?
A. Refer to Section 11c of the contract. If the terms of the contract are met and there are no outstanding bills with the University, you may receive a refund on a prorated basis.
Q. What if I want to rent off-campus apartment after the first semester?
Q. What if I check into the room and decide not to remain in school after one or two days (or one or two hours)?
A. Once you have accepted the key, the contract is in effect. The combined application fee and prepayment are forfeited.
Q. What does the housing charge cover?
A. The housing charge covers the cost of the room, chosen meal plan, cable, local phone charge and 100 Dragon Dollars. Dragon Dollars can be used in the Comstock Memorial Union food outlets including the bakery, delicatessen, restaurant and Burger King.
Room Assignments & Roommates
Q. What types of rooms are students assigned to?
A. There are two types of rooms:
- Double rooms house two students and are the majority of rooms on campus
- Single rooms are for one student; there are less then 100 available.
A. Roommates are encouraged to work through a roommate agreement provided at the start of the semester. If this agreement breaks down there are several steps to take:
- Ask the Resident Assistant to mediate the conflict
- Ask the Area Director also to help
- Consider a room change
Q. Who has to move?
A. The roommate who is dissatisfied with the situation needs to find another space.
Q. How is this accomplished?
A. The dissatisfied roommate can go to the Housing Office and ask the Room Assignment Coordinator to provide a list of students needing roommates. Once a match has been found and the paperwork processed, the student can move to the new room.
Q. What if a roommate leaves school or makes a room change?
A. There are several options for the student in a half empty room.
-
Choose a new roommate
-
Accept a new roommate assigned from off campus
-
Move to another half empty double room
-
Space permitting, request to keep the double room as a single (extra charge)
Q. How can I find out about University and Housing policies?
A. By reading the Housing and Dining Contract and the Residence Hall Handbook provided at check-in time. If there are still questions, talk to the Resident Assistant or the Area Director or contact a staff member at the Housing Office.
What does my room look like?
Floor plans and information on each hall is available in the residence halls section of our web site. You may click here to view the residence halls. Click on the name of the building your student will be living in. A link to the virtual tour is also provided on the first page.
What should a student pack to live in the residence halls?
This
helpful move-in list has been put together for you to use as a
reference. This list also contains a short list of what to not bring.
Moving Checklist Fall 2011
Q. Can I have a room of my own?
A.
A limited number of single rooms are available. Most singles are assigned to continuing residents through our room selection process. Demand usually exceeds supply. Indicating a preference for a single room on the Housing contract does not guarantee the request will be granted.
Dining Services
Q. What if I want to change to a different meal plan?
Requests to reduce your meal plan for can be made any weekday ONLY during the
first two weeks of the semester. Students simply go to the Housing
Office and complete a Change of Meal Plan Request form. Requests to
increase your meal plan can be made at any time.
Q. What about the "any 120 or any 250 meals a semester" meal plan, do they work the same way?
A. The "any 120" or "any 250" meal plans are a little different. It is only a saving to change it before the start of a semester. Otherwise you will be charged for part of the previous meal plan plus all of this meal plan.
Bed Lofts
Bed loft rental is available through CSI. Beds may be lofted in Nelson, Ballard, Holmquist, and South
Snarr. To rent a loft, please visit: http://www.csilofts.com.
If
your student is living in Grantham Hall or the renovated portion of Dahl Hall, your student's bed has lofting
capabilities built into it. You do not need to rent a separate
loft kit.
Renter's Insurance
We strongly encourage our students to pursue renters insurance. You may arrange for renter's insurance through your own insurance company. MSUM does not insure personal belongings in student rooms. While we hope students will never need to file a renter's insurance claim, it is important to be prepared just in case.
Do I need a car?The Moorhead Area Transit (MAT) bus provides free rides to MSUM students with their student ID. Your student may ask their roommates or friends for rides to certain locations if needed, but the campus is really quite self-sufficient. There are places to eat, a hair salon, laundry facilities, and a grocery store within walking distance. Although the majority of students do have cars, it is not a necessity. For additional information on parking and transportation needs, contact the MSUM parking office at 218-477-2675, or visit the Parking Office website.
Internet Service
Internet service in the MSUM residence halls is provided by MidContinent Communications. Information and instructions for setup are available on the Residence Hall Internet Questions PDF.
Phone Service
You may complete and submit this form if you would like to order phone service for your room.