Doing Business with Housing and Residential Life
The majority of the business interaction occurs while your son or daughter physically resides in the ODU residential community. Some of the more important business aspects while they live on-campus are payment dates, billing, room rates, and other charges, understanding the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), familiarity with the Housing Application/Agreement and its financial obligations, eligibility for future terms.
Housing Application/Agreement Form
The Housing Application/Agreement Form is the legal document that outlines the contract period, the terms and conditions, the rules and regulations, the rights and responsibilities, liability and other important agreements and committments for on-campus housing. Parents and guardians can provide essential support by assisting students in understanding their responsibilities and obligations when contracting for student housing.
Payment Due Dates
Room and board is due in advance of each term. Students and parents have ready access to payment deadline information through a wide variety of publications, Web sites, and calendars as well as the housing contract.
Billing
Housing charges are included on the student account maintained by the Office of Finance. The University uses e-bills as their billing method. Paper bills are not mailed. Electronic statements are sent to each student's university email account. With e-bills, students may view and print billing statements and grant access for parents to do the same. The E-Bill Student Account Suite also offers students the ability to make online payments, view payment history, store payment methods, and set up bills to be paid automatically. Financial records can be viewed online using Leo Online.
Room Condition Reports/Damages
At the end of an occupancy period, rooms are inspected for damages. Room condition reports will itemize the damages and are the basis for damage charges. Individual and community damage charges are billed to students 30to 60 days after they vacate the space.
Room Rates
Room rates are set annually by the Board of Visitors, usually in April prior to the Fall term. In the event of a student contracting for a room in advance of the publication the annual approval, ample time is allowed for cancelation without financial penalty.
Refunds
Refunds are made under the terms and conditions outlined in the Housing Application/Agreement form. Once a student is eligible for a refund, the Office of Housing and Residence Life will authorize payment. Payments are issued by the Office of Finance.
Eligibility for Future Terms
On-campus housing is not guaranteed. Specific facilities are designated for upper-class students. The University reserves a limited number of on-campus spaces for returning students. A process is established to determine assignment priority for returning students.
Contacting the Housing Office
While we are always happy to hear from parents, when you call the Housing Office for information about your student, staff members are trained to be very discreet in their answers due to our high sensitivity regarding the rights of our students. While this may be frustrating for you, please understand that we are protecting your students' privacy.
