Housing Accommodation Requests

Students requesting housing accommodations due to a documented disability should complete the process below at least 3 weeks prior to Residential Life's housing deadlines.
Are you an incoming or prospective IC student?

You will need your IC Netpass to start the interactive SAS accommodations process.

If you are a prospective or accepted student, please visit our Prospective Parents and Students page.

  • The SAS process does not replace the Residential Life housing assignment process. 
    • Make sure you fill out any Residential Life forms required for housing selection: New Student Housing.
  • Review the page below.  Take note of the documentation criteria.
    • Supporting documentation for a housing accommodation must meet additional criteria, in comparison to other kinds of accommodation.  
    • Most 504 plans or IEPs will not meet the criteria for housing documentation.  Your documentation must address the specific housing request you are making.
  • An emotional support animal is considered within the category of housing accommodation.

SAS engages in an interactive process with each student and reviews requests for accommodations on an individualized, case-by-case basis. 

  • Once appropriate accommodations are determined, SAS communicates the approved accommodations to the Office of Residential Life, and Residential Life makes an assignment based on room availability.

Procedure and timeline

Housing accommodations are decided by the SAS housing committee.  The committee meets once a week to review student files, documentation, and forms.  The committee reviews files in the order in which they were completed.   

Please note SAS housing accommodation decisions can take up to three weeks once all of the procedural steps below have been completed. 

While seeking a housing accommodation through SAS, students are encouraged to engage with and complete any steps provided by Residential Life for housing selection, as the accommodation process and the housing process are separate.  

How to Request a Housing Accommodation 

In order to request a housing accommodation you must: 

  • Complete the request for Housing Accommodation form. (login with your IC email account). 
  • Meet with a specialist to discuss the request.  
    • Meeting can be held in-person or online.  Our system will email you a link to schedule the appointment.
  • Provide documentation that supports your request to Student Accessibility Services. Please refer to our Documentation Guidelines.  
    • Our system will send you a link to upload your supporting documentation once you've submitted your online request form. 
      • Documentation must be in PDF format and must be less than 20 MB in size.
    • Documentation supporting housing requests must contain the following specific criteria: 
      • Documentation must be written by a licensed professional 
      • Must include a formal diagnosis that rises to the level of a disability as per ADA guidelines. 
      • Contain functional limitations related to the disability (Specifically, the impact, severity, frequency, and/or pervasiveness of the condition.) 
      • Documentation should address why the housing accommodation requested is a need for the student. 

 Professionals can send the documentation to: sas@ithaca.edu or fax to our office at (607) 274-3957.

Do not submit your form or documentation directly to Residential Life. 

Note on Single Room Accommodation: In general, diagnoses such as ADD/ADHD or Specific Learning Disability do not lend themselves to single room accommodations. A single room cannot guarantee a quiet environment. Students who need to study in a quiet environment can have their study needs met in areas such as the library or other designated quiet study areas on campus. We will evaluate each request on a case-by-case basis.