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Housing and Residential Experience

Transfer and Exchange Student Housing

Undergraduate Residential Requirement

Vanderbilt University is a residential campus for undergraduate students, and the residential experience is understood to be an integral part of a Vanderbilt education. This commitment to residential education is clearly expressed in the University’s residential requirement:

“All unmarried undergraduate students are required to live in residence halls on campus during the academic year, May session, and summer sessions. Authorization to live elsewhere is granted at the discretion of the Director of Housing Assignments in special situations or when space is unavailable on campus.” (Student Handbook)

Transfer and Exchange Student Housing Application

The Transfer and Exchange Student Housing Application will be available in the Housing Portal under the Applications menu on May 1, 2025. All incoming transfer and exchange students are required to submit an application and reside on campus. Please allow 5 business days after claiming your VUnetID and downloading the DUO app for dual authentication to access the Housing Portal. Information regarding DUO can be found here. Applications are due by June 15, 2025.

Transfer and exchange student housing assignments and move-in information will be sent via email on or around August 8, 2025 at 5 PM CST.

Please see steps below for logging in and filling out the housing application:

  1. Go to the Housing website on a computer (not your cell phone)
  2. Locate “Important Information” on the right side of the website
  3. Click “Housing Portal”
  4. You will be prompted to log in with your VUNet ID and password. Please note, there is a delay of 5 business days between claiming your VUNet ID and being able to log into all systems. If it does not work initially or you receive a message that says “invalid password”, please try again in 5 business days.
  5. After logging in, you will be prompted to log in to DUO to authenticate your log in. Please make sure you have downloaded DUO prior to logging in. If you are running into DUO issues, please review this document.
  6. Once in the Housing Portal, click “Applications”
  7. Click “Transfer and Exchange Student Housing Application”
  8. Sign the 2025-2026 housing contract
  9. After signing your housing contract, you will be redirected to sign up for renter’s insurance with GradGuard
    1. If you prefer to use a different insurance provider, you will have the option to decline coverage. Once you either purchase or decline coverage with GradGuard, you will be redirected back to the Housing Portal to complete your registration.
  10. Completing the living habits questionnaire
  11. Submit your application

Transfer and Exchange Student Housing

Transfer and exchange students are assigned to available vacancies in upper-division residential communities. Typically, transfer and exchange students are assigned to traditional double and triple rooms in Blakemore House or vacancies in suites/apartments on Highland Quad and the Village at Vanderbilt with continuing upper-division students, including with Resident Advisers (RAs). Due to limited inventory, traditional single rooms and residential college spaces will likely not be available. All spaces provide transfer and exchange students with opportunities to interact with current upper-division students.

Transfer and Exchange Student Living Learning Community Spaces

In an effort to assist transfer and exchange students in their transition to Vanderbilt, opportunities are available for students to join our LLC’s (Living Learning Communities).

If you are interested in these communities, please indicate your interest on the housing application. Students will be randomly selected from the applicant pool to fill the spaces in these communities. Assignment to these communities is not guaranteed and space is extremely limited.

Mayfield Transfer Experience: 

As part of the larger Mayfield Experience Living Learning Community, participants will reside in one of two Mayfield lodges with nine fellow transfer and/or exchange students. Participants are welcome to create a project as a group. The Mayfield lodge is comprised of ten single bedrooms, a kitchen, a living area and two bathroom facilities.

The McGill Project:

The McGill Project offers students an open and inviting environment where they can learn from and interact with faculty and staff members outside the classroom. A home for students with a wide variety of majors and interests, McGill members consider themselves part of an ongoing campus tradition of free expression and discovery. Available spaces in McGill will likely be in traditional double rooms.

Transfer and Exchange Student Roommate Requests

Transfer and exchange students can make a roommate request on the housing application. Roommate requests are not guaranteed and only mutual requests are considered. Students will need the full name and VUnetID of their requested roommate in order to submit their request. Students should not finalize plans with their requested roommate until receiving their room assignment on or around August 8, 2025 at 5 PM CST.

Room Changes

An on-campus room assignment is for the entire academic year. Students can submit room change requests beginning the first day of classes. Additional information regarding room changes will be available in mid-August on the Housing website.

Student Renter’s Insurance Requirement

As noted in the Housing Contract, the University is not liable for damage to property or injuries arising out of a resident’s occupancy of their assigned rooms, except if such damage or injury results from negligent acts or omissions by the University.

As a resident, you are liable to the University and others for loss or damage caused by your actions or those of your guests. You are required to maintain adequate property and liability insurance that includes the following:

  • Personal Property Insurance: covering the students belongings while on campus, with a limit adequate to repair or replace the student’s personal property in the event of loss, damage, or theft.
  • Personal Liability Insurance: with a limit no less than $100,000 and include coverage for student caused water damage or fire damage to adjacent spaces.

These insurance requirements are minimum requirements only. The university does not warrant or represent that this coverage will be adequate or sufficient to protect you or your guests from liability. We recommend that you discuss your specific insurance needs with an authorized insurance agent. Required insurance may be provided by a standalone Renter’s Insurance Policy or by endorsement or extension from a Homeowners Insurance Policy maintained by you or by a Parent/Guardian/Family Member.

Fully compliant renters’ insurance may be obtained from:

Move In

Transfer student move in is scheduled for TBD. Students will be provided with a specific afternoon move-in time with their room assignment information. Move-in times will range from 1:00 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. Room assignment information will be emailed to all incoming transfer and exchange students on or around August 8, 2025 at 5 PM CST. Prior to move in, we will be preparing the halls for your arrival and as a result, will not be able to accommodate early move-in requests. Please plan your travel to Nashville accordingly.

International transfer and exchange students have the option to participate in International Student Orientation. This will take place on TBD. If international transfer and exchange students choose to participate in this orientation, they will be eligible to move in on TBD. Outreach regarding international orientation will be sent directly to students in late June.

Additional Information