RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

Underlying Northwestern's university housing policies and procedures are three basic assumptions:

1. Certain understandings and rules are necessary to guarantee each student the opportunity to take full advantage of the academic and co-curricular programs of Northwestern.
2. Most residents are mature rational adults, and will use common sense and consideration in their dealings with others.
3. Rules are necessary to ensure the physical and psychological security and safety of all residents.

As a result, our university housing building have very few rules and regulations and rely heavily on your judgment and your willingness to cooperate with the hall staff and fellow residents. However, the rules we do have are important, necessary, and will be enforced. It is essential that you understand and abide by the regulations which follow. Failure to do so can jeopardize your housing privilege.

As a resident in university housing, you hold the following rights:

• The right to read, study, and live free from undue interference, unreasonable noise, and other distractions which inhibit the exercise of this right.
• The right to expect that others will respect one's personal belongings.
• The right to a reasonably clean environment in which to live, including the right to designate one's room a smoke-free environment.
• The right to free access in one's room and to the facilities provided in the residence hall.
• The right to personal privacy.
• The right to redress of grievances through the University Hearing & Appeals System.
• The right to be free from physical or psychological intimidation, harassment, and/or harm.

With rights come responsibilities. As a member of the residential community at Northwestern University, you agree to the following responsibilities:

• Treating other residents with respect and consideration and guaranteeing them their individual rights.
• Understanding all policies and regulations necessary for the hall community to function and abiding by those rules (contained in the Student Handbook, University Housing Rules & Regulations, housing contract and other official University publications and postings).
• Being responsive to all reasonable requests from fellow students.
• Being responsive and cooperative in all dealings with Residential Services staff members and other University officials.
• Accepting responsibility for personal and community safety, e.g., refraining from misusing safety equipment, propping open security doors and losing, forgetting or duplicating front door/room keys.

Residence Hall Policies and Procedures

These policies and procedures are derived from the following sources in their entirety, and further broken down for your convenience. You are responsible for the information contained in the original documents, including any subsequent updates.

• Campus Residence Rules & Regulations (from Residential Services)
• Northwestern University Student Handbook (PDF) (from the Division of Student Affairs)
• Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance
• Office of Community Standards

1. All first and second year students will be assigned to the Open Access meal plan. The Open Access Meal Plan provides UNLIMITED meal swipes per week within any of the four resident dining halls, $125 Dining Dollars per quarter, with 3 Guest Meals per quarter. This includes being able to come and go from the dining hall multiple times within any meal period. Hours are posted on the dining website and meals are available 7 days a week throughout the academic year. Times and locations may vary based on the academic schedule, but typically you will be able to get food in campus residential dining halls throughout the day from breakfast until late night dining at 11:30 pm. All meal swipes that are unused at the end of the quarter will expire at the end of the quarter. Unused dining dollars will roll over to the next quarter but will expire after dining halls close for the academic year.
2. For upper division students, there are additional dining options to choose from. These options are listed on our website and described below. Additional Meal Plan Options:   
   1. Wildcat 14 Plan: The Base 14 Meal Plan provides 14 meal swipes per week for use within any of the five resident dining halls and $225 Dining Dollars per quarter.                                                    
   2. Paw 110 Meal Plan : The Paw 110 Meal Plan offers 110 meals per quarter and $275 Dining Dollars per quarter. Meal Swipes can be used for guests at any time.
   3. *Flex Pack 210: *This meal plan option is only available to students who join a Greek house and purchase the house meal plan, but continue to live within Resident housing. The Flex Pack 210 offers 70 meals per quarter and $100 Dining Dollars per quarter. Meal Swipes can be used for guests at any time.   
   4. Lakeshore 90: The Lakeshore 90 plan offers 90 meals per quarter and $100 Dining Dollars per quarter. 
3. Upper division students living in university housing are permitted to submit a change form via the Dine on Campus website per quarter. More information and deadlines may be found here: https://dineoncampus.com/northwestern/meal-plan-change-form.
4. If you have special dietary requirements, please contact our campus dietician at dietitian@northwestern.edu. More information about nutrition counseling may be found here: https://dineoncampus.com/northwestern/wellness.
5. Northwestern dining is committed to providing meals for students during University vacation periods including Thanksgiving, winter break and Spring Break. A survey will be sent out prior to these breaks for students to indicate if they will be on campus and planning to take meals. There is no additional cost to the students for this service and it will not affect your meal plan balance.
6. Each student is issued a photographic identification card (WildCARD), which must be presented in order to obtain access to the food services. Students who lose their identification card must go to the WildCARD Office for a replacement and pay the applicable replacement fee. Meals will not be provided without a valid WildCARD.
7. No partial refunds for unused meal swipes on board contracts will be provided. Dining dollars will be prorated when changing meal plans. Since it is not possible to give refunds for every cause, we cannot make exceptions for religious groups or charitable organizations. Meals and points are non-transferable with the exception of making a donation to an approved student charity event.
8. Students may be able to get a credit towards the cost of the meal plan if they work in the dining halls for a minimum of 10 flexible hours per week, or a minimum of 100 hours per quarter, conditions apply. Upon termination of employment, the board portion of the contract is immediately prorated and costs reinstated.
9. A student who demonstrates a medical or severe dietary must apply for a release from the meal plan via Accessible NU. Prior to the request, please contact the University Student Health Services and provide a doctor’s note to document the circumstances. Requests will be evaluated as they are received. All students making a request will be asked to meet with the campus dietician to receive verification that we are not able to meet the dining needs. We are able to handle most dietary accommodations and expect that students work with the staff to ensure we have an effective plan for them. For more information about the accommodations process please visit the accommodations page here: https://www.northwestern.edu/accessiblenu/students/housing-meal-plans/
10. A student who withdraws from the University or who moves from a University residence hall to an off-campus residence may be released from the board portion of this contract effective the last day of the student’s residence, if the student applies for such release in writing at the University Food Service Office. Meal plan charges will be prorated effective the date the student leaves the residence hall.
11. Students who live off campus may purchase any of the meal plans offered by Northwestern Dining. We recommend the Commuter meal plan for off-campus students. This plan provides 50 meal swipes and $50 dining dollars per quarter. See the dining website for additional details.
12. Students may open a debit account called Cat Cash. Funds will be placed on your student WildCard ID. To find out more visit www.dineoncampus.com/northwestern.

Cat Cash

Students may open a debit account called Cat Cash. Funds will be placed on your student WildCard ID. Cat Cash is a way to take advantage of tax free purchases on campus. To find out more visit Northwestern Dining.

On a first-come, first-serve basis, Residential Services will consider requests from students and student organizations to place collection boxes in specified areas in the residence halls. Requests should be directed to the Resident Director of the building for approval. Approval will be granted for up to one week and may be revoked at any time. Organizations will be limited to one collection period per quarter. Priority will be given to organizations who have not recently been approved for a collection box. Collection boxes must be labeled with the name of the sponsoring organization and the name of the charity that the items will be donated to. They must also be regularly emptied, not attract pests, and be removed at the set date and time. Residential Services is not responsible for the contents of the boxes and may charge the sponsoring organization for disposal of items not collected according to plan. Email approval must be received by the RD before the boxes are distributed.

To request to place a collection box, please email the Resident Director of the appropriate building with the following information:

• Group Name
• Primary Contact Name
• Primary Contact Phone
• Primary Contact Email
• Secondary Contact Phone
• Secondary Contact Email
• Brief explanation of the nature of your collection efforts, including who the items will be donated to
• Box size
• Description of box
• Details of how the box will be regularly emptied
• Drop off date and time
• Pick up date and time
• Desired location(s) for box placement: Allison Lobby, Foster Walker Lobby, Elder Ground Entrance Lobby,  Sargent Lobby, Schapiro Lobby, Shepard 1st Floor Engagement Center, or Willard Lobby

Students may request an accommodation and/or an exception to the residency requirement. Any request for an accommodation or exception will require the proper documentation to support the request. Visit the Housing and Dining Accommodation Request page for further information.

Liability

Northwestern has no legal responsibility to cover the loss or damage to items of personal property caused by residents or by occurrences such as flood, weather, or mechanical related events which occur in university owned property or on its grounds prior to, during, or subsequent to the period of the housing contract. Residents are encouraged to carry appropriate insurance to cover such losses.

Property Insurance

Northwestern University strongly encourages you to invest in additional property insurance for your student’s belongings. Please consider the following:

• Northwestern does not endorse any individual insurance program, but does encourage parents and students to make sure they have the protection they desire for student property.
• You may have homeowners insurance; however, not all homeowner’s policies cover everything students bring to school. Most will provide some coverage, but have limitations on certain property. You should check with your insurance agent to determine what is and what is not covered under your policy and what the deductibles are for property away from your principal residence.

Housing Contracts

Summer 2025

NU Undergraduate Housing Contract Terms & Conditions - Summer 2025

Fall 2025/Winter 2026/Spring 2026

NU Undergraduate Housing Contract Terms & Conditions 2025-2026