Residence Life & Housing
Welcome home
Residence life and housing exists to provide students with an intentional community on campus and encourage students to foster stewardship in their living areas.
Where Will I Live?
New Students
- First-year students are automatically placed in campus housing
- Start in triple or quad rooms
- Submit roommate preferences
- Private bathroom in each suite
Returning Students
- Choose housing based on class standing
- Move into suites with fewer roommates
Qualified Off-Campus Students
- Students above 24 years old
- Veterans
- Married
- Owns a home
- Part-time students
- Has a live-in work environment
Floor Plans
Residence Halls
Simpson University has six residence halls available for traditional undergraduate students, creating a vibrant community where students build meaningful relationships and grow together throughout their college experience.
All new students begin in triple or quad rooms, primarily in Thompson and Irwin Halls. As students progress through their time at Simpson, returning students participate in the housing selection process, with most moving into suite-style accommodations with two students per room.
Every room or suite includes a private bathroom, and all residence halls offer communal kitchens, lounges, laundry facilities, individual thermostat control (A/C and heating), high-speed internet access, and secure building access (except Measell-Taylor, which features outside-access key-entry doors).
Simpson does not offer private rooms, and all students can expect to have roommates each year. Housing is offered at a universal rate of $3,550 per semester, regardless of room type.
Benefits of Living On-Campus
Simpson University is committed to the residential experience and views it as an extension of the classroom. In contrast to distance learning approaches and community college, Simpson is intentionally residential for undergraduates, with approximately 88% of new students living on campus. We believe the residential experience is one of the many benefits of a Simpson education.
Simpson University believes that living on campus is a valuable part of the university experience. The Residence Life program supports student success and thriving by fostering holistic student development and supporting the student’s academic goals. Specifically, campus living offers the advantages of close fellowship with other students, opportunities to develop and grow in various aspects of personal life, and easy involvement with university activities. It also provides ready access to the library and other on-campus academic resources.
The university’s commitment to on-campus living is based on current research and is in line with some of the best practices for liberal arts institutions.
Residency Expectations
All undergraduate students are required to live in one of the University on-campus residences. By accepting admission to Simpson University, a student agrees to live in one of the University’s on-campus residences unless the student requests and is granted an exemption to live off-campus.
Meal Plan Information
All undergraduate students at Simpson University are required to carry a meal plan. Whether you live on campus or commute, there’s a plan designed to fit your needs. Meal plans help build community, support student life, and make it easy to grab meals throughout your busy day. Prices shown are per semester.
Commuter Basic – $150
Perfect for occasional meals with friends, faculty, or between classes. Includes a limited number of all-you-can-eat meals plus access to special commuter events.
Commuter Weekly – $500
Designed for commuters who want regular access to campus dining. This meal plan gives you 5 all you can eat meal swipes per week that can be used for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. These 5 meals renew each Sunday night, and do not carry over from week to week. Includes $25 Red Hawk Bucks.
14 Meal Plan – $2700
Ideal for students who typically eat two meals a day on campus. This plan gives you 14 meals swipes per week and is designed for the student who only eats 2 meals a day. These swipes do not carry over and expire each Sunday night. Includes $200 Red Hawk Bucks.
Full Meal Plan – $2995
Gives students unlimited access to the Dining Center. Perfect for those with full schedules, athletes, or students who prefer frequent visits, even just for coffee or snacks. Includes $150 Red Hawk Bucks.
What are Red Hawk Bucks?
Campus dollars included with select meal plans. Meal plans with Red Hawk Bucks provide campus dollars that students can use for custom coffee, snacks, or Simpson University merchandise at the Bean Scene. Along with coffee shop offerings, the Bean Scene sells convenience store basics and Simpson apparel.
Further Details
- Commuters can pick any of the 4 plans but are required to have one. By default, we will put you in on the Commuter Weekly plan. You can change this plan anytime in the first 10 calendar days of school in the office of Student Development in Owen 206.
- New residential students are required to take the full meal plan for the first year. Once you learn about nutrition and understand your routines after a year, you can move to the 14-meal plan in your second year with us if you feel this is best.
- Athletes on every team are required to take the higher meal plan without exceptions. For residential students this is the Full Meal Plan and the Commuter Weekly for those who live in town with their parents. This is because we require athletes to come early in the semester and eat with their team during the year. This meal plan also covers the food cost while athletic teams’ travel. Athletes on average get an additional 70 meals more than other students and the higher meal plan is how we pay for those extra meals.
- Students or parents can add Red Hawk Bucks onto their account at any time. These do expire at the end of each semester, but we always have a great apparel sale at the end of each semester.
- By going to a full meal plan, we won’t have meal swipes available in the Bean Scene any longer. We are increasing the number of Red Hawk Bucks so you can buy more grab and go snacks there now.
- If you want to go containers for the dining hall, you will need to use your Red Hawk Bucks to buy a 2 pack of reusable plastic containers ($10) at the Bean Sean that allows you to take food outside or on the go.
- Our dining caters to allergies and special diets. You may have a special exception, we are happy to work with you on accommodations or special circumstances.
Full List of Exemptions for Living Off-Campus
- Student is 24 years of age or older
- Student is a homeowner
- Student is living with a parent or other approved family member (35 miles or less from Simpson University’s campus)
- Student is a veteran
- Student is married
- Student has employment where living in is required (showing validation)
- Student is not full-time (part-time students are not required to live on campus)
- Student has a disability-related reason that has been approved by the Academic Success Center
