During the move-in and check-in process, students, families and guests will be responsible for maintaining public safety and physical distancing requirements.

• All students, family members and guests assisting with move-in are required to wear a facial covering at all times.
• Physical distancing must be maintained at all times during move-in. Students, families and guests must physically distance from other groups moving in at the same time. Many buildings only offer stairwells which will be generally marked as either “up” or “down” to avoid people passing in them. Buildings with elevators are to be used by a single move-in group at a time. (If accommodations are needed during move-in due to a physical limitation or special need, please let Housing Services know that prior to your move-in timeslot by calling 412-268-2139 or emailing us.)
• Some buildings will use floor decals to outline paths that promote physical distancing to check-in points or elevators.
• Students are encouraged to keep any boxes used for move-in in their rooms for the semester. Upon move-out, this will be helpful in packing. During move-in, trash will need to be taken to the nearby dumpsters. A map of dumpster locations will be available at move-in. No large items are permitted in the trash receptacles in the building hallways during move-in.
• Only those individuals helping with move-in are allowed in the building. Additional guests or friends are not permitted in the building in order to de-densify the move-in process.

Due to current Allegheny County Health Department restrictions, students are limited to one move-in assistant.  If conditions change, numbers will be updated here. The person helping you during move-in is expected to maintain public safety and adhere to physical distancing requirements. We strongly encourage you to limit the number of people helping you move to only one person.

• All students, family members and guests assisting with move-in are required to wear a facial covering at all times.
• Because we are assigning residents to specific bathroom fixtures, family and guests should only use the public bathrooms in the building lobbies and not the communal floor bathrooms.
• Family members and guests are expected to stay with their students at all times.
• Family members and guests must leave their student’s housing building by the end of the day on their move-in day. Once a new day’s timeslots start, occupancy of the building is limited to only those students and families/guests moving in on that day.

Your CMU ID card will provide you access to your building and room unless you live in Fairfax, Webster or Shady Oak, in which case you will need to pick up a hard key.

First-year students with a domestic address will receive their CMU ID cards in the mail and we anticipate you should receive them no later than January 20, 2021.

First-year students who live outside of the U.S. can pick up their ID cards during their designated move-in timeslot at the Residence on Fifth located at 4700 Fifth Avenue.

Students who did not receive their ID by January 20 should email housing@andrew.cmu.edu to let us know so that we can make other arrangements for your access.

Upper-class students should already have a CMU ID card. If a card is lost, students will be required to purchase a new card from the HUB during business hours. More information can be found on The HUB website.

Hard keys can be picked up during your timeslot at the Residence on Fifth located at 4700 Fifth Avenue.

Resident Assistants (RAs) will be managing the rental of red carts. RAs will be reaching out to their residents to provide information about access to red carts. Not all buildings are conducive to the use of a red cart so RAs may be able to provide other tips and tricks for a successful move-in.

If you have time, move items back to your vehicle. Then seek shelter in your vehicle or a nearby building until the storm has passed. If the weather is severe during the entirety of your timeslot, please begin your move-in process as soon as the weather clears.

If weather conditions impact your ability to move in at your schedule timeslot day and time, please contact Housing Services at 412-268-2139 to identify a different move-in timeslot.

• The move-in period will occur from January 23 to 31, 2021. A 14-day modified self-quarantine period will be expected of all residential students upon arrival. While in modified quarantine, students may not attend events or classes on campus, or leave campus. Activities such as picking up food from a campus dining location or exercising outdoors will be permitted so long as physical distancing is maintained and (except in the case of outdoor exercise) a facial covering is worn. Learn more about the modified quarantine period for all students.
• All bedrooms will be assigned as single-occupancy, with no more than four students sharing a bathroom fixture set.
• All first-year students living in university housing are required to have a dining plan, regardless of whether or not their assigned space has a private kitchen. Given that the vast majority of upper-class residential students in spring 2021 will be assigned to apartments with private kitchens and off-campus hotels, there will not be a meal plan requirement for upper class students. However, to prevent spread of the virus, all common area kitchens will be closed throughout university and Greek housing. As such, upper-class students living in university accommodations without access to a kitchen are strongly encouraged to maintain some level of meal plan (though it is not a requirement). More information is available on the Dining section of this page.
• All residential students will be required to take at least one test for COVID-19 during the modified quarantine period upon arrival. In conjunction with our university-wide testing strategy, residential students will likely be required to test regularly throughout the Spring semester. This is being required to prevent spread of the virus, especially among asymptomatic individuals.
• Isolation housing will be required for any resident who becomes symptomatic or tests positive for COVID-19, and quarantine housing will be required for any residential students who were in close contact with such a student during the previous 14 days. Isolation or quarantine housing will be required until a student is cleared by University Health Services, a time period that generally will be up to 14 days or longer depending on symptoms. Isolation housing provides a private bedroom/bathroom living space which a student must remain in at all times during the isolation period, meaning all engagement with university coursework will be done via remote learning. Meals will be delivered to the living space, and regular virtual support check-ins will be provided by University Health Services and Student Affairs staff.
• You will be expected to follow all of the other expectations in “A Tartan’s Responsibility” as well as all of the community health mitigation strategies put in place by the university (including those outlined in this FAQ).
• Move-out for the Spring semester must occur no later than noon on May 19, 2021, for non-graduating students, and noon on May 24, 2021, for graduating students. Summer housing will be available for students who seek it. Details regarding move-out and summer housing will be made available in April 2021.

• Two CMU branded facial coverings
• Personal-size hand sanitizer
• Personal-size anti-bacterial wipes
• Thermometer
• Giveaways
• Information about Winter Welcome programs
• Information about COVID mitigation expectations and resources

To rent a Microfridge, call 1-800-525-7307 or visit mymicrofridge.com. It costs $159.99 for the spring semester. Orders are on a first-come, first-serve basis so place your order as soon as you can.

If you are locked out of your room, there are multiple ways to gain access. For residents in Fairfax, Webster and Shady Oak, please see options 3 and 4.

1. You can utilize the CBORD Mobile ID app to receive a six-digit temporary lock-out code. You must be near your lock and logged into the CMU-Secure WiFi on your mobile device to activate the app. Make sure you push the hashtag (#) button on the keypad before entering the six-digit code. Follow the instructions to download the app. This app can also be used to unlock the main entrance to your residence hall.
2. If your phone is not available, visit the Access Housing website to acquire the one-time use temporary lock-out code.
3. Call the Housing Services office (412-268-2139) at the Residence on Fifth Monday through Friday during business hours (8:30 am - 5 pm) to receive a temporary access code. For residents in Fairfax, Webster and Shady Oak, please call to make an appointment to come to pick up a temporary key if you are locked out or have lost your original key. Do not come to the office for a temp key until you are instructed to do so.
4. If no other options are available, contact University Police (412-268-2323) after hours for lock-out assistance.

Housing works with the FMCS division of Custodial Services to clean the residence halls (excluding Fairfax, Webster, Shady Oak and hotels which are leased buildings and cleaned by their respective management teams. They are required to meet CMU's level of cleaning expectations).

• All buildings will be cleaned seven days a week by Custodial Services staff from 9 am until 7:30 pm. Custodial Services staff will also be doing enhanced daily cleaning of common restrooms and disinfecting high touch areas.
• Traditional residence halls and Greek chapter houses will have communal bathrooms cleaned twice a day. Students in these spaces will be assigned to specific bathroom fixtures (sinks, toilets and showers). Students will be required to only use their assigned fixtures, which will be assigned upon move-in.
• During the semester, the Custodial Services staff will conduct enhanced deep cleaning of common bathrooms and common spaces.

Yes. Students living in suite, semi-suite, traditional, Greek and hotel housing will be charged the lowest common room rate, which is the traditional double rate of $4,605 per semester. Students living in an apartment will be charged the studio apartment double rate of $5,362 per semester, which is the lowest apartment rate in our system.

Housing contracts started January 27, 2021.  Any student who has an extenuating circumstances or who is leaving the university due to a leave of absence or withdrawing from the university should send an email with details regarding your situation to rmassign@andrew.cmu.edu.  Housing refunds for any student approved to be released from their housing contract will be prorated based on the day that the request was made or the date that student completely vacated the room.

The available dining plans and associated costs may be found on the Dining Services website. First-year students may select from the Traditional Plans as indicated on the site. 

Upper-class and graduate students may select from the Traditional or Community Plans.

DineXtra is a declining balance program that is available to undergraduate and graduate students and can be used at any on-campus dining location, Entropy+ convenience store, on-campus vending machine or off-campus dining partner. These funds can be purchased at any time throughout the semester in addition to a dining plan or just as DineXtra alone.

All dining plans will be available for use at the time of move-in. Students will be able to use meal blocks, FLEX and DineXtra dollars at a select number of dining locations on campus prior to the start of classes

More information about dining locations and hours of operation is forthcoming. 

The Dining Portal will be closed from November 19, 2020 – January 16, 2021, at which time no changes to your dining plan can be made. The portal will re-open during the designated change period beginning January 16, through February 26, 2021, at 5:00 pm.

First-year students may change to the Green, Blue, or Red Traditional Dining Plans. If you are living in the Residence on Fifth, Margaret Morrison Apartments or Fifth Neville, you will have the option to change to the Yellow Traditional Dining Plan. You are permitted to increase to another Traditional Dining Plan at any time during the spring semester.

Upper-class and graduate students may change to any other meal plan (Traditional or Community) on or before 5:00 pm on February 26, 2021. Students are permitted to increase their Traditional or Community plan at any time during the semester.

A 14-day modified self-quarantine period will be expected of all residential students upon arrival.

While in modified quarantine, students may not attend events or classes on campus, or leave campus. Activities such as picking up food from a campus dining location or exercising outdoors will be permitted so long as physical distancing is maintained and (except in the case of outdoor exercise) a facial covering is worn. On-campus errands including getting supplies from the University Bookstore or packages from the Postal Services package window will be permitted with adherence to physical distancing and wearing a facial covering. Attendance at health care appointments, including those for COVID testing, is also acceptable so long as the university’s mitigation requirements are followed.

For the purposes of some limited opportunities for social interaction, first-year students will form a “pod” with members of their floor community.

Upperclass students should discuss their move-in plans with their suitemates or apartment mates to synchronize the timing of their arrival quarantine periods to the degree possible.

Learn more about the modified quarantine period for all students.

The move-in period will occur from January 23 to January 31. We are not able to grant exceptions for early arrivals in order to ensure a safe, structured and appropriately-staffed move in process and in order to ensure that the residence halls have been fully cleaned and reset following Fall move-out and Winter Break.

The hybrid-learning approach allows for residential students to participate fully in classes using remote technology until their modified quarantine period on arrival is complete. Further, as was the case in the Fall semester, all courses will be taught as remote only for the first two weeks of classes beginning February 1.

Residential students will be required to complete daily symptom tracking, be evaluated if symptomatic, and participate in weekly asymptomatic Tartan Testing beginning in February 2021, contact tracing and surveillance as required by the university.

Residential students will be required to have the influenza vaccine and will be encouraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine, once available.

Face coverings must be worn at all times outside of private rooms in the residence halls. Residents will be encouraged to limit entering personal spaces of other residents and expected to engage in the recommended practices of self-hygiene and physical distancing in all residential spaces.

All common-area kitchens will be closed. Some amenity spaces (e.g. makerspaces, fitness rooms, computer labs, recreation rooms) will be closed; we have been in consultation with experts in determining which spaces can be safely maintained and which will be closed. Furniture in common spaces will be reduced and arranged to support physical distancing.

In general, gatherings (including RA programs) in social spaces will be limited and otherwise moved to remote delivery. The university empanelled a working group that included representation from Residential Education and Housing Services to create guidelines and expectations for student gatherings and programs campus-wide, and our strategy comports with those guidelines.

Isolation housing will be required for any student who becomes symptomatic or tests positive for COVID-19, and quarantine housing will be required for any residential students who were in close contact with such a student during the previous 14 days.

Isolation or quarantine housing will be required until a student is cleared by University Health Services, a time period that generally will be up to 14 days or longer depending on symptoms.

Isolation housing provides a private bedroom/bathroom living space which a student must remain in at all times during the isolation period, meaning all engagement with university coursework will be done via remote learning. Meals will be delivered to the living space, and regular virtual support check-ins will be provided by University Health Services and Student Affairs staff.

With the exception of spring move-in (one helper), guests and visitors will not be permitted in housing facilities (including private rooms and community spaces such as lounges) as a means to mitigate community spread. Guests are defined as any persons not assigned to your same house community. This means that parents, family and friends – including other Carnegie Mellon students and residents outside of your assigned building – will not be permitted as guests during the Spring semester.

Housing works with the FMCS division of Custodial Services to clean the residence halls (excluding Fairfax, Webster, and Shady Oak which are leased buildings and cleaned by their respective management teams. They are required to meet CMU's level of cleaning expectations).

• All buildings will be cleaned seven days a week by Custodial Services staff from 9 am until 7:30 pm. Custodial Services staff will also be doing enhanced daily cleaning of common restrooms and disinfecting high touch areas.
• Traditional residence halls and Greek chapter houses will have the communal bathrooms cleaned twice a day. Students in these spaces will be assigned to specific bathroom fixtures (sinks, toilets and showers). Students will be required to only use their assigned fixtures, which will be assigned upon move-in.
• During the semester, the Custodial Services staff will conduct enhanced deep cleaning of common bathrooms and common spaces.

In effort to mitigate in-person contact and support physical distancing, Custodial Services will not be cleaning private spaces after move-in. Students in semi-suites, suites, apartments and hotels will be required to clean their own private/semi-private bathrooms. Students should acquire bathroom cleaning supplies prior to arriving on-campus as Housing Services does not supply them for private spaces.