On-Campus Housing FAQs

Room & Board rates can be seen here.

All laundry costs are included with housing, so no coins or swipe cards are needed. Bring your own detergent (no pods, please). Some buildings share laundry facilities.  

Yes, but coordinate with your roommates to make sure you aren’t bringing duplicates. We also have microwave-mini-fridge combos to rent for the school year.

No. First year students are accommodated in residence halls located on central campus. To learn more about these residence halls, click here. 

There is no standard wattage or bed lift measurements because these vary from building to building. Some beds can be lofted (which could accommodate a desk underneath) and some beds can only be lifted (which will accommodate under-bed storage). You can request these changes via a Work Order after you move in.

Within the first year halls, there are a limited number of communcal kitchens. 

First year residence halls only have heating. Townhouses have A/C and heating.

Two residence halls have elevators (Augustine and Aquinas).

We currently have singles available for residents in the central and canyon sections of the residence halls. Please note singles are limited in the central campus area for first year students, but in the canyon areas for sophomores and juniors we'll be adding additional suite single options for the 2023-2024 academic year.

All students living on campus have meal plans bundled into their housing costs.  Starting Fall 2023, this includes residents living in the Townhouses, where there will be bundled meal swipes included in their food and housing costs like students in first-year and suite-style halls.Saint Mary's Campus Housing and Dining Services through Good Eating Company are dedicated to supporting the student experience. Meal plans increase the student experience on campus, allowing students to dine in community and have access to meals when needed. The townhouse style meal plan gives students the opportunity to prepare most of their meals, while still allowing the convenience of having a quick, easy meal on campus.2023-2024 Meal Plan Information will be added to this page once rates and plans are finalized.

Flex dollars are loaded to your student ID card and can be used to purchase food on campus at the dining hall or the coffee shop, and off-campus at certain restaurants and stores in town.

Click here to learn more about flex dollars and where to use it!

The board points plan purchased with your meal plan will roll over from fall to spring semesters but not year-to-year.  Board Points dollars not used by the end of spring are lost. Any additional flex dollars you add yourself during the school year do rollover year-to-year.  Board points are the same as Flex dollars, but are contractual with meal plans and do not roll over.

For students living in first year halls and suite style halls (except Becket/More), the cost of a 5 or 7 day meal plan is already bundled into your room/board cost.  Whether you pick the 5DAY or the 7DAY meal plan, the cost will be the same.  To learn the difference, check out more detailed meal plan information HERE.

Yes, food deliveries may be made to your residence hall.

Congratulations on your acceptance to Saint Mary's! Visit this page for more information on applying for campus housing. Students interested in living on campus for the upcoming year must submit an online housing application through the StarRez housing portal that can be found on your MYSMC resources page. For further information for students new to the College, visit Your Pathway To SMC. 

When you complete the housing application you will note your interest. Living Learning Communities (LLCs) available to first-year students include the STEM/Science LLC in Assumption Hall and the Honors Program LLC in Aquinas Hall. 

Yes, you can go back into your housing application through the StarRez housing portal to edit your roommate request. Please remember that desired roommates must be mutually linked/connected (both roommates must accept each other) through the housing application to ensure you pick a room together during room selection week.

Students are able to create their profile though the online housing application, which will be viewed by other students upon selecting a room. Remember to be honest about your living habits through the questionnaire. 

If you want to request a specific roommate, both students must use their profile names to mutually request, connect and accept each other through the housing application. 

Priority is based on when you submit your housing application. The sooner you submit your online housing application, the earlier appointment time slot you will receive to choose your room.  First Year Honors Students interested in living in Aquinas Hall will be given an earlier timeslot so they have priority in choosing to live in Aquinas Hall, where the Honors Living Learning Community is housed.

No. Each student chooses their own space, but it is up to students to coordinate outside of StarRez if they want to be with a specific roommate. You will fill out a questionnaire about your living habits, which other students can view during the room selection process. 

Students who use their Board Points/Flex Dollars that come with your meal plan in Oliver Hall receive a 19.5% discount on their meal purchase compared to using cash or credit.

Students do not receive a discount at off-campus locations. 

More information on dining can be found HERE.

Campus Housing offers gender-inclusive housing options for students. It is the intention of Campus Housing to make room assignments on how you, the student, identify. Please contact the Housing Operations Manager (925-631-4897) to discuss your housing preferences. For additional support and resources, please contact the Director of the Intercultural Center (925-631-8358) or the Director of the Center for Women and Gender Equity (925-631-4171). Please refer to the Saint Mary's College Nondiscrimination Disclosure found in the College's Undergraduate Student Handbook. 

Students living in the townhouses will have a 75 block meal plan included in their room/board costs, where residents will be able to swipe into Oliver Hall 75 times per semester at no additional cost.  Townhouse residents can increase their meal plan to the 175 block meal plan, the 5DAY meal plan, or the 7DAY meal plan for an additional cost.

Students are welcome to bring their car to campus, but will need to purchase a permit through Campus Safety & Transportation.