Residential Programs and Breaks

Residence halls remain open during fall, Thanksgiving, and spring breaks. Residence halls are closed to most students during summer and winter breaks.

See the Five-Year Academic Calendar for details about when residence halls are open and closed.

Residential Programs

The summer residential program is available to:

  • Grinnell College research/MAP students,
  • Full time summer (College-sponsored) interns, and
  • Student College employees who work a minimum of 30 hours per week.

Rental cost is $100 per week (full week payments/contracts only; partial week refunds will not be issued).

Partial Term

Minimum of 5 weeks required and subject to availability. 

Students in need of partial term residency must clearly indicate dates housing is needed on the Summer Housing Contract. (Partial term housing is on a ‘space available’ basis.  Priority is given to full term requests.)

The summer residence program is not available to individuals who are not Grinnell College students, students who have graduated, or former students who are no longer enrolled at Grinnell College.

Houses and Assignments

Campus houses are not fully accessible and most are not air-conditioned. Students with accessibility needs or a medical condition who require a residential accommodation must have documentation on file with the Disability Resource Office. The type of accommodation required must be clearly indicated on the Summer Residential Contract. Students in need of a medical accommodation will be assigned a house/room based on the accommodation required.

Students are assigned a single room whenever possible. Depending on interest, there may not be enough single rooms for everyone, therefore students are asked to indicate their roommate preference. If space/room is needed, students will be paired with a roommate.

Students may indicate their house, housemate, and roommate preferences on the Summer Residential Contract. Specific house and room requests are not guaranteed; placements are dependent on need and availability.

Interim Residency

Interim residency is available to a small number of students who are unable to leave campus before and/or after the summer term.

Students not enrolled in the Summer Residential Program (either part or full term) are not eligible for interim residency and may not remain on campus beyond checkout for an extended stay.

Special approval for early and/or late summer interim residency must be received from the Department of Residence Life. Students must indicate their need for interim residency on the Summer Residential Contract; contract and payment must be submitted by the due date in order to be considered for interim residency.  Students may be placed in a transitional room during their interim stay. 

Late Interim Residency

Late interim housing is only available to students living on campus during the summer and whose summer housing term extends to the fall semester. 
late interim residency charges are not included in the total rental amount and must be paid separately.

Cost: $100 per week.

Sign-Up

A Summer Residency Contract will be sent to students via email or are available from the Department of Residence Life.

To reserve a space for summer residency, the Summer Residential Contract and $100 deposit payment must be submitted by the deadline.

Completed and signed contracts can be returned to the Department of Residence Life, Rosenfield Center, third floor.

Deposit payments may be made at Student Accounts. Cash, credit, or debit cards are accepted. The $100 deposit payment is applied to total rental charges. The remainder of rent is automatically deducted from student’s payroll checks or stipend.

Students who request summer residency after the deadline are on a ‘space available’ basis.

Laundry and Storage

Students living in summer residency may use laundry facilities located in Main Hall. Short-term storage will be available in Clark 5025. 

Laundry facility and storage details will be sent to students via email after contracts are received and assignments are final.

Check-in/Checkout

A Room Inventory Report will be completed for each room. Students should thoroughly review the Inventory Sheet following check in.

At the end of the summer residency term, students must schedule a time to check out of their room with the Department of Residence Life or forfeit the right to appeal damage/excessive clean up charges.

Room keys must be returned at checkout or taken to Campus Security before leaving campus. Students who do not return their key will not receive credit for the $50 key deposit.

Students must vacate campus residences during winter break unless declared a winter break sponsored student (WBSS). As a sponsored student, you are approved to remain on campus after closing and/or return prior to the opening of the College during winter break for one or more of the following reasons:

  • participation in winter athletics or other College sponsored activities/events;
  • International or U.S. global nomad student;
  • working for College services* a minimum of 20 hours per week; or
  • approved by the Division of Student Affairs.

Sponsorship involves obtaining permission that will be communicated between the sponsoring department and Residence Life. Any student seeking to stay over winter break that is not sponsored by a department or athletic team must meet with the director of Residence Life.

No other students are allowed in student residences during winter break.

*College services are those services necessary for the day to day operation of the College during winter break. These services include but are not limited to campus security, mail services, catering, library, and admission.

WBSS status is a privilege, not a right. Only sponsored students are allowed in student residences during winter break. WBSS automatically agree to accept and comply with College rules and regulations. We thank you for acting responsibly so that your ability to stay in student residences during winter break is not jeopardized. In the rare case a WBSS violates the Winter Break Policy or does not act responsibly during this time, the student may be required to leave campus until the semester begins, fines may be issued, and/or judicial charges may be pursued. 

Alcohol and Drug Policy

All student residences are substance-free during winter break. All WBSS implicitly agree not to use or distribute alcohol or drugs on campus during this time, regardless of age. Departments whose WBSS violates this policy may lose future privileges of sponsoring students during winter break. 

WBSS Agree To:

  • Abide by the Winter Break Substance-Free Policy.
  • Keep public spaces clean and orderly throughout the entire break period.
  • Not allow unauthorized students into student residences.
  • Keep outside doors to all residence halls and campus houses closed and locked (not propped open).
  • Meet the work/participation requirements of their sponsoring department. Students who withdraw from their sponsored program must vacate their residence hall/campus house room within 24 hours of withdrawal.
  • Arrive on campus on the exact date indicated in the letter from their sponsor. Students who arrive before their sponsored date may be charged a $100 per night fee. 

Residence Life Coordinator / Emergency Contact

If you have an emergency or need assistance, please call ext. 4600 (or 641-269-4600 if calling from off-campus) to reach Campus Security and/or the RLC on call.

Meal Preparation

WBSS may cook in the residence halls and campus house kitchens. WBSS who use campus kitchens agree to clean the kitchen immediately. All items left out and / or dirty will be disposed of daily. All appliances must be turned off unplugged immediately after each use. Once cool, all appliances must be stored/put away accordingly.

We use cookies to enable essential services and functionality on our site, enhance your user experience, provide better service through personalized content, collect data on how visitors interact with our site, and enable advertising services.

To accept the use of cookies and continue on to the site, click "I Agree." For more information about our use of cookies and how to opt out, please refer to our website privacy policy.