For students who live on campus, University Housing and Dining Services is the program in charge of all residence and dining halls at Oregon State University. 

According to the UHDS website, its 16 residential halls offer different room sizes, moveable furniture, streaming device access, laundry facilities and kitchen appliances all intended to benefit students living on campus.

Living on campus has a number of benefits for students, said Brian Stroup, the director of operations of University Housing & Dining Services. 

“Our contracts for on-campus housing are for the academic year only, so there’s no need to sign a year-long lease for housing in the community,” Stroup said via email. “Our contracts are also flexible if you’re leaving Corvallis for an internship or study abroad opportunity, so you can avoid the challenge of finding someone to sub-lease your space.”

The residence halls are close to all of the lecture halls, the Valley Library and campus events, Stroup noted.

“You don’t need to worry about driving onto campus daily,” Stroup said via email.  

Current first-year students are required to live on campus, but have the option to stay on campus for the following year.

If students have friends they would like to live with, there are apartments or suites available in the residence halls. If they don’t want to stress about finding roommates, UHDS can match them up with other second-year and above students, Stroup said. 

“We have communities set aside for second-year and above students in many locations on campus. Some are entire buildings, like Halsell Hall, while others are specific wings or floors within a building,” Stroup said via email. “Many of them offer apartment-style or suite-style options that give students more space and privacy than traditional-style residence hall rooms.”

According to Stroup, OSU students in their second year and above get a discount of $300 off of their regular housing rates per term. All current OSU students are eligible for this discount, even if they are not currently

living on campus.

“Take a look at our furnished apartment and suite-style options, where you will be able to live with other second-year and above students, graduate students and transfer students,” Stroup said via email. “We have housing tours coming up on March 2 and 9 and April 6. Interested students will be able to check out several of our second-year and above communities.”

Students with meal plan balances left over from their current year will roll over for the following year. All on-campus residents receive the highest meal discount of 25 percent off all dining center meals. 

Alex Banks, a second-year student who lives in Cauthorn Hall, transferred to OSU last year.

“The floor that I live on is second-year and up specific, so I’m in a hallway with people who are in my standings,” Banks said. “I guess it’s been great, I don’t really have anything bad to say about UHDS.”

Logan Reck, a first year student also taking residence in Cauthorn Hall, utilizes the resources given to him by UHDS as well.

“Living on campus allows you to meet new people and make new friends. On the other hand, you’re left with very little privacy, and it can be very noisy from time to time,” Reck said. “UHDS is nice in that it provides students with food and a place to work, but the amount of money students spend on it can be frustrating.”

All the second-year and above communities are listed at uhds.link/return.