The Office of Housing and Residence Life is committed to the concept of university life as a learning experience for our students. We expect that students have full knowledge of commitments to which they obligate themselves and an appropriate understanding and acceptance of consequences when they cannot fulfill their responsibilities. The contract for housing is a legal document that encompasses the entire academic year. 

Students are contracted from the day they sign the contract until the end of the Winter Semester in April. If extraordinary circumstances or unexpected difficulties occur, the Office of Housing and Residence Life may consider a contract release. A student interested in canceling their contract must contact their Living Center Director to obtain a Contract Release Request Form. Upon completion of the form the student should return it to their Living Center Director for an exit interview and signature. Students leaving GVSU should also contact the Registrar's Office to drop their courses.

If a student requests to cancel their contract prior to the end of Winter Semester they will be charged a cancellation fee, a daily room charge, and forfeit their $150.00 Housing deposit. The calculation of the applicable fees is based on the date the student notifies Housing and/or properly checks out of their room and returns their room key. The cancellation fees are charged whether a student is enrolled at GVSU or not enrolled. Under the contract, the student may also still be held responsible for other charges and damages such as room and public area damage charges. Meal Plan credits due to contract cancellations will be calculated based on the date of departure from campus and prior usage. Contract cancellations for Spring/Summer adhere to this process also.

Under the following circumstances, with appropriate documentation, a student may cancel their Housing and avoid the cancellation fees: change in medical status; military draft; graduation; and academic release (overseas study, practicum or internship outside the Kent/Ottawa counties and academic suspension). Under the above circumstances the student will still be charged a daily fee for any time they resided in campus housing during the semester. Students removed from campus housing due to disciplinary reasons may be held responsible for all cancellation fees.