Seasonal Break Housing

Kent State University's residence halls close at 7pm on Friday, December 18, 2026. Students will not have access to residence halls during Winter Break; however, students can leave their belongings in their rooms during break assuming their plans are to return for the spring semester. Students should make sure they take home all items they will need during the break. Your RA will provide more in-depth information concerning winter break and hall closing procedures at a closing floor meeting before finals week. Please plan to attend this meeting.

If you are not returning to Kent State University for the spring semester (because of graduation, transfer, withdrawal, etc.) you need to contact your Residence Hall Director or Assistant Residence Hall Director before finals week in order to schedule a checkout appointment. You will be able to check out during finals week within 24 hours of your last exam or Friday if you are participating in graduation. For more information on checking out at the end of the fall semester, please see our Winter Break Check Out page.

Kent State does offer winter break housing for students who need to stay on campus after 5pm on Friday, December 18, 2026 and before 9am on Sunday, January 17, 2027. Only students with a housing assignment for the entire academic year (fall semester and spring semester) are eligible. Students who are withdrawing, transferring to a different university, studying abroad during the spring semester, or graduating in December are NOT eligible for winter break housing.

As long as a winter break housing request is completed, students are able to stay in their current fall semester room for the entire break period, or for as many days as needed. The cost for Winter Break Housing is $425 for the entire break, to be billed to each student's KSU Bursar account after the second week of the spring semester.

Please note, new students to campus who did not live on campus during the fall semester will be able to move into their rooms on Saturday before classes start, and will not need to complete a break housing application. Students who need to arrive prior to January 17, 2026 will need to request early arrival. The early arrival request will be available starting on December 1. New students will first need to check in at their Area Desk to receive their room key.

For students who are interested in winter break housing, please review the information below:

The University offices will be closed from December 24, 2026 through January 1, 2027. The University offices will re-open on January 4, 2027.
The University Housing main office in Korb Hall will be open during winter break on days that the University is open. Residence Hall Directors will maintain office hours during break; however, they may be out of the office at times due to their break/holiday plans.
Fall 2026 meal plans end on Friday, December 18 at 8pm. Meal plans are not active and dining choices on campus are limited during the break. Visit University Culinary Services' website for break dining information. Spring 2027 meal plans start on Saturday, January 16, 2027.
Safety and Community Care staff will be on duty each night of winter break. The Safety and Community Care staff can be reached at 330-672-7004.
During winter break, the Dunbar and Tri-Towers area desks will be open from 8am until 5pm on days that the University is open.
If you become locked out of your room during winter break during business hours, you will need to contact your area desk. If you become locked out during non-business hours, you can reach a break staff person on duty by calling the Tri-Towers Area Desk at 330-672-3244; this number will be forwarded to the break staff on duty when offices are closed.
If you have a problem during winter break, during business hours, you may contact winter break staff through the University Housing main office at 330-672-7000. During non-business hours, you can reach the break staff on duty by calling the Tri-Towers Area Desk at 330-672-3244.

You can submit a Winter Break Housing Request starting on November 1, 2026 by following this link and selecting "Housing Forms",

Winter Break Housing Request

The residence halls will reopen after break on Sunday, January 17, 2027. Residents who need to arrive before this date will need to request Early Arrival. Residents who need to stay later than 5pm on Friday, December 18, 2026 will need to speak with their Residence Hall Director or Assistant Residence Hall Director, or complete a Winter Break Housing Request.

Questions regarding Break Housing can be sent to Break Housing at UHBreakHousing@kent.edu.

Winter Break Check Out

The residence halls will close for winter break on Friday, December 18 at 7 p.m.

Are you returning to the halls for spring 2027? There is no need to move all items out of your room. Please remember to take all items that you will need over the break, especially those personal items and items of value. You will not have access to your room during the break to retrieve these items.

If you are not returning to the residence halls for the spring semester, the following procedures will help guide you through the process and ensure your student account is accurate.

REASONS FOR CHECKING OUT

You are likely aware that your contract with University Housing is for the entire academic year. Reasons for checking out include:

Withdrawal from Kent State University. In order to check out, contact your Residence Hall Director or email us at housing@kent.edu. Our office will initiate the checkout process and schedule a checkout appointment with you.
Transfer to another university. In order to check out, contact your Residence Hall Director or email us at housing@kent.edu. Our office will initiate the checkout process and schedule a checkout appointment with you.
Transfer to a regional campus. Complete the Application for Housing Release indicating transfer to a regional campus. Upon verification and approval, our office will initiate the checkout process and schedule a checkout appointment with you.

You have been granted a housing release. If you have not yet submitted an Application for Housing Release, you may learn more on our Application for Housing Release page. Once approved, our office will initiate the checkout process and schedule a checkout appointment with you.

You are graduating at the end of this semester. The Graduation office will share a list of all fall graduates with us.

You plan to study abroad in the spring. You will need to complete a Application for Housing Release. Once approved, our office will initiate the checkout process and schedule a checkout appointment with you.

SCHEDULE APPOINTMENT

You must officially check out of your room. To do so, you will need to schedule an appointment with a hall staff member. Once notified of your approval to checkout, your Residence Hall Director or Assistant Residence Hall Director will reach out to schedule a checkout appointment.

AVOID EXTRA CHARGES

We want to complete the final room inspection in your presence to avoid any misunderstandings about damages and charges. Failure to check out with a University Housing staff member will result in an improper check-out charge of $25.00 being assessed to your Bursar account. Following the closing of the halls, an Official Damage Inspection of all rooms will be completed by the Residence Hall Director/Assistant Residence Hall Director. Any damage previously undetected by the RA, found during the Official Damage Inspection, will be charged to ALL room occupants residing in the room at the time of closing.

Before your appointment with hall staff to check out, please remove all personal items and clean your room. This includes:

Removal of any “Stars/tape”, etc. from ceiling, windows, and walls.

Empty closets and drawers. Check upper sections of the closet and bottom drawers of dresser for items.

Remove wall hangings.

Remove any carpet and carpet tape you may have brought in carefully to avoid damage to floor tile.

Sweep the floor (not into the hallway) and place debris in the trash.

Close and lock windows and close draperies/blinds/shades.

Empty trash cans/recycle bins and dispose of all trash in appropriate containers.

Failure to remove all personal furniture (chairs, couches, desk, bricks, lumber, carpet, unwanted personal items) can result in a $50.00 minimum fine per item left in and around the residence halls. Discarded personal furniture must be placed beside the open top dumpster outside of your building to avoid being billed.

UNIVERSITY PROPERTY

All university property other than the equipment and furniture assigned to each room is to be returned to its original location. In addition, all furniture assigned to each room must be accounted for.

All beds that have been disassembled must be properly assembled before you leave to avoid being charged. All bunked beds must use 4 bed pins. The remaining pins are to be placed in the top desk drawer.

Window screens must be in place.

DISPOSE OF TRASH AND UNWANTED BELONGINGS

Please properly dispose of all items you do not wish to take home. Garbage bags are available in the trash rooms if one is needed to assist with the removal of trash. Outside of each hall, dumpsters are used for general mixed recycling only. The large green dumpsters are for cardboard only.

Late Stay

Needing to stay late due to travel, graduation, or some other extenuating circumstances? A late stay can be granted until Sunday, December 20 at noon. To request a late stay, please submit the Late Stay Request Form on your Housing Portal. The Late Stay Request form will open on November 23.

Winter Break Housing

Need to stay in the Residence Halls over winter break? Please complete the Winter Break Housing Application which opens November 1. For more information about Winter Break Housing, you can visit our webpage: Seasonal Break Housing

Spring 2027

The Residence Halls will reopen for the Spring 2027 semester on Sunday, January 17 with classes beginning on Tuesday, January 19.