Application Guides

Floor Plan Accommodation Requests

Floor Plan accommodation requests include modifications to the on-campus housing environment, such as, but not limited to:

• Physical accessibility features (such as but not limited to ground level access, accessible shower, toilet, and sink, and remote-control door access)
• Private Bedroom: A bedroom that is not shared between roommates for disability reasons
• Private Bathroom: A bathroom that is not shared between roommates for disability reasons
• Semi-Private Bathroom: A bathroom that is only shared with one other person for disability reasons
• In-Unit Kitchen: A kitchen available and shared within a suite of roommates for disability reasons
• Private Kitchen: A kitchen that is not shared between roommates for disability reasons
• Semi-Private Kitchen: A kitchen that is only shared with one other person for disability reasons
• Strobe Light Fire Alarm
• Access for Personal Care Attendant(s)

Preferred Deadline: Students should submit requests for Floor Plan Accommodation requests no later than:

• April 1st for Fall move in
• November 5th for Spring move in
• February 1st for Summer A/C/D move in
• March 1st for Summer B move in

Requests may take up to 8 weeks to fully review and implement, starting from the date the application is submitted. This timeframe does not include any time needed by the student to respond to inquiries from SAS and/or Housing and Residence life for additional information to support a request. Implementation may take longer for unique requests and depending on specific situations.

For students requesting floorplan accommodations, please complete the following steps:

1. If you are seeking a private room, private bathroom, or in unit kitchen and already have a confirmed housing agreement, check our  Request Met by Agreement Type Quick Guide to see if your request may be naturally met by the agreement you have. If it does not meet your request or you are seeking other floor plan accommodations, proceed to the next step. Per UCF Housing and Residence Life’s assignment process, Any non-FTIC (First Time in College) student will be placed in a private room if selected for a housing space through the housing lottery.
2. Submit the Floor Plan Accommodation Application (via Knights Access)
3. Documentation
   Please note that you should not delay meeting with us if you are concerned about not having the right documentation. Each consultant will discuss specific third-party documentation needs during the Welcome Meeting and steps you can take after the meeting. Our priority is meeting with you, not reviewing the documentation. After submitting your online application, you will be invited to submit documentation via electronic upload.
   • SAS provides an optional  Provider Form for UCF Housing Floor Plan Accommodation Requests that students can have a qualified professional complete to support their accommodation request(s).
   • If you are seeking housing floor plan accommodations related to an allergy, we highly recommend that you provide documentation that addresses questions found in our  Allergy Documentation Questionnaire with your application.
   • Insufficient documentation will not delay the initial meeting but may delay the consideration and possible approval of certain accommodations.
4. Check UCF Email and Follow the Prompts
   After you submit your application, you will immediately receive an automated email informing you that SAS will review your application. SAS will then contact you via UCF email within ten business days regarding your next step. For students with a UCF email address, SAS will only send email communications via the UCF email system. After our initial application review, we may be able to approve some accommodation requests without needing a meeting. For those requests that require a meeting, keep these tips in mind:
   • It may take a minimum of three weeks to schedule a meeting. Students new to UCF are strongly encouraged to request accommodations from SAS as early as possible prior to attending UCF.
   • During the meeting, an SAS staff member will talk with you about the challenges you experience in housing relative to your disability, reasonable accommodations to address the barriers within housing, and potential next steps and accommodation options. Our goal is to keep the meeting relaxed and comfortable.
   • It may take time after a meeting to finalize and facilitate accommodations. We often need to work with UCF Housing and Residence Life to facilitate housing accommodations which can take some time to coordinate.

Emotional Support Animal

Under the Fair Housing Act, students may request to have an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) in their living space. An ESA is an animal that an individual with a disability utilizes solely for emotional support, well-being, or comfort. Students are encouraged to review  UCF’s Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Policy to become familiar with UCF’s guidelines and expectations for those bringing ESAs to on campus housing.

Students may not bring the ESA to campus prior to approval from SAS & Housing and Residence Life. Doing so is a UCF policy violation.

When submitting a request for an ESA, please note that:

• In most cases, the student should have an established “relationship” with the requested ESA so that the student is familiar with the ESA-related disability benefits that the ESA provides and so that the student understands the care the animal will need while living in the residence hall.
• Only one animal will be approved as an ESA except in extenuating circumstances in which the need for more than one animal is clearly crucial for a student due to disability.
• Non-domesticated and Exotic Animals:
  • Dogs and cats are the most frequently requested ESAs. Requests for other types of animals, particularly non-domesticated and exotic animals, will warrant a more in-depth assessment of the safety and well-being of our residential communities. Non-domesticated and exotic animals include reptiles (other than turtles), ferrets, barnyard animals, monkeys, kangaroos, and other animals that are not considered common household animals. Requests will also be assessed relative to State of Florida regulations on keeping wildlife as pets.
  • As part of the review, the burden of proof rests on the requestor to provide clear and compelling documentation about why a typical household animal cannot provide the emotional support needed and why the specific animal requested does meet the student’s emotional support needs. Documentation must also clearly stipulate how the exotic/unique animal being requested is appropriate to be in a university residence hall and within a community that is different from off-campus living.
  • Animal size, space needed for containment (such as a crate), daily animal care needed, behavioral temperament, and immediate and potential risks to the residential community are all considered before approval. These additional factors may supersede any medical recommendations for a non-domesticated or exotic animal ESA.
• Multiple Animal Requests:
  • Multiple ESAs are rarely approved as a reasonable accommodation for one student.
  • If requesting multiple ESAs, a student must provide strong supporting documentation that clearly describes how each animal provides a distinct therapeutic emotional support that alleviates a symptom of the disability that a single animal cannot provide.
  • Multiple ESAs are not considered reasonable when the primary reason is for the mutual benefit of each ESA (such as because two animals will be happier together or because both animals need social interaction with each other for their emotional well-being).

Preferred Deadline: Students should submit requests for ESAs in housing no later than:

• April 1st for Fall move in
• November 5th for Spring move in
• February 1st for Summer A/C/D move in
• March 1st for Summer B move in

Requests may take up to 8 weeks to fully review and implement, starting from the date the application is submitted. This timeframe does not include any time needed by the student to respond to inquiries from SAS and/or Housing and Residence life for additional information to support a request. Implementation may take longer for unique requests and depending on specific situations.

Approval for a student to bring an ESA to on-campus housing does not automatically grant permission for students to bring the ESA to any non-Housing spaces at UCF. Students seeking to bring their ESA to class or other non-housing UCF spaces should complete our Application for Academic Accommodations to request the presence of an ESA in the classroom. Bringing a housing-approved ESA to other locations on campus without SAS approval is a UCF policy violation.

For students requesting an ESA in housing, please complete the following steps:

1. Submit the Housing ESA Application (via Knights Access)
2. Provide Documentation (Required)
   After submitting your online application, you will be required to submit documentation via electronic upload.
   • Required: The  Medical Provider Form for UCF Housing ESA Request completed by your healthcare provider OR all information requested in the form must be answered in a separate letter before SAS can make a final determination.
   • Required: Documentation with up-to-date vaccination information.
   • Potentially Required: For all requested animals who must be taken outside of a student’s assigned housing unit for natural relief (such as a dog), the  UCF ESA Animal Behavioral Assessment Form OR all information requested in the form must be answered on separate paper before SAS can make a final determination. The behavioral assessment should be conducted by a veterinarian, animal trainer, or other animal expert and indicate that the particular animal requested is suitable for the high-density residence hall living environment where the student may have assigned roommates and where the animal will regularly be in close contact with other individuals unknown to the animal. Individualized Documentation: Documentation should be specific to you, your animal, your symptoms experienced due to disability, and how your specific animal mitigates those symptoms. Some websites sell certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for assistance animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. Beware that these websites do not provide documentation that meets SAS requirements. Under the Fair Housing Act, SAS may request reliable documentation when an individual requesting a reasonable accommodation has a disability and disability-related need for an accommodation that is not obvious or otherwise known. Be sure to upload all required documentation before submitting your application. Failure to provide a required document will result in a denial of your request until you provide all required documentation. Furthermore, all ESA questions for students and medical providers must be sufficiently answered for applications to be considered complete. Incomplete responses to questions will lead to an automatic non-approval of the ESA request until sufficient information is provided for reconsideration.
3. Check UCF Email and Follow the Prompts
   After you submit your application, you will immediately receive an automated email informing you that SAS will review your application. SAS will then contact you via UCF email within ten business days regarding your next step. For students with a UCF email address, SAS will only send email communications via the UCF email system. ESA applications and subsequent SAS decisions are primarily managed through a document review. Individual meetings are less common, though SAS may follow-up by email with questions or initiate a meeting request.