Early Arrival
Early Arrival is offered for students who have a Fall 2024 housing assignment and need to arrive before Friday, August 16th, 2024.
University Sponsored Groups
If you are part of a university-sponsored program or student organization that will need to arrive before Friday, August 16th, please check with your coach or organization advisor for more details about your move-in date.
See below for University Sponsored Group Early Arrival schedule: (Last Updated: 7/1/24)
| Group | Date | Time | Check In Location |
| Summer Student Transition Day | Saturday, July 27th | 8am-12pm (CST) | Stokes Hall |
| Football | Saturday, July 27th | 8am-12pm (CST) | Stokes Hall |
| Sports Medicine Athletic Trainers | Saturday, July 27th | 8am-12pm (CST) | Stokes Hall |
| Women's Soccer | Saturday, July 27th | 8am-12pm (CST) | Stokes Hall |
| USA Housing RAs | Thursday, August 1st | With Supervisor | With Supervisor |
| Jaguar Productions | Thursday, August 1st | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| College of Education Field Experience | Sunday, August 4th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Jaguar Marching Band 1 | Tuesday, August 6th | 9am-12pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Jaguar Marching Band 2 | Wednesday, August 7th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Volleyball | Thursday, August 8th | 9am-12pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Jaguar Marching Band 3 | Friday, August 9th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Dance Team | Saturday, August 10th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Engineering MathBridge | Sunday, August 11th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| South Guides/NSOLs | Monday, August 12th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Global USA #1 | Tuesday, August 13th | 1-4pm (CST) | with Global USA |
| Honors College | Tuesday, August 13th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| BSU Executive Board | Wednesday, August 14th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Cheer & Mascots | Wednesday, August 14th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Global USA #2 | Wednesday, August 14th | 1-4pm (CST) | with Global USA |
| USA Southerners | Wednesday, August 14th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| Women's Basketball | Wednesday, August 14th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| WOX | Wednesday, August 14th | 1-4pm (CST) | Community Offices |
| To Be Determined: | |||
| SGA Executive Officers | TBD | TBD | Community Offices |
| Sports Medicine | TBD | TBD | Community Offices |
USA Housing will coordinate with your coach/organization’s advisor to schedule an earlier Move-In Appointment for you!
- You will not need to personally schedule a Move-In Appointment.
- You will receive your Move-In appointment and Move-In instructions (including check-in location) by mid-July via your JagMail.
Early Arrival
Personal early arrivals (students not involved in an early arrival group) are highly discouraged PRIOR TO AUGUST 10th and must be based on the student's need to be on campus and not convenience, including travel convenience. As a result, USA Housing grants very few requests for early arrival outside the parameters noted below. It may be necessary for parents to take a day off from work to move a student, so families are asked to plan accordingly. Please know that all requests for early arrivals are subject to the availability of the space where the student is assigned to live. Please note: If you are a member of an approved University-Sponsored Early Arrival Group, you must arrive during your group's designated arrival date and time.
Requests to arrive prior to the fall move-in date will NOT be approved for the following
reasons:
- Summer lease runs out: Students who live off-campus may not move into their fall rooms early due to summer
off-campus leases expiring. Summer II housing is available for students enrolled in
a summer class. Students living on campus for Summer II and Fall 2024 are permitted
to move to their fall room assignment on July 27th.
- Roommate already on campus: Students hoping to move in because their roommate(s) have already been approved will
not be granted permission for early arrival. Unauthorized early arrivals will be billed
a $100 per day early arrival fee, may be asked to leave, and face disciplinary action.
- "Just want to be back": If there is no legitimate reason for a student to be back on campus early, the request
will not be approved. Unauthorized early arrivals will be billed a $100 per day early
arrival fee, may be asked to leave, and face disciplinary action.
- Working in Mobile: Students working off-campus will not receive approval to move in early.
In the past, based on the sorority recruitment calendar, current sorority members living on campus moved back into the Chapter House (and other on-campus residence halls) the Saturday before the traditional move-in weekend for all residents. Due to the Fall 2024 Sorority Recruitment calendar dates, sorority members do not need to arrive on the Saturday before the traditional move-in weekend. Thus, Sorority early arrival is not on the published University-Sponsored Early Arrival Groups this year.
If living in Phi Mu or Chi Omega and a part of a University-Sponsored Early Arrival
Group (Cheer, Band, etc), residents can move into the Chapter House on the date of
their group's scheduled early arrival.
If not living in the Chapter House but in another on campus residence hall residents
can move into their residence hall on the date of their University- Sponsored early
arrival group's scheduled early arrival.
Chapters are not permitted to begin using, or preparing, common spaces of the Chapter
House for recruitment until Monday, August 12th.
Residents involved in a university-sponsored early arrival group do NOT have to book
a move in appointment.
If living in Phi Mu or Chi Omega, residents can move into the Chapter House on Monday, August 12th, or later with no charge for an early arrival (typically $80). Residents of the Chapter House should book a personal early arrival appointment in their MyUSAHousing portal for Monday, August 12th or later.
If not living in the Chapter House but in another on-campus residence hall, residents
can move into their residence hall as early as Saturday, August 10th (early arrival
fee waived beginning Monday, August 12th). Residents of a residence hall other than
the Chapter House should book a personal early arrival appointment in their MyUSAHousing
portal for Saturday, August 10th, or later.
Chapters are not permitted to begin using, or preparing, common spaces of the Chapter
House for recruitment until Monday, August 12th.
If living in Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, or Kappa Delta, residents can move into the Chapter House no earlier than Wednesday, August 14th (early arrival fees will be waived). USA Housing will coordinate with chapter leadership as soon as possible if this date can be sooner, or may be later, as renovations progress.
If not living in the Chapter House but in another on-campus residence hall, residents
can move into their residence hall as early as Saturday, August 10th (early arrival
fee waived beginning Monday, August 12th). Residents of a residence hall other than
the Chapter House should book a personal early arrival appointment in their MyUSAHousing
portal for Saturday, August 10th, or later.
Residents of these Chapter Houses should book a personal early arrival appointment
in their MyUSAHousing portal for Wednesday, August 14th, or later.
-
Can members living in the Chapter House move in on Saturday, August 10th, or Sunday, August 11th?
No, see the available dates above. Sorority members who are not a part of a university-sponsored early arrival group will not be permitted to check in until Monday, August 12th, or later. -
When will renovations be completed to AOP, AGD, and KD?
At this time we anticipate renovations to be completed and the Chapter House cleared for occupancy by Wednesday, August 14th. -
What if I do not have moving assistance, or my family is not able to assist me with moving in on a weekday?
We are providing these dates a month and a half in advance so that you have time to make arrangements for your move-in. If you and your family are unable to move in on a weekday, I suggest speaking with your organization's leadership to request an excuse. An option is also to delay moving the majority of your items until Saturday, August 17th, and only bring necessary items earlier in the week. -
Can sororities participate in the new drop-and-go option?
No, sorority Chapter Houses are not eligible for drop-and-go. But, members living in other on campus residence halls may be eligible: https://www.southalabama.edu/departments/housing/dropgo.html. -
When does recruitment begin/when can we start decorating and preparing the Chapter House?
-
- For Chi Omega and Phi Mu, in-house recruitment activities/decorating/preparation may
begin on Monday, August 12th.
- For Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Gamma Delta, and Kappa Delta, in-house recruitment activities/decorating/preparation
may begin on Wednesday, August 14th (USA Housing & USA Greek Life Offices will communicate
with chapter leadership if this date can be sooner, or will be later, based on renovations
progress).
- All chapters are allowed to engage in "out of the house" preparation prior to Monday, August 12th (such as using a fraternity house, with the permission of the fraternity, to practice chants/songs or store/work on decoration materials).
- For Chi Omega and Phi Mu, in-house recruitment activities/decorating/preparation may
begin on Monday, August 12th.
MOVE IN EARLY at NO CHARGE
- USA Housing invites returning upperclass students to move in early on either Wednesday, August 14th, or Thursday, August 15th, and participate in the Jaguar Welcome Team.
- Returning upperclass students who move in on either August 14th or August 15th and assist with at least one 4-hour volunteer shift during Move-In 2024 on the August 16 or August 17 will have their Early Arrival fees waived (up to $40).
- Student and university volunteers can click here to sign up with the USA SGA Office prior to August 12th and check in with their assigned move in captain on the day they are scheduled to volunteer.
Early Arrival Requests will open on MyUSAHousing beginning June 10, 2024, at 9AM CST, under the 'Requests' menu.
If you are NOT a member of a University-sponsored program or student organization and want to arrive early, you will need to submit an early arrival request online in your MyUSAHousing portal by July 26th, 2024!
Early Arrival Move-In Timeline:
- Saturday, August 10th, 12pm-5pm: Early arrival by appointment only ($120.00 early arrival fee) at your community office.
- Sunday, August 11th, 12pm-5pm: Early arrival by appointment only ($100.00 early arrival fee) at your community office.
- Monday, August 12th, 12pm-5pm: Early arrival by appointment only ($80.00 early arrival fee) at your community office.
- Tuesday, August 13th, 12pm-5pm: Early arrival by appointment only ($60.00 early arrival fee) at your community office.
- Wednesday, August 14th, 12pm-5pm: Early arrival by appointment only ($40.00 early arrival fee) at your community office.
- Thursday, August 15th, 12pm-5pm: Early arrival by appointment only ($20.00 early arrival fee) at your community office.
Early Arrival Additional Costs:
Early arrival fees are added to a student's PAWS account. All students who arrive prior to the published residence hall opening date are responsible for the early arrival fee. If a group or organization is paying the early arrival fee, the group sponsor must notify the Housing Office by July 1.
- All late requests received July 27-August 1, 2024, will be subject to a late charge of $100.00 in addition to the nightly rate.
- All late requests received August 2-7, 2024, will be subject to a late charge of $175.00 in addition to the nightly rate.
- All late requests received after August 8, 2024, will be subject to a late charge of $250.00 in addition to the nightly rate.
The Do's & Don'ts
Please review the following carefully before submitting your Early Arrival Request
- Please note that requests to arrive early may not be granted, as some rooms are unavailable until the published Residence Hall Opening date. If this applies to your room you will be notified via JagMail that you cannot participate in Early Arrival after USA Housing has processed your request.
- If your request is not approved, you will be required to wait until the published residence hall opening date to move in.
- Many services, such as Dining, may not be fully operational prior to the published residence hall opening date.
- Early Arrival is not guaranteed and will be assessed based on eligibility.
- If the student withdraws from the program/event that necessitated their early arrival, they will no longer be eligible to arrive early.
- Approved students are responsible for the 'Terms & Conditions' outlined in their housing contract and will be expected to abide by all housing Community Standards during the early arrival period.
- Overnight guests are not permitted during the early arrival period.
- Building maintenance, including painting and final cleaning, may be ongoing in the residential communities during the early arrival period.
For more information or if you have any questions, please call the USA Housing Office at 251-341-4663.