Medical Housing Accommodation

Medical Housing

Applications for Medical Housing are currently closed. Please read the information below for details on the application process. Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year will open in early February for returning students and in early April for accepted students. If you have questions about Medical Housing at Messiah University, please send an email to medicalhousing@messiah.edu.

Applying for Medical Housing at Messiah University

Procedures, Guidelines, and Deadlines

As a four-year residential university, Messiah offers the opportunity for students to live in campus housing with their peers. Living in a residence hall or apartment is an integral part of a student's experience during their undergraduate years and can promote a strong sense of belonging and community. Although residence facilities at Messiah University are accessible for students with disabilities, there may be a circumstance under which a student would like to request a medical housing accommodation. The following information will be helpful for any student considering a medical housing request because of a physical, psychological, or health impairment.

Please note: Requests for particular housing assignments based on a student's preference, rather than on a medical need, will not be honored.

Procedure for requesting medical housing at Messiah University

1. Complete the online Medical Housing Request Form by the appropriate deadline listed below. Students must be logged into Google with their Messiah University credentials to complete the application. The best way to ensure access to the Medical Housing Request Form is to open an Incognito Window in a browser and then sign into Google with Messiah credentials. If an error occurs regarding access, please confirm that a Messiah student Google account is being used.

2. Send the Disability Documentation Form (DDF) to your healthcare provider for completion and confirm that the completed form is submitted to the Office of Academic Accessibility before the application deadline.

   • The healthcare provider (psychologist, psychiatrist, MD, CRNP, PA, or allergist) must be licensed and qualified to make a diagnosis and recommendation for medical housing.

   • Although the DDF will be submitted to the university by the healthcare provider directly, it is the student's responsibility to make sure the DDF is sent to Messiah University by the medical housing application deadline.

   • Failure to submit a completed DDF by the medical housing application deadline will result in a denial of the medical housing request.

   • Note: The Disability Documentation Form is an online, fillable PDF document designed for ease of use by healthcare providers using a PC in an office setting. For this reason, some mobile devices, particularly iPhones, may not be able to open the DDF.

Clarifications on applying for medical housing at Messiah University

Medical housing accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis, according to documented need(s), prevailing standards for reasonable accommodations, and campus availability. Approval for housing accommodations is granted through the Office of Academic Accessibility, in collaboration with staff from the Engle Center for Counseling and Health Services and from Residence Life, and is based on medical documentation submitted prior to the application deadline.

All requests for medical housing are prioritized by need. Applications will be reviewed and students will be notified about approval prior to Housing Sign-Ups. If approved for medical housing, the student and his or her roommate/s will not need to participate in Housing Sign-Ups through Residence Life.

It is important to remember that students are not making a request for a specific housing assignment but for a medical housing accommodation. Please be advised that single rooms are reserved for individuals whose documentation illustrates substantial needs and for whom a standard housing assignment with a roommate is not viable.

Deadlines for requesting medical housing at Messiah University

Under normal circumstances, medical housing requests are considered before the start of each academic year. The deadline for medical housing applications for returning students is March 3, while the deadline for accepted and transfer students is May 15. For students commencing studies or requesting a change mid-year, the application deadline is November 11. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the required forms are submitted to the Office of Academic Accessibility prior to the application deadline. The Disability Documentation Form is to be completed, downloaded, signed, and submitted to Messiah University by the applicant's licensed healthcare provider (psychologist, psychiatrist, MD, CRNP, PA, or allergist).

Beginning of the academic year application deadlines

• Returning Messiah University students - March 3 (Online application will open in early February.)
• Accepted and fall semester transfer Messiah University students - May 15 (Online application will open in early April.)

Mid-year application deadline -

• All students - November 11 (Online application will open in early October.)

More information about specific medical housing requests

Dietary accommodations:

Before submitting their medical housing application, students who wish to request medical housing because of a dietary need must meet with the campus nutritionist, McKenna Welshans, to explore options to accommodate the need through the Department of Dining Services. After speaking with Ms. Welshans, and at her suggestion, students may then apply for medical housing and request that their licensed healthcare provider (allergist or gastroenterologist) submit the Disability Documentation Form (DDF) to the university before the application deadlines listed in the section above.

• The healthcare provider must be licensed and qualified to make a diagnosis and recommendation for a medical housing accommodation.

• Although the DDF will be submitted to the university by the healthcare provider directly, it is the student's responsibility to make sure the DDF is sent to Messiah University by the medical housing application deadline.

• Note: The Disability Documentation Form is an online, fillable PDF document designed for ease of use by healthcare providers using a PC in an office setting. For this reason, some mobile devices, particularly iPhones, may not be able to open the DDF.

Note: The one exception to the campus nutritionist consultation requirement is a documented medical diagnosis of Celiac Disease. If you have questions regarding an application for medical housing because of a dietary concern, please contact McKenna Welshans at mwelshans@messiah.edu.

Messiah University Medical Housing Appeal Policy

Purpose

This policy outlines the process for students to appeal a medical housing denial made by the Medical Housing Committee. Appeals are available for students who believe the committee's decision was incorrect or who have experienced a qualifying change in circumstances that prevented them from meeting the original request deadline.

Submission Timeline and Process

Students have 10 calendar days from the date of the medical housing denial notification to submit the appeal form.

• A link to the Google Form will be included in the denial email.
• The form must be submitted within 10 calendar days of the denial date. Late submissions will not be accepted.
• Appeals are reviewed by Doug Wood, Dean of Students.
• All decisions are final and will be communicated via email within a reasonable amount of time. 

Grounds for Appeal

To qualify for an appeal, the student must either:

1. Believe the Medical Housing Committee made an error in reviewing the original request.
   The student must explain why the decision was incorrect based on the documentation submitted by the deadline.

OR

1. Have been unable to meet the original medical housing request deadline due to one of the following:
   • The student was not yet enrolled at Messiah University when the deadline passed.
   • The student experienced a new or significantly changed medical condition after the deadline (e.g., new diagnosis, injury, or medical development).

Students meeting the second condition may submit new documentation relevant to their new medical need or late enrollment.

Appeals That Will Not Be Considered

Appeals will not be reviewed if:

• The original request or documentation was late or incomplete without a qualifying reason.
• The student does not meet any of the valid grounds for appeal.
• The appeal is based solely on personal preference, convenience, or roommate selection.
• New documentation is submitted without a corresponding new medical event or late enrollment.

Rationale

Messiah University has limited availability of medical housing. Once assignments are made, few if any options remain. Appeals are only considered in clearly defined circumstances to maintain fairness while ensuring that legitimate and urgent medical needs are addressed. 

Applying for an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) at Messiah University

Contact Us

You may email us at medicalhousing@messiah.edu. Our fax number is 717-691-2304. If you'd like to contact us via US Mail, you may use the following address:
Office of Academic Accessibility, Messiah University, One University Ave. Suite 3059, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055.