ANSWER
Yes. A current SMU student living off campus can email Housing to ask about current availability and access to the SMU Housing Portal, but SMU also says students intending to live off campus do not need to apply with SMU and should not reapply.
YOUR NEXT DECISION
Turn the answer into your next step
- Email housing@smu.edu to ask about current availability and SMU Housing Portal access.
- Confirm whether you want to re-enter on-campus housing or remain off campus before starting any application.
- If you began at SMU in Fall 2025 or later, check whether the sophomore-year policy applies to you.
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Compare homes with DrewCan a current off-campus student apply to return to SMU housing?
Yes. SMU says current students not living on campus, including those returning after an absence, may email Housing to inquire about current availability and access to the SMU Housing Portal. SMU also says that if you intend to live off campus or in a Greek house, you do not need to apply with SMU and should not reapply.
- For a return to campus housing, the official first step is to email housing@smu.edu and ask about availability and portal access.
- If your plan is to stay off campus, SMU says not to reapply for housing.
- This applies to current students; SMU’s separate housing-process pages also note different steps for incoming and returning residents.
What SMU says about the policy change
SMU says first-year on-campus housing remains required for the Fall 2025 entering class and later, but second-year students are no longer required to live on campus. That means some sophomores may choose off-campus housing, while still having the option to stay on campus if space allows.
- This policy change applies to students who began at SMU as first-year undergraduates in Fall 2025 or later.
- SMU says the on-campus option remains available for sophomore year as space allows.
- The Residential Commons connection continues even if a student moves off campus after the first year.
Sources
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