Emotional Support Animal Requests
Allowance to bring an Emotional Support Animal into Campus Housing may be considered as a reasonable accommodation if a student meets appropriate qualifications for use under applicable law. The Disability Resource Center will review requests for an Emotional Support Animal on a case-by-case basis, and will use documentation as appropriate to determine if the applicant has a disability, if the animal is a reasonable accommodation to afford equal opportunity to use and enjoyment of the dwelling in light of the individual’s disability, and to determine an identifiable relationship between the disability and the assistance the animal provides. Students who are considering bringing an Emotional Support Animal into Campus Housing are advised to first read the University's Service and Emotional Support Animal Policy to learn more about their rights and responsibilities regarding these types of animals.
The Emotional Support Animal Documentation Guide (PDF) may be shared with the student's provider to offer guidance on the information necessary to document the need for an Emotional Support Animal in Campus Housing.
Please note the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s warning regarding documentation from the internet:
“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. Under the Fair Housing Act, a housing provider may request reliable documentation when an individual requesting a reasonable accommodation has a disability and disability-related need for an accommodation that are not obvious or otherwise known. In HUD’s experience, such documentation from the internet is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal.”
To request an Emotional Support Animal accommodation, students should submit the following form to share their request with the Disability Resource Center, preferably at least 30 days prior to the anticipated arrival of the animal on campus. Students may attach supporting documentation to that form if it is not being sent directly by the provider:
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