Residence Life

Frequently Asked Questions

Please review the following questions for some of the most frequently asked questions for on-campus students living in the residence halls.  Many of the most common questions about living on campus are also answered in the Residence Life Information, Policies, and Procedures, updated for 2011-2012.  Answers follow below.

Important Dates for 2011-2012 

  • When do the residence halls close for spring semester?

Important Dates for 2012-2013 

  • When do the residence halls open for fall semester?
  • When do the residence halls close for fall semester?
  • When do the residence halls open for spring semester?
  • When do the residence halls close for spring semester?

Answers follow below.

Money Matters - Affording Housing

  • What are the rates for on-campus housing for 2012-2013?
  • What do these rates include for residents?
  • What types of payment arrangements are made?
  • How do I make a payment?
  • Financial Aid
  • Special circumstances:  scholarships, Yellow Ribbon, GI Bill, etc.

Answers follow below.

Living on Campus

  • How do I get  mail?
  • Can I send packages to myself before I arrive?
  • Dining Commons and Late Night Snack Bar
  • Can I set up cable in my room?
  • Where is the Fitness Center?  What is available there?
  • Intercampus Shuttle
  • Residence Life Shuttle
  • Are residents permitted to have cars on campus?
  • Student Center

Answers follow below.

Housing Assignments

  • Can I request a specific hall?  Roommate?  RA?
  • When will I find out who my roommate is?
  • What do the rooms look like?

Answers follow below.

Getting Involved on Campus

  • How can I get involved on campus?

Answers follow below.

Housing Applications

  • When will Housing Applications for 2012-2013 be available?
  • What is the Security Deposit?  When is it due?  Is it refundable?

Answers follow below.

Important Dates for 2012-2013

  • When do the residence halls open for fall semester?
    • Monday, August 27, 2012 at 11:00a.m.
  • When do the residence halls close for fall semester?
    • Monday, December 17, 2012 at noon
  • When do the residence halls open for spring semester?
    • Friday, January 18, 2013 at 8:00a.m
  • When do the residence halls close for spring semester?

Money Matters - Affording Housing

  • What are rates for on-campus housing for 2012-2013?
    • The rate for a double room with 14 meals per week is $6,241.00 per semester
    • The rate for a triple room with 14 meals per week is $5,021.00 per semester
  • What do these rates include for residents?
    • 14-meals per week
    • Access to HPU Student Center, Fitness Center, common spaces of residence halls
    • Resident Advisors in each residence hall for community building, conflict resolution, safety, security, emergency response
    • Residence Life Coordinator (full-time professional staff) living on campus for community development and incident response
    • HPU Security presence overnight every night residents are in the halls
    • Residence Life events and programming including Residents Activities Council events, Residence Life events and resources
  • What types of payment arrangements are made?
    • Residence Life staff is committed to working with individual students to help make payments work for each family.  Some students make their payment in full for their housing.  Other students utilize the Payment Plan option (equal payments due July 1, August 1, and September 1) for fall semester.  Some students also request to see if they have ample financial aid to cover their tuition and fees to utilize additional financial aid funds to cover their housing.
  • How do I make a payment?
    • You can make a payment online through your HPU Pipeline account.  The Payment Plan agreements are established with Residence Life when the resident accepts housing.  For students on payment plans, the payments are due July 1, August 1, and September 1 for the fall semester and October 15, November 15 and December 15 for spring semester.  Students are expected to make their payment on time.  Individualized bills are not sent for housing expenses.
  • Financial Aid
    • Many students utilize financial aid to make their education possible.  Financial Aid will always cover tuition and fees first.  If there are ample funds remaining, then housing expenses can be deferred through financial aid.  If a student has some financial aid to put towards their housing expenses (but not quite enough), Residence Life can work with the student to apply some financial aid funds and arrange a payment plan for the remaining balance due.
  • Special circumstances:  scholarships, Yellow Ribbon, GI Bill, etc.
    • There are always special circumstances for families and students.  Residence Life has experience working with a variety of HPU scholarships, the Yellow Ribbon program and GI Bill.  If you are interested in utilizing these benefits (or other programs not listed here), please contact Residence Life directly to ensure that your specific questions can be addressed. <back to top>

Living on Campus

  • How do I get  mail?
    • Each resident is assigned an individualized mailbox.  Your mailing address will be:  YOUR NAME, 45-045 Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe, HI  96744
    • If you receive a package, you will receive a package slip in your mailbox and you will need to pick up your package at the Bookstore at Hawaii Loa campus.
    • Mail is delivered Monday-Friday (except on University of Federal holidays) to student mailboxes in the Student Center (below the Dining Commons) by late afternoon
  • Can I send packages to myself before I arrive?
    • You may send packages to arrive on August 15, 2012 or later.  Please do not send packages before this time.
  • Dining Commons and Late Night Snack Bar
    • The Samuel N. and Mary Castle Dining Commons is centrally located in the Hawai‘i Loa campus residence life area. The Dining Commons (DC) provides an attractive setting for selected campus activities, as well as for daily meal service for students, faculty, and staff. The Snack Bar located adjacent to the Dining Commons offers sandwiches, beverages, and snacks for students during the evening hours. The residence hall meal plan provides 14 meals per week and $75 Dining Dollars are redeemable in the Dining Commons or the snack bar. Meals not used within one week’s time do not carry over into the following week or semester.
    • Dining Commons Hours  
      • Monday - Friday:   Breakfast 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.; Continental Breakfast 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; Lunch 11:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.;
        Dinner 5:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
      • Weekend/Holiday: Brunch 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m; Finner 5:15 p.m. - 6:45 p.m.
    • Snack Bar Hours
      • Evening Hours Only (Sunday - Thursday) 8:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
  • Can I set up cable in my room?
    • Cable TV service is available for installation in most rooms. Residents are responsible for installation and monthly charges. In the event of housing reassignment, the cost associated with changing cable service is assumed by the resident. Only one cable account may exist per room.
  • Where is the Fitness Center?  What is available there?
    • The Fitness Center is configured with fitness equipment, including a treadmill, cross trainer, recumbent bikes, benches, power rack, and an assortment of free weights. The Fitness Center is managed by the Athletic Department and hours are established for each semester and will be clearly posted.
  • Intercampus Shuttle
    • There is a shuttle between the downtown and Hawaii Loa campus for all HPU students. Students have the priority on the shuttles.  Shuttle schedules from last year (to give you an idea what this service has looked like) are available.  Please note shuttle schedules for 2012-2013 will be revised.
  • Residence Life Shuttle
    • To enhance the quality of each resident’s experience at HPU, Residence Life and Transportation collaborate to offer transportation to Waikiki, Ala Moana, Ward Center, Restaurant Row, Kailua Beach, Kailua Town, Windward City Shopping Center, and Windward Mall. The Residence Life shuttle is available to any student residing in the residence halls, free of charge. Meet the shuttle and catch a quick ride to your off-campus stop. No advanced reservations are required.
  • Are residents permitted to have cars on campus?
    • Students living in the halls that own vehicles and wish to park on campus must purchase a RESIDENT PARKING DECAL for the semester. Room-and-board fees paid by residence hall students do not include the parking decal cost or imply an authorization to have a vehicle on campus. Residents must pay for the decal at the Bookstore (at Hawaii Loa campus only) and pick-up their decal directly from Residence Life during business hours.
      • Fall 2011 Semester Decal for Cars/Trucks:  $240
      • Fall 2011 Semester Decal for Motorcycles:   $150
      • Spring 2012 Semester Decal for Cars/Trucks: $240
      • Spring 2012 Semester Decal for Motorcycles:  $150
      • 2012-2013 parking rates have not been established (April 2012) at this time.
  • Student Center
    • The Student Center is located on the lower level of the Dining Commons Building on the Hawaii Loa campus. Students may enjoy the facilities for study groups and recreational purposes. A large screen television, movie rentals, pool table, ping pong table, board games, computers, tables, chairs, and other amenities are provided. Some cleaning equipment is available to residents in the Student Center. Toilet paper is also distributed to residents from the Student Center. <back to top>

Housing Assignments

  • Can I request a specific hall?  Roommate?  RA?
    • Most students indicated these preferences on their Housing Application.  Residence Life will take requests into consideration, but can not guarantee specific requests.
  • When will I find out who my roommate is?
    • Residents will receive an email by early August 2012 with the name of their roommate.  If residents gave Residence Life permission on your Housing Application to share your contact information with your future roommate, we will include the individual's email address.  Residence Life encourages all residents to get in touch with their future roommate and begin building a relationship over email, phone or other social media.
  • What do the rooms look like? 
    • There are six residence halls on campus here at HPU.  They are:  Ilima, Kukui, Lehua, Lokelani, Melia and Mokihana.  Each building houses about 30 residents with one Resident Advisor. <back to top>

Getting Involved on Campus

  • How can I get involved on campus?
    • Residents Activities Council did a lot of fun events last year including:  Ice Skating, Dinner and a Game events to support HPU Athletics, bowling, shopping trips to Aloha Stadium Swap Meet and Waikele Outlets, visited the Byodo-In Temple, went on outings to see  Haunted Lagoon, Avenue Q, the Honolulu Zoo and HPU plays as well as many other fun events.  The Super Halls competition (you guessed it, a competition between residence halls) was held in spring 2011 and included basketball tournament, 3D puzzle building competition, Egg Hunt and more.
    • Resident Advisor Events - HPU RAs plan cool events.  RAs are expected to have fun, interesting, thought-provoking and community-building events in their halls and with other halls.  RAs work to integrate their own strengths and passion while taking resident interests into consideration when planning experiences for residents.
    • Student Center Events - Each Student Center Monitor brings a fun event to the Student Center each semester.  Events during the 2010-2011 academic year included:  Disco night, Pool Tournament, Final Four Tournament, Sharpies Doodle event, Cinco de Mayo celebration as well as other events.
    • Residence Life Events - there are some standing Residence Life traditions which have been around longer than any of the staff.  We will carry the torch for tradition as long as you, our residents, get involved! 
      • Haunted Halls - get creative, come up with a theme and work together as a team to put together the best Haunted Hall just before Halloween each fall
      • Da Freakshow - Residence Life collaborates with Student Life to present HPU's annual talent show - Da Freakshow each spring.  Hone your talent and plan to audition at the beginning of spring semester!
      • Ravenchase Adventures - riddles, codes, anagrams - you have to break the codes to accomplish the task at hand.  Confused?  That's the point - until you and your team rise to the occasion!
      • Other important events include opportunities for conversation about relationships, fiscal matters, finding your own housing for next year, service in the local community and at HPU and about just about any other topic under the sun.
    • Resident Advisor Applications - The hiring timeline for Resident Advisors for 2012-2013 will be established by Winter Break.  Watch for updates about info sessions, timelines and deadlines if you are interested in applying for a RA position for next year!
    • Center for Student Life
    • First-Year Programs
    • Student Government Association
    • Registered Student Organizations  <back to top>

Housing Applications

  • When will Housing Applications for 2012-2013 be available?
    • The applications are now available.
  • What is the Security Deposit?  When is it due?  Is it refundable? The $500 Security Deposit is required for the Housing Application to be complete.  All individuals who cancel their housing by May 1, 2012 will receive their Security Deposit back.  If you accept housing and cancel after May 1, 2012, this Security Deposit is non-refundable.  If you become a resident, this Security Deposit is to cover any potential damage to rooms, common areas, bathrooms and furniture in all of these areas.  If you are on the waitlist and are never offered a space in the residence halls, this is refundable.  If you accept a space in the residence halls and then cancel your housing, you forfeit the $500 Security Deposit. <back to top>

Other questions to add?  Send your question to Residence Life and if it applies to other students and families, we may add it here! <back to top>