Moving In: What You Need to Know

Essential information for new students

When can I move into UMass Dartmouth?

Move-in times are emailed to students when they are eligible to move-in, usually in August. See Important Housing Dates for more information.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to check-in, all residents need to be:

• Enrolled for the fall semester.
• Cleared through Health Services as having uploaded all needed documentation.
• Cleared through our Student Service Center through one of the following ways:
  • Pay fall charges in full
  • Have enough Financial Aid to cover your tuition, fees, and housing 
  • Sign up for a payment plan for your tuition, fees, dining and housing bills and complete the first required payment. (Please note, if you live in Balsam or Spruce Hall, your housing bill is separate and also must be covered in one of these ways. Please see the information sent to your umassd.edu email for more information!)

Check in time

Once you are fully eligible to move in, you will be assigned a check in date and time. This information can also be found in your Housing Portal. We ask that students please arrive to campus within 15 minutes of this appointment time.

UMass Pass

You will need your UMass Pass (ID) in order to move in. You will not have access to your room without your ID. Your ID is your key into your building (and, in some cases, into your room), and you'll need it to use your meal plan. Upload your photo for your UMass Pass, if you haven't already.

On move-in day, if you:

• already have your UMass Pass: Remember to bring it with you, and have it somewhere that is easy to grab!
• submitted your photo but haven't received your UMass Pass: You will pick up your ID at check-in.
• have not submitted your photo yet: You will need to go to the UMass Pass Office. Note: The office will only be available for limited hours and may have lines. You should upload your photo in advance to avoid having to visit the UMass Pass Office during move-in.

Once you make it to campus:

1. When you get to campus, please look for signage that will direct you to the correct parking lot to begin the check in process. Please note that everyone will need to check in at your designated parking lot FIRST, before proceeding to their building. If you live in Balsam, Spruce, or any of our Woodland apartment communities, you’ll start in Lot 15. Folks in Pine Dale and Oak Glen will start in Lot 3. At that parking lot, we will verify you are eligible to check in and get your car in the line for your specific building. We will move cars from that lot as quickly as we are able, but there is sometimes a wait at this stage of the process.  
2. Residents should plan to park in your designated location (see the campus parking designation map for further detail) in a legal parking space:  

• • • Balsam and Spruce residents – Lots 18, 19, 20  
    • Oak Glen and Pine Dale residents – Lot 21  
    • Woodland Apartment residents – Lots 9, 10  
    • Family and friends with a vehicle that will not stay on campus, please look for signs to “short term parking”  

Don't forget!

Some important things to check off your list and to keep in mind once you’re moved in: 

• If you have a car that you will keep on campus, make sure you have the correct parking permit, it is in the correct lot, and it is displayed correctly.  
• All of our residents will likely have a floor meeting on their first day to meet your RA and review community expectations.  
• It is the student’s responsibility to take trash and recycling out to the dumpsters.   
• Be sure to check out our tips on what to bring.

Stow & Go

This was a new initiative out of COVID and was popular with our residents, so we’re making it a full-fledged tradition! Stow & Go is essentially an appointment the week prior to move in day, where you can come and drop off the bulk of your belongings right into your fall assignment to speed up the process of move in day. This year, we will have Stow & Go appointments on Saturday, August 24th and the afternoon/evening of Tuesday, August 27th.  

Please note, you will NOT be able to check in and stay in housing at that time and will not be issued keys to your space until you return on move in day, assigned above.   

Why would you want to do Stow & Go?  Quicker move in, avoiding the elevator line, and quick check-in process on move-in day.

Appointments are one hour long and you can claim an appointment timeslot by logging into your Housing Portal and selecting "Housing Forms" and then "Stow and Go".

Things to keep in mind:  

• You will only be able to sign up for Stow & Go if you are fully eligible to check in to housing. 

• Limited appointments are available for each building to ensure we can assist everyone with our limited staffing. 

• Only students with a pre-scheduled appointment will be given access to their space to drop off items on these dates. Appointments must be made at least 24 hours in advance, and all individuals must vacate the building again at the end of their one-hour appointment.  

• We encourage you to bring carts, etc. to help you with your move.