Emotional support animals in college housing

Fair housing law forbids refusing a reasonable change to rules and policies when someone with a disability needs it to have equal use and enjoyment of their home. The Justice Department has applied that principle to student housing. In 2015 it reached a settlement involving University of Nebraska at Kearney, where two students with psychological disabilities had been denied permission to keep emotional support dogs in campus apartments.

The university agreed to a $140,000 payment and to put in place a policy for handling assistance animal requests. The settlement didn't admit liability, but it signals how federal enforcers see campus housing. Schools that take federal money also have obligations under the Rehabilitation Act's Section 504, and the ADA reaches both public and private universities.

Your college won't know about your disability unless you tell it. As the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Education Department explains, college students have to identify themselves as having a disability and use the school's procedure for requesting an adjustment. Each school is required to have a coordinator for Section 504, the ADA or disability services.

With an ESA, this typically means filing a housing accommodation request with disability services or residence life. The Nebraska consent order offers a helpful template: the student fills out a request form, the school may require a verification form from a reliable third party if the disability, or the reason the student needs the animal, isn't apparent, and the school answers in writing. The animal can't move in before approval.

• Find your school's housing accommodation form and deadlines.
• Submit the request early, ideally before housing assignments are made.
• Include documentation from a licensed therapist when your need isn't apparent.
• Wait for written approval before bringing the animal to campus.

The Joint Statement that HUD and the Justice Department issued in 2004 lets a housing provider seek reliable information confirming a disability, describing the accommodation and connecting the two when those points aren't apparent. Generally, the provider can't probe into what your diagnosis is or how severe your condition is. Colleges frequently collect this information on forms of their own.

Some schools ask your therapist to complete the school's verification form or to describe how the animal helps with your disability. A college housing ESA letter from a licensed therapist who has evaluated you can support the request, but the school makes the final decision.

HUD withdrew its 2013 and 2020 assistance animal notices, effective September 17, 2025. In guidance HUD released on May 22, 2026, requests involving animals trained for disability-related tasks are presumed reasonable, but untrained ESAs aren't, and each of those gets an individual review. The same guidance dropped HUD's 2020 position that untrained ESAs couldn't be subject to fees.

Schools may respond differently. Some will keep existing policies, and others may revise them. Your state may also have its own rules, so check your state guide and your school's current policy before you apply.

Approved ESA policies usually come with rules. In the Nebraska model policy, the animal stays in the student's residence and is carried or leashed outside it, isn't allowed in other campus buildings, and can be removed if it threatens others' safety or does substantial damage. Roommates' serious allergies, housebreaking and vaccinations can be considered.

Because an ESA isn't an ADA service animal, it generally can't go to classrooms, dining halls or the library. Talk with roommates early, keep the animal clean and quiet, and remember you're responsible for damage beyond normal wear and tear.

Request a written explanation of the decision, and ask whether some other arrangement could work, such as a different room or residence hall. Many schools offer an appeal or grievance route through disability services, and the Nebraska model policy included appeal rights. A state fair housing agency, HUD, or a lawyer can also help you weigh your options.

ESA Letter Therapist offers a college housing version of the ESA letter for dorms and student residences, at $129. You book online, have a short call (5 to 10 minutes, phone or video) where a licensed therapist evaluates you, and get a signed letter if the therapist decides one is appropriate. There's no charge unless your letter is issued.

If your school has its own verification form, tell us so the therapist can look it over. College life can be stressful, and an animal doesn't take the place of counseling or treatment. In a crisis, dial or text 988; in an emergency, dial 911.