Applying for Housing and ESA Accommodations

The Office of Disability Access Services (DAS) and Housing and Residential Life at NMSU work together to ensure that students with disabilities can participate in all Residence Life programs.

If you have a disability and need to request reasonable modifications for housing or need access to an emotional support animal, please complete the application below and submit the corresponding verification form to the DAS office. You can have your provider fill out the applicable verification form below to provide us with information needed to make a determination. Once your application and supporting documentation are recieved, we will schedule an interactive interview to make an accommodation determination. 

  • Housing Accommodation Application – to be completed and submitted by the student
  • Housing Verification Form – This form is to be completed by a licensed clinical professional or health care provider familiar with the history and functional limitations of the student’s condition(s).
  • Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Verification Form- This form is to be completed by the licensed clinical professional or health care provider that is recommending the ESA and is familiar with the history and functional limitations of the student's condition(s).
  • Roommate Agreement Form- This form is to be completed when making an ESA accommodation request and you have roommates/suitemates. All roommates/suitemates must sign the form indicating that they agree to allowing the ESA in the same room. Approved ESA's are only to remain in the studen's room who is approved for the ESA and should not be in the common areas.

Please note that timely housing applications and requests for accessibility are critical if you wish to have accessible housing when you arrive on campus.

IMPORTANT PRIORITY DEADLINES TO APPLY FOR HOUSING AND ESA ACCOMMODATIONS:

All housing accommodation requests will be processed by the DAS office regardless of when they are submitted however:

  1. Requests for accommodation from incoming students beginning Fall term made before June 1 will be given priority.
  2. After June 1, requests for accommodation will be made as space is available. DAS and Housing and Residential Life at NMSU recommend that you complete a disability accommodation request when you fill out your housing application.
  3. New ESA requests will be processed until the Friday before move in date each semester. Any ESA applications submitted after that date will be processed after Census Day of the corresponding semester.
  4. Any ESA requests submitted after the end of the 3rd week of October or after the end of Spring Break will be process for the upcoming semester, meaning the ESA accommodation may be approved, but the animal may not be brought to campus until the start of the next semester. This is to ensure that room assignments are not disrupted late in the semester. DAS will of course look at case by case situations to make reasonable determinations.

Process for Requesting an ESA Accommodation:  

  1. Submit a completed Housing/ESA Accommodation Application to Disability Access Services. The application is available on the Disability Services website and can be completed by the individual with the psychological disability or someone acting on their behalf. If the individual requires assistance in completing the application because of their disability, Disability Access Services can aid in completing the application. DAS will keep a record of all requests.  
  2. Prepare to have a reliable third party complete the ESA Verification Form. Individuals seeking accommodations for an ESA may have what is considered a “non-obvious” disability. Therefore, additional information is usually required to verify the individual’s disability and the need for the accommodation. A reliable third party is someone who is familiar with the individual’s disability, the necessity for the accommodation, and the nexus between the individual’s disability and the therapeutic relief of one or more symptoms of the individual’s psychological disability provided by an ESA. If the ESA Verification Form is not proactively completed, Disability Access Services will likely request the completion of this form.  
  3. Submit a completed ESA Verification Form. In order to evaluate the accommodation request, NMSU requires additional information to assess the reasonableness of the animal in question in University housing. Forms are available on the Disability Access Services office website and can be completed by the individual with the disability or someone acting on their behalf. If the individual requires assistance in completing the Request Form because of their disability, Disability Access Services can aid in completing the form. Once the documentation is received, an intake will be scheduled to begin the interactive process to make an accommodation determination. 

Important Information on Reliable Third-Party ESA Verification: 

  1. A significant amount of misinformation about ESAs exists online. ESA verification services purchased online may not be considered sufficiently reliable to verify an individual’s disability and the disability-related need for an ESA. Many services claiming to provide registration or certification are not legitimate, as they convey no legal protections for the animal or owner. NMSU advises that individuals with questions about the legitimacy of online services or what constitutes a reliable third-party verifier contact Disability Access Services for more information prior to utilizing online services and submitting the ESA Verification Form.  
  2. In general, a reliable third-party includes, but is not limited to, a licensed professional in the appropriate area of specialization (e.g. psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, clinical social worker) with whom the individual has an established treatment relationship, a licensed provider in the appropriate area of specialization the individual was verifiably referred to by a licensed medical provider with whom the individual has an established treatment relationship, or a non-medical service agency (e.g., National Association of the Deaf).  

 Criteria for Determining if the Presence of the Animal is Unreasonable: 

  1. NMSU Housing and Residential Life is unique in several aspects including the mandatory assignment of roommates for many individuals and the mandate that individuals must share a room or suite in certain residence halls. To ensure that the presence of an ESA is not an undue administrative burden or a fundamental alteration of University housing, NMSU reserves the right to assign an individual with an ESA to an alternate housing assignment (NMSU Housing Resident Handbook). ESA accommodation does not entitle an individual with a disability to live in a particular housing facility or limit the housing facility to which they can be assigned.  

Decisions on ESA Accommodation Requests:   DAS will make a prompt decision on the accommodation request upon timely receipt of all required and requested documentation. The DAS office practice is to decide within 10 business days of when a complete application and documentation has been submitted. 

  1. Insufficient Information: If any of the information provided in the above forms is incomplete or insufficient to decide of the reasonableness of the ESA housing accommodation, Disability Access Services will promptly inform the individual in writing and may request additional information. This may include, but is not limited to, communicating directly with the individual with a disability requesting the accommodation or the reliable third party who is verifying the individual’s disability and the disability-related need for the ESA accommodation. The individual requesting the accommodation and the verifying third party must cooperate with Disability Access Services in a timely manner in providing all information needed to determine whether the requested ESA accommodation is necessary.   
  2. Denied Requests: Disability Access Services may deny the request if they are unable to verify the individual’s disability, the disability-related need for the ESA accommodation if: the presence of the animal is unreasonable and providing the accommodation would impose an undue financial and administrative burden on NMSU, it would fundamentally alter the nature of the University’s operations, or it poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others; or would cause substantial property damage to the property of others, including University property. If the request is denied, Disability Access Services will provide the individual for whom the accommodation was requested a response in writing stating the reasons for the denial.   
    1. If an individual disagrees with a Disability Access Services decision regarding an ESA accommodation, the individual may appeal the decision following the same process for other accommodation request appeals as outlined on the Disability Access Services website. If additional documentation is required to support the appeal, it is the individual’s responsibility to provide it in a timely fashion.  
    2. In the event the denial was due to the assessment that the requested accommodation poses an undue financial and/or administrative burden or a fundamental alteration to the nature of NMSU operations, Disability Access Services will schedule a meeting at a mutually convenient time to discuss possible alternative accommodations that would not impose such a burden or result in a fundamental alteration. NMSU will ask the individual to accept an alternative accommodation only if the individual agrees it meets their disability-related needs. NMSU recognizes that an individual with a disability is generally in the best position to know whether or not a particular accommodation will be effective in meeting their needs. If agreement on an alternative accommodation is not reached, NMSU will provide a letter stating the decision on the individual’s requested accommodation and a detailed explanation of the reasons for a denial or decision to grant an alternative accommodation.  
  3. Approved Requests: If Disability Access Services grants the request, the individual who is granted the ESA accommodation will receive written verification and details of next steps. The individual will be required to promptly sign any agreements required by DAS or Housing and Residential Life Services along with any required documentation to process the ESA.  

The individual must promptly provide written consent for Disability Access Services to disclose information regarding the request for and presence of the ESA to those individuals who may be impacted by the presence of the animal including, but not limited to, Housing and Residential Life personnel and potential and/or actual roommate(s), neighbor(s), hallmates, and floormates. Such information will be limited to information related to the animal and will not include information related to the individual or their disability.  

Please note that only one Emotional Support Animal can be approved per student. Any newly adopted Emotional Support Animals must under the handler's care for at least 30 days prior to bringing the animal on campus to ensure that the owner can manage the animal's behaviors and ensure the safety of themselves and others. In regard to puppies or kittens, they must be at least 9 months old and must be able to receive all necessary vaccinations, have behaviors managed well by the handler, and be house broken before being brought into campus housing. 

An emotional support animal cannot be brought on campus housing until it is approved through the Disability Access Services office. Be advised that students are required to have a tag for their approved ESA issued by the DAS office. Approved ESA's must be wearing the tag at all times. Any unauthorized animals found in campus housing may not be assessed as an ESA accommodation until the following semester.