Residence - FAQ

Please feel free to connect with Residence staff by calling (905) 385-3200 or e-mailing info [at] mohawkresidence.ca (info[at]mohawkresidence[dot]ca).

Tours are offered as a part of an overall Mohawk College campus tour - click here to schedule a tour today!

We encourage anyone interested in residence to view our virtual tours on the Residence Tours page. 

Please call 905-385-3200 or email info [at] mohawkresidence.ca (info[at]mohawkresidence[dot]ca) with any questions about the Residence.

Students do not need to wait until they receive program acceptance to apply to residence. We suggest applying if you think you will be attending Mohawk College as spaces in residence fill up fast. An application can be cancelled if plans change.

To live in Mohawk Residence an individual must be a full-time Mohawk College Student. Some exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for extenuating circumstances. 

Mohawk Residence accepts students on a first-come, first-served basis; applying early is the best way to help yourself get an acceptance.

Mohawk Residence does not offer any guaranteed spaces for any students. All students are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Academic Year
Typically, Residence applications for the Academic Year (September – April) open February 1st and remain open during the Summer and into the school year.

Once the Residence is at capacity, students may still apply and remain on the waitlist, or they may cancel their applications if they find alternative accommodations. 

Every year many students who are waitlisted receive a space in residence, however there are no guarantees. The earlier a student applies, the more likely they will be offered a space to live in Residence.

Winter Term
Winter Term (January- April) applications open October 1st and usually remain open until February. Students are accepted if space becomes available in Residence. There are generally very limited Winter Term spaces, students are frequently waitlisted. Early applications can help students avoid being waitlisted.

Summer Term
Typically, Summer Residence (May - August) applications open March 1st and will remain open until early June. Students who apply for the Summer Term do not usually need to worry about waitlists, but applying early helps ensure acceptance.

Fennell Residence has capacity for 340 students.

You can apply for Residence by filling out the online application form available through My Housing Portal. 

Applications open separately for each term, please see below for application opening dates:

• Academic Year (September - April): February 15
• Summer (May - August):  March 4
• Winter (January - April): October 1
• Please note we do not have “Fall only” applications. Fall applicants are expected to live in Residence the full Academic Year.

How to Apply:

1. Create a profile through My Housing Portal.
2. Once you are logged in, you can create an application by selecting “Application” from the blue bar near the top of the page, and selecting “Mohawk New Resident” with the appropriate term.
3. Follow the prompts to complete filling in all details.
4. When you arrive at the payment step you will be prompted to complete payment through the application. This option does not work for most banks, we suggest payment via another method such as an online bill payment (please see available payment methods on the Residence Rates page).
5. Once your payment is finalized, your application is complete and you will have to wait for an email indicating your acceptance or waitlist position (depending on when you apply this may take a few months).
6. Applications are always accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.  

Please note: When you apply for Residence, you are required to pay a non-refundable $100.00 application fee to complete your application. Current residents who wish to return to Mohawk Residence are provided an opportunity to have their fee waived if they apply by a deadline.

Academic Year 
Acceptance emails will be sent out on a first-come, first-served basis as rolling acceptances starting May 1st. Some students may receive acceptance as early as March, and as more students apply, more students will receive acceptances. Typically, students will receive an acceptance email within a month of applying. Alternatively, if the Residence is over subscribed, they will receive a waitlist notification within the same time period.

Winter and Summer Terms
Acceptance emails will be sent out on a first-come, first-served basis dependent upon availability during the Winter and Summer Terms.

In the acceptance email you will receive instructions on how to complete the rest of your acceptance details online, through My Housing Portal where you originally applied. The acceptance details will need to be completed online.

Details include: Important information related to health, payment options, emergency contacts, and personality profile questions which will help with roommate selection. You will also be asked to review and accept the Student Residence Agreement which is a legal document that serves as the contract between you and the Residence. 

Please ensure that you read it carefully and keep a copy for your records. It can also be found on the Residence Resources page.

You are required to complete your acceptance information by the following deadlines:

Academic Year Acceptance Deadline: JUNE 15

Winter Term Acceptance Deadline: DECEMBER 1

Students will continue to be accepted after the deadlines have passed, as long as spaces are available. If you receive an offer after the deadlines have passed, you will be given a customized deadline outlined in your acceptance (usually the deadline is about 1 week after you receive the acceptance).

It is strongly recommended that these contacts are the parents or legal guardians of the resident. As the Primary or Secondary Contact, you will serve as an emergency contact and you may also be contacted if any other significant concerns or problems arise with the resident. In the case where the Primary contact is unavailable, the Secondary contact will be contacted. 

Once the Residence is provided with this contact information, the Manager will notify the Primary and Secondary contacts, via the supplied e-mail, that they have been identified as Primary/Secondary Contacts for the Resident. This e-mail will outline the role and responsibility of the Primary/Secondary Contact and provide the Primary/Secondary Contacts with the opportunity to opt-out of this role.

These contacts, along with the student themselves, are the only people we are allowed to discuss confidential information with. Please see section 5 of the Student Residence Agreement, “Role of the Primary and Secondary Contacts,” for details on what information can be shared with contacts.

Academic Year and Winter Students
Yes. Students living in the Mohawk College Residence between September and April are required to purchase a mandatory meal plan.

Summer Students
Mohawk College restaurants operate under reduced hours between May – August, so no meal plan is available in the summer. 

Summer Residence students should know that Mo’s Restaurant is closed during the Summer Term.

For a list of on and off campus food outlets please visit One Card Locations.

The meal plan eliminates the need to shop for, prepare, and clean up after meals, allowing students to focus their time on studying, making friends, and becoming a part of the Mohawk College community.

As a student living in Residence, your Mohawk ONE Card provides you with flexibility and savings when making meal purchases on and off campus. Mohawk's meal plan is mandatory for all students living in residence and is meant to supplement the funds you spend on meals throughout the year. That is, your meal plan is not meant to cover all your food expenses during the school year. Meal plan funds are loaded onto your ONE card for use - More information regarding your ONE Card.

The Meal Plan is non-refundable and must be used entirely by the last day of the school year in April. Meal plan dollars do not roll over into the next school year.

For general questions about the meal plan, please contact us at 905-385-3200 or info [at] mohawkresidence.ca (info[at]mohawkresidence[dot]ca)

The Meal Plan works through a declining-balance system. 

The Meal Plan you choose assigns a large amount of money to “Meal Plan” dollars and a smaller amount to “Meal Flex” dollars to your OneCard (student ID).

Meal Plan dollars are spent at the campus run, on-campus locations. Mo’s Restaurant located inside the Residence is part of the larger, “Meal Plan” amount. 

Meal Flex dollars are spent at specific off-campus locations, or on-campus locations run by the MSA (Mohawk Students Association). For “Meal Flex” locations, and more information about the benefits of the Meal Plan please check out Mohawk’s Meal Plan FAQ.

For a comprehensive list of dining locations, please go to the Mohawk College Food Services website.

Students may add money to their One Card by going to the One Card Website.

No. Students must use their entire meal plan prior to the end of the Winter Term in April. However, if you leave Residence and withdraw from Mohawk College during the school year, you will receive a prorated reimbursement of your meal plan, calculated on a daily basis, for the time you were assigned a room in residence. This is coordinated through the One Card office. Meal plans will not be refunded if you are still a registered student living off campus.

Any student with special dietary needs due to health restrictions must contact the Residence General Manager to provide more information for review. 

Please contact:

Paul Reifenstein
General Manager, Mohawk College Residence
preifenstein [at] mohawkresidence.ca (subject: Mohawk%20Residence%20-%20Meal%20Plan%20Question) (preifenstein[at]mohawkresidence[dot]ca)
905-385-3200

If you are unable to meet the payment options as outlined on the Residence Rates page, or on your invoice, you can contact one of the Residence Managers to set up a Payment Plan. 

You must contact a manager before your first payment is due to be considered for a payment plan. Individualized payment plans are not guaranteed.

Payment Plan Option 2 was created with OSAP in mind. 

Fennell Residence does not defer payments to wait for students to receive OSAP. You will not be able to use your OSAP to pay for residence fees if you cannot meet the outlined deadlines for your payment option. 

During the academic year, most students will receive their first OSAP payment early to mid- September, whereas the first Residence payment is due June 15th. 

Furthermore, OSAP will not necessarily provide enough money to pay for Residence fees. You must make the necessary arrangements to pay your Residence fees according to the deadlines, even when receiving OSAP.

When encountering difficulties, some Residence students use their OSAP applications to help secure a student line of credit in order to meet their payment deadlines, and then use their OSAP to pay back their line of credit. 

Students are encouraged to go through all financial processes carefully; OSAP does not guarantee that it will provide enough for you to pay for Residence.

Please review the Termination & Cancellation policy listed in the Student Residence Agreement on the Resources page.

Cancellations occur prior to move-in. If you wish to cancel your residence application you must do so through My Housing Portal prior to move-in.

Withdrawals occur after move-in. If you wish to withdraw from residence, please contact the front desk for a Residence Withdrawal Form. You must return it to the front desk within 5 business days of the anticipated departure date.

Cancellations will not be accepted over the phone. 

Please note that the Residence operates independently from Mohawk College and if you cancel your application or enrolment at the college, you need to separately cancel your Residence application. 

Refunds will be issued as outlined in the Student Residence Agreement.

The Residence has an extensive policy outlining different refund and penalty deadlines. Please refer to the Termination & Cancellation policy located in the Student Residence Agreement on the Resident Resources page.

If you require clarification regarding the Termination & Cancellation policy, please call 905-385-3200 or email info [at] mohawkresidence.ca (info[at]mohawkresidence[dot]ca) with your questions and we will be happy to help.

If you cancel Residence before move-in day, your mandatory residence meal plan will be refunded in full. Once you move into Residence, the Mandatory Residence Meal Plan is non-refundable unless a student withdraws from the College. 

Meal Plan funds must be used entirely by the last day of the school year in April. Meal plan dollars do not roll over into the next school year. However, if you leave Residence and withdraw from Mohawk College during the school year, you will receive a prorated reimbursement of your meal plan, calculated on a daily basis, for the time you were assigned a room in residence, less an administration fee. 

Meal plans will not be refunded if you are still a registered student living off campus. 

The Residence is happy to provide you with an electronic account statement at your request. Please have the account holder (student) contact us at 905-385-3200 or info [at] mohawkresidence.ca (info[at]mohawkresidence[dot]ca).

If you are a student currently living in the residence, you may also email or call and request a physical copy and we will be happy to provide it for you.

If you lived in a designated Ontario university, college, or private school residence, place a tick beside box 61140 on Form ON-BEN, Application for the Ontario Trillium Benefit and Ontario Senior Homeowners' Property Tax Grant. You will get $25 for the property tax component of the OEPTC for the part of the year that you lived in that residence. If you also lived somewhere else in Ontario for part of the year and rent and/or property tax was paid by or for you, enter the amount paid beside box 61100 and/or box 61120 on Form ON-BEN, as applicable. Mohawk College Residence is a "Designated Residence".

Please follow payment methods carefully. 

Your Mohawk College tuition account is separate from your Residence Account. Residence fees are only accepted at the Residence. Please do not pay your Residence fees at the College.

Accepted payment methods are as follows:

1. Online Debit:
   Available through the application in My Housing Portal. This method is supported by Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto Dominion, Royal Bank of Canada, or Bank of Montreal. 
   
   NOTE: New Debit cards or Visa Debit cards may not work even from the above-mentioned banks. If you encounter issues when trying to make payment through My Housing Portal, you will need to choose another payment method. Personal daily banking limits apply.

2. Payee at Bank:
   List the payee as "Mohawk College Residence" or “Mohawk College Residence Fees" (depending on your bank). Use the invoice number found in the top middle of your invoice as the account number that is requested. 
   
   If you do not have an invoice, you may find this number by logging into the Residence My Housing Portal; it is your six or seven digit “Account Number” found on your “Profile Summary” page. 
   
   Please note that this method of payment usually takes roughly 5-10 business days to be processed. If your banking institution does not have "Mohawk College Residence" listed as a payee, please choose another method of payment.

3. Certified Cheque, Money order, Bank Draft:
   Certified cheques, money orders, or bank drafts made payable to CLC MOHAWK and sent by courier to ensure receipt and record, or delivered in person to the Front Desk.

4. Wire transfers:
   May be made available to international students upon request.

If you encounter issues trying to pay through your application, it is likely that the card you are trying to use is not supported; this is true even if it is from one of the bank’s that are supposed to accept this payment method. 

You will need to try a different card, or select a different payment method.

All refunds that the Residence issues are paid in the form of a cheque. All refunds are issued to the student’s name (even if someone else made the payment) and sent to the student’s mailing address on file. Please be sure to keep your mailing address with the Residence up-to-date.

Refund cheques typically take 8-10 weeks to arrive and are sent via Canada Post. If Canada Post is experiencing delays, you should expect your cheque to take longer to arrive.

Students must log in and cancel their applications to receive a refund of their security deposit or Residence fees. 

Please refer to the Termination & Cancellation policy in the Student Residence Agreement on the Resident Resources page for cancellation fees and deadlines.

Please provide your details on the Medical, Accessibility, and Special Consideration section when completing your acceptance information to provide us with more information about how we can support your success in Residence. 

Students requiring special accommodations on campus are encouraged to also contact the Accessible Learning Services office on campus. 

More information can be found on the Accessible Learning Services website.

Everyone who is accepted into Residence must fill in "Profile Questions" which are available when completing the acceptance process online. We recommend that you fill out the personality profile by yourself and answer each question truthfully. This way you end up with the best results possible.

At a later point in the summer, students are given the opportunity to browse roommates online, send messages to potential roommates, and accept roommates. If a student does not want to select their own roommate, the Residence will select a roommate for them based on the answers to the "Profile Questions". 

You may request to live with your friends while in Residence; as long as you have both been accepted and you both request to live with each other you will be matched. Please note that there are no co-ed suites available.

The Residence does not offer family style or co-ed accommodations.

Academic Year
Around the beginning of August we will email out a confirmation of roommate notice which will include the name and contact information of your roommate. If you have not already done so, you can contact your roommate and get to know them better.

Winter or Summer Terms
Prior to moving in we will email out a confirmation of roommate notice which will include the name and contact information of your roommate. If you have not already done so, you can contact your roommate and get to know them better.

This information will be given to you on move-in day. You will find out who your roommate is before, but we do not give out your room number prior to your arrival. Changes to our room registry may occur before you arrive and we want to ensure we provide you the correct information about your room. 

Move in weekend is typically Labour Day weekend and specific move in information is provided to students in their acceptance package.  

If you have concerns about the move-in date due to extenuating circumstances, please email info [at] mohawkresidence.ca (subject: Residence%20Move-In%3A%20Extenuating%20Circumstances) (info[at]mohawkresidence[dot]ca) to discuss further.  Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

Typically students have the option to pay an additional fee to move in on “Early Move In Day”. This specific date changes each year, but is usually only three or four days prior to the move-in day.

Subject to individual approval due to extenuating circumstances (examples include early class start dates, early flight arrivals) students can apply for an early move-in. Students with extenuating circumstances should email info [at] mohawkresidence.ca (info[at]mohawkresidence[dot]ca) to discuss their circumstances. Approval for early move in is not guaranteed and is subject to additional fees.

Subject to individual approval, students are also allowed to pay a daily fee to move out late at Winter Break or at the end of the year, given appropriate circumstances.

In November, Residents can apply to stay during Winter Break at the Front Desk. You must submit your form prior to the applicable deadline if you would like to stay for either part of the Winter Break or the entire Break.

Winter Break dates are outlined on the Moving In & Out page.

Students will receive bi-weekly 'light' housekeeping services. Every two weeks a housekeeper will come to your suite and clean your bathroom and kitchen areas, and mop the floors. 

Housekeeping staff are unable to touch your personal belongings; therefore, to allow for a full cleaning to occur you must make sure your counters, table tops, floors and shower areas are clear of any items. Please be aware that our housekeeping staff will not enter your bedrooms and therefore the bedrooms are the student's responsibility to clean.

Students may refuse housekeeping services if they prefer to clean themselves, however housekeeping staff are required to enter the suite bi-weekly to check that the smoke and heat detectors are working.

If something breaks in your suite, you can fill out a maintenance request through the Residence Housing Portal. This maintenance request form authorizes our maintenance staff to enter you room after 9:00 AM to repair damages. 

If it is urgent or an emergency, we ask that you alert our front desk staff to the situation immediately. 

Please note that any damage to the suite that has occurred at the fault of the resident will be billable.

The Residence Front Desk is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during the Academic year. 

Please note while we are staffed 24/7, the staff may be called away from the desk and will return promptly. 

The designated parking area for Residents is parking lot P10 located directly beside the Residence. Residents must purchase a P10 parking pass from the Mohawk College Parking Office. The parking pass must be the one designated for Residence students to include overnight parking. 

Students looking for more information about parking should go to Mohawk’s Parking website.

Your Resident Advisors (RAs) are always organizing events that are educational, fun, or social (or all of the above!). These events allow you to meet people in your new community. Check out the events board in the front lobby, and posters located on each floor to find out about events. Attend floor meetings to hear more, and let your RA know what type of activities you would like to see in Residence.

A Resident Advisor is a peer who lives in the Residence and whose job it is to organize community events, be a support for students, and help ensure that the Residence is a fun and safe place to live.

Residence has enforced Quiet Hours which are 11pm – 8 am Sunday – Thursday, and 1 am – 8 am Friday – Saturday. 

If you are disturbed at anytime of the day or night, before contacting the Front Desk, please try to talk to the resident(s) who is/are causing the disturbance first. Get to know your neighbours and build a respectful community. 

If the disturbance continues notify the Front Desk and staff will help you reach an acceptable volume by speaking to the resident(s). At the same time, remember to be reasonable with the level of volume you produce as well.

The Residence offers great security from the moment you pass through the controlled access main entrance, until you slide your electronic card into your suite door. 

Video cameras are located in all common areas, hallways and entrances. 

Mohawk College security regularly patrols the property and checks in with the Residence to ensure students' safety and well-being.

If you have any questions or concerns please connect with the Front Desk, available 24 hours.

Each suite includes a microwave shared by roommates. 

Any additional cooking devices must have automatic shutoff, be approved by CSA, and must not have an open element (for example hot plates and indoor grills are not permitted). All appliances will be checked for approval by a Residence staff member.

The Residence recommends students consider bringing devices like an induction burner, toaster oven, slow cooker, kettle and/or rice cooker that meet the above-mentioned guidelines in order to facilitate in-suite cooking.

There are several different common rooms including: The Kitchen, the Laundry Room, the Games Room, the Study Lounge, and the Movie Lounge.