Programs and Services
Off-Campus Student Life (OCSL) offers a variety of programs and services for students living off campus -- whether across the street or across the Twin Cities. Monthly Bagel Wednesdays (the first Wednesday of each month) and our annual Study Day Breakfast in the fall bring together neighborhood students and distance commuters.
We also have programs that serve specific populations of off-campus students.
Commuter Services and Information
Commuter Mentor Program
The Commuter Mentor program pairs incoming, first-year students with a commuter mentor (CM) who can serve as a resource throughout their first semester. Each mentor works with a small group of commuters and plans activities and events to participate in as a group. Groups meet throughout the fall semester to discuss campus resources, activities and being a commuter. Not only do first-year students connect with their mentors, they also form connections within their group. Your CM will keep you informed of campus events and be available to answer questions you may have.
For questions, or to double-check who your commuter mentor is, contact us at offcampus@stthomas.edu.
On-Campus Living Requirement
Since the fall of 2021, all first-year students are required to live on campus during their first and second years. Students can request an exception from this on-campus living requirement. More information on what is considered an exception can be found on Residence Life’s website. Financial aid is available to assist students with the cost of on-campus housing.
Commuter Mentor Program
Commuter Mentor Program
The Commuter Mentor program pairs incoming, first-year students with a commuter mentor (CM) who can serve as a resource throughout their first semester. Each mentor works with a small group of commuters and plans activities and events to participate in as a group. Groups meet throughout the fall semester to discuss campus resources, activities and being a commuter. Not only do first-year students connect with their mentors, they also form connections within their group. Your CM will keep you informed of campus events and be available to answer questions you may have.
For questions, or to double-check who your commuter mentor is, contact us at offcampus@stthomas.edu.
On-Campus Living Requirement
On-Campus Living Requirement
Since the fall of 2021, all first-year students are required to live on campus during their first and second years. Students can request an exception from this on-campus living requirement. More information on what is considered an exception can be found on Residence Life’s website. Financial aid is available to assist students with the cost of on-campus housing.
Neighborhood Programs and Services
St. Thomas wants to prepare students for the responsibilities and realities of living off campus in a family-oriented neighborhood. A core function of Off-Campus Student Life (OCSL) is to educate students about their rights and responsibilities living off-campus, particularly in the Merriam Park and Macalester-Groveland neighborhoods around St. Thomas’ St. Paul campus.
The Student Tenant Education Program (STEP) is designed to provide students with fundamental resources and knowledge about living off-campus. Students will learn about living off-campus responsibly, maintaining their property, developing good relationships with permanent residents, and becoming part of the community around campus.
Content areas include:
- The landlord-tenant relationship
- Tenant Rights and Responsibilities
- Meeting and interacting with permanent residents
- Off-campus Safety
Participation in STEP is open to all current St. Thomas students. Questions about STEP can be directed to Off-Campus Student Life at offcampus@stthomas.edu or 651-962-6659. Or visit us in person in ASC 218 (Anderson Student Center).
NSAs are undergraduate students who work with Neighborhood Relations to plan and implement programs for students who live in the neighborhoods around St. Thomas. Programs range from our annual cookie-dough event (which facilitates meetings over freshly baked cookies), Study Monday yoga, cooking classes, and meet-your-neighbor events. Watch our programs page to see what's coming up. To be assigned to an NSA, contact offcampus@stthomas.edu.
"Multi-modal" refers to biking, walking, cycling, scootering, riding the bus or light-rail -- in short, any means of getting around without a car, which is both easy and advisable in our urban neighborhood. From Transportation Trivia in Scooter's and Bike-Walk-Roll to Campus Day to our annual Metro Transit trainings, OCSL partners with Move Minnesota and the Office of Sustainability Initiatives on innovative ways to encourage climate health and discourage driving.
Every fall, Off-Campus Student Life partners with Undergraduate Student Government to coordinate a neighborhood walkthrough. NSAs and other volunteers go door to door interacting with the students who rent in the neighborhoods around St. Thomas. They share information about living in the neighborhood, including how to be a respectful neighbor, how to get involved in the community and how to become engaged in Off-Campus Student Life.
This small but growing program encourages our neighborhood students to donate and recycle goods before spring move-out, whether it's usable furniture for Bridging, blankets and towels for Emotional Rescue in Hastings, Minnesota, or discardable electronics that can be recycled at Tech Dump.
St. Paul is divided into 17 district councils that foster citizen input and make recommendations to the City Council. Our St. Paul campus straddles two of those councils -- Union Park District Council and Macalester-Groveland Community Council -- and we encourage and enable our students to become involved. St. Thomas also co-leads the city-chartered West Summit Neighborhood Advisory Committee (WSNAC), made up of university administrators and neighbor representatives from four different neighborhood groups.
Students Who Are Parents
It is our hope to provide you with easy access to information that will help support you in your experiences both in and out of the classroom at St. Thomas.
University offices and departments linked to this site have specific and helpful information for you. If you are still not finding the information you need or would like to talk about a specific issue not listed here, please contact Jesse Langer at jjlanger1@stthomas.edu.
Housing Resources
A staff member in Off-Campus Student Life can provide a student with useful information about off-campus housing options around the area. Unfortunately, there are no on-campus housing options for students who have dependent children living with them. Please call (651) 962-6138 for additional information. You can also visit our off-campus housing website. Off-Campus Student Life is located on the second floor of the Anderson Student Center, ASC 218.
Financial Aid
The Financial Aid Office can provide a student with useful information. A financial aid counselor can help students with financial aid information and resources to finance a St. Thomas education. Please call 651-962-6550 to set up an appointment with a counselor. Financial Aid is located on the first floor of Murray-Herrick Campus Center (MHC).
Financial Assistance
The Business Office can provide a student with useful information concerning tuition payments. A counselor can help students plan methods of payment to finance a St. Thomas education. Please call 651-962-6600 to set up an appointment with a counselor. The Business Office is located on the first floor of Murray-Herrick Campus Center (MHC).
Illness of a Child
It is important that parents understand the attendance policies on their course syllabi. If a parent needs to miss a class due to their child being ill, the parent should contact their professor immediately to notify the professor of the reason for their absence.
Other Resources
Scheduling
Academic Counseling can provide a student with useful information concerning scheduling and course emphasis. An academic counselor can help students plan classes around their needs. It is helpful to make a degree plan and plan several semesters ahead, because not all classes are offered each semester. Please call 651-962-6300 to set up an appointment with a counselor. Academic Counseling is located in the Murray-Herrick Campus Center, room 110.
Center for Well-Being
The Center for Well-Being is an integrated health and well-being center, partnering the services of:
- Health Services
- Counseling and Psychological Services
- Health Promotion, Resilience and Violence Prevention
Please call 651-962-6750 for additional information. Health Services is located at 35 S. Finn Street (between Summit and Grand Avenues).
Center for Student Achievement
The Center for Student Achievement is designed to serve as an online hub to connect students to University of St. Thomas resources aimed to help students explore options and opportunities, provide support and enrich their academic experiences. Many departments at St. Thomas offering tutoring services to help students succeed. Other resources include the Center for Writing, the Mathematics Resource Center (MARC), Disability Resources, and Academic Counseling.
Center for Student Achievement
Locations for nursing and pumping & Diaper Changing Stations
There are several convenient diaper-changing stations and Lactation Rooms on the St. Paul and Minneapolis Campuses. See the link below for more details on locations of these resources.
Diaper Changing Stations & Lactation RoomsFunding Assistance to Aid Students with Child Care
The Post-Secondary Child Care Grant Program helps low-income undergraduate students who have young children pay for child care while the student attends classes. Information about this grant can be found on the Financial Aid website.