So i finally decided to go to college and which university i'm going to, and i'll be visiting there later this week. Their housing is co ed but roommates are still single gender i'm guessing. The visit is an overnight thing, like, you stay with a student... i'm kind of freaking out... i'm going with my mom (she won't be there overnight), and she doesn't know about me so i put female on the form... I always feel like a liar and a pervert when i do things like going into girls restrooms or dressing rooms or locker rooms...

anyway... When i sign up for housing or whatever, should i talk to the disability center or something? To make sure i don't have to ... live with anyone? I don't want to be seen as a transgender male... i just want to be seen as a male...

sorry, i'm ill, sleepy, and not wearing glasses, this probably doesn't make sense.

Not sure about the University you picked, but mine has an option for people living in the dorms to either sign up for single rooms, or sign up for a double and buy out the second half. It does cost twice as much though. If you get a double and buy it out, there is always the chance they will need the other half for someone if there is a shortage of rooms, in which case my uni refunds the money and the person who wanted the single room is SOL. All the dorms on my campus are co-ed buildings, but the floors are seperated by sex. I doubt if you are presenting as male or are undergoing transistion currently that they would let you room on the male floors though. :\

I would check with the Residence Life folks (or whoever deals with student housing) and ask them what they can do for you, though.

paying twice as much is not an option sadly. if i am forced to live with a girl what do i do? i'm like... really worried about that. i'd feel bad for her... what would i tell her? like... maybe she'd just request to get moved and i could end up alone anyway?

I'm in college right now living in the dorms as I medically transition.

I didn't need to talk to the disability center or anything.

I spoke to the person in charge of the housing department& provided documentation to back up what I was saying.
Before I started T I had my therapist write a note explaining that I should not be placed w/females.
Once I started T my doctor wrote a note classifying me as male.

In my case they placed me on a co-ed residence floor in a single room. I use the men's bathroom.
Be sure to be specific in all of your requests when you meet up with anyone to discuss your options.

*also, I wanted to add about price:
Because I provided documentation from a therapist and a doctor I am charged no more than anyone who selected a double room.

Yeah, private rooms are always like 2-3 times more than a regular room.  You are probably just going to have to suck it up and have a roommate.  Something that worked a few times for me was to specifically request a person who wasn't going to live in the dorms and that got me a private room at the cost of a regular one but it didn't always work.   There was a spot on our applications to put a name of a person.

Quote from: Matt Chase on April 01, 2012, 12:30:28 AM
paying twice as much is not an option sadly. if i am forced to live with a girl what do i do? i'm like... really worried about that. i'd feel bad for her... what would i tell her? like... maybe she'd just request to get moved and i could end up alone anyway?

Don't worry about it.  You don't really spend a lot of time in the room, at least my roomies never did.  Do you bind?  Pack?  What would you need to tell her exactly?  Just dress privately, she will probably just assume you are lesbian.  That is if you don't want to come out to her.  If you do just tell her and say you aren't physically transitioning yet and prefer whatever name.  I'm sure it won't be a big deal. 

"yeah, private rooms are always like 2-3 times more than a regular room. "

At my university I am charged the same as a double room for my single room because the school's administrator felt if I was able to provide documentation from my doctor& before starting T, a therapist, there was a need for a single room rather than me just requesting one for the heck of it.

Quote from: hurts2sayshalom (Call me Cal) on April 01, 2012, 01:11:11 AM
"yeah, private rooms are always like 2-3 times more than a regular room. "

At my university I am charged the same as a double room for my single room because the school's administrator felt if I was able to provide documentation from my doctor& before starting T, a therapist, there was a need for a single room rather than me just requesting one for the heck of it.

I wasn't doubting you, I just happened to post right after you did.  I was just saying in general, non-special circumstances (ie actually medically transitioning) they are usually 2-3 times more.

Ok man, I hear ya.
Yes, without proper documentation schools will take advantage of a situation to charge extra unfortunately.   

Matt Chase: is your university public or private, btw?

My son attends a private university -- he told the head of housing he was trans and they immediately offered him a single room in the male dorm.  He had not started any transition process -- he hadn't even seen a therapist was only just coming to terms with it.

He attended a youth group a couple summers ago and there was a parents group attached it to -- it was his beginning therapy for hormones.  In the parents group several of the kids were in college -- all of them recieved positive responses from the housing office -- all were given private rooms on the appropirate gender floor.  Several had that arranged before telling their parents or starting hormones. 

Call the housing department and talk to them.  Tell them your not out to your parents and you fully intend on living your life as your true gender once you are away at college -- they have been dealing with it and do have some sort of action plan in place.  I know at the University of Minnesota they have a whole dorm for LGBTQ folks and room you according to what your are most comfortable with.

I'd talk to housing people at your college, different schools have different policies. I'd go out on a limb to say most colleges will probably let you have a single where you want but it could cost more. I talked to my college and they let me live in male dorms and everything. The seven other people I share a bathroom with are bio-males and they don't know about my trans status. That was another reason I chose my college--they let me room in male dorms as opposed to offering me gender neutral housing (like another two universities did).

Quote from: Superrad on April 05, 2012, 12:36:11 AM
I'd talk to housing people at your college, different schools have different policies. I'd go out on a limb to say most colleges will probably let you have a single where you want but it could cost more. I talked to my college and they let me live in male dorms and everything. The seven other people I share a bathroom with are bio-males and they don't know about my trans status. That was another reason I chose my college--they let me room in male dorms as opposed to offering me gender neutral housing (like another two universities did).

Whoa, that's rare! Where are you going to school and are you medically transitioning?