Emotional Support Animal Requests

Procedures for Requesting an ESA in University Housing  

Emotional Support Animals are not allowed into University housing until all of the following steps have been completed and the resident has official approval from the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations for the need of an ESA and official approval from University Housing and Dining Services to bring the specific animal to campus.  

Warning: Some websites sell letters of support, certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for ESAs to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. Generally, such documentation from the internet is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a mental health disability or support the finding that there is a disability-related need for an ESA.  

Stage 1: Review Policies, Submit Documentation to OAA 

  1. The resident must read both the Eastern Illinois University Housing Reasonable Accommodation Policy and the Eastern Illinois University Housing Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Policy and Agreement in full.
  2. The Resident must provide the following documentation:
    1. The Emotional Support Animal Accommodation Request Form 
    2. The Provider ESA Recommendation Form completed by a qualifying provider showing that the animal is prescribed as part of an ongoing treatment plan. The type of animal being prescribed should be indicated. Other documentation may be accepted, but EIU reserves the right to determine if the documentation provides sufficient information. 
  3. Upon review of documentation, the OAA director may meet with the resident to discuss the request if additional information is needed.  
  4. The request may be discussed with the Housing Accommodation Committee when necessary. 
  5. The resident will be notified by the OAA in writing via email if the request for an ESA has been recommended. A designated University Housing and Dining Services staff member will be copied on the notification. 

A note about documentation: Under the Fair Housing Act, a housing provider may request reliable documentation when an individual is requesting the reasonable accommodation of an ESA and has a disability-related need for the accommodation that is not obvious or otherwise known.  

Stage 2: Review with University Housing and Dining Services Staff and Additional Documents 

  1. Once the need for an ESA has been recommended, the resident must meet with a designated representative from University Housing and Dining Services to discuss the appropriateness of the specific animal requested, review policies, and provide the following additional documentation: 
  2. A signed and dated copy the Eastern Illinois University Housing Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Policy and Agreement

  3. Records from a certified veterinarian with proof of up-to-date vaccinations, proof of spay/neuter, and information about the general health of the requested animal as applicable

  4. The University Housing ESA Registration Form

  5. University Housing Roommate/Suitemate Agreement (if applicable)
  6. The request may be discussed with the Housing Accommodation Committee when necessary. 

Stage 3: Animal May Come to Campus 

  1. Once all of the above steps have been completed and verified, University Housing and Dining Services will notify the resident in writing via email of the determination regarding the specific animal and give final approval.
  2. If the specific animal requested has been approved, the animal may now come to campus. 

Stage 4: Annual Renewal of ESA   

Resident must submit the following documentation to University Housing and Dining Services by August 1st of the upcoming academic year in order to bring the approved ESA back to campus each Fall semester:  

  1. A statement from a relevant certified provider on official letterhead indicating the continued need for an ESA (the ESA Recommendation Form does not need to be completed again).
  2. A new signed and dated copy of Eastern Illinois University Housing Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Policy and Agreement

  3. Records from a certified veterinarian with proof of up-to-date vaccinations, proof of spay/neuter, and information about the general health of the animal as applicable

  4. The University Housing ESA Registration Form

  5. University Housing Roommate/Suitemate Agreement (if applicable) 

 

Failure to submit these documents on or before August 1 may result in a delay of the animal’s return to campus. 

Appeal 

If the need for an ESA has not been established and is denied by the OAA, the student may file an appeal following the process detailed here: OAA Accommodation Determination Reconsideration and Appeal.  

If the need has been established but the specific animal being requested has been determined to not be reasonable and is denied by University Housing and Dining Services, the student may file an appeal following the process for housing related appeals. Contact housing@eiu.edu for information regarding the appeal process.  

If for any reason an approved ESA can no longer be on campus and the resident wishes to bring a different animal, the resident must contact University Housing and Dining Services to request approval for a different animal. A different animal than the ESA previously approved is not allowed in University housing until it has been approved to come to campus by University Housing and Dining Services.  

 

 

This process is current as of May 26, 2026. The University reserves the right to make changes to this process as necessary at any time.