Residence Life At HPU

The residential communities at Howard Payne University provide students with a positive living environment and a supportive framework for personal development. Due to our commitment to the residential experience, students are required to live in the residence halls unless students meet one or more of the following exemptions:

  • Brownwood area resident living with parents within a 30 mile radius of HPU
  • Lived in a residence hall for four long semesters (i.e. fall and spring semesters)
  • Completed 60 HPU academic credit hours
  • Legally married to a person of the opposite sex and submit a marriage license
  • 21 years old by August 1 (for fall semester) or January 1 (for spring semester)


Students under the age of 17 are not allowed to live in university housing.

A housing application/agreement and housing deposit are required for all students who will be living on campus. Students who meet one or more of the exemptions and desire to live off campus must submit a Request for Permission to Live Off Campus form.

Incoming students who are 21 years old and/or have lived in a residence hall for four long semesters have the option to request housing in a residence hall or campus apartment.

All students living in the residence halls are required to purchase a resident meal plan.

General Information

Resident Directors (RDs) are full-time employees who live in the residence halls. Resident Directors assist students, coordinate community events, manage the building operations, and supervise the Resident Assistants. Resident Assistants (RAs) are upperclassmen who live on each wing. These students are trained to help with emergencies and student concerns.

Before a student is assigned a residence hall and room, the student must submit a $200 residence hall maintenance fee, in addition to the $100 tuition deposit. Upon receipt of the deposit, the residence life staff will make housing assignments. HPU strives to honor roommate requests.

2024-2025

Veda Hodge Hall, Jennings Hall, and Taylor Hall: $2,250
  • All rates are per semester and per resident.
  • Private Room Charge: Additional $800 (Private rooms are not available for first semester freshman students. Private rooms are assigned based on availability.)
Newbury Place Apartments
  • All rates are per semester: Fall (July – December)  Spring (January – June)
  • All rates are based on the occupancy of the apartment.
  • Residents have no additional charges. Electricity, water, wireless internet, and cable are included in the rates.
  • Two Residents: $5,200 per resident
  • Three Residents: $5,200 per resident with private room/private bath and $2,600 per residents with shared room/shared bath
  • Four Residents: $2,600 per resident

All students living in the residence halls are required to purchase a resident meal plan. Students living in the apartments or off campus are not required to purchase a meal plan, but may purchase any of the options.

2024-2025 Options for Students in Residence Halls

  • Meal Plan #1: Unlimited meals per week AND $100 in Jacket Bucks per semester and $125 in Stinger Bucks per semester = 2,950
  • Meal Plan #2: 15 meals per week AND $150 in Jacket Bucks and $125 in Stinger Bucks per semester = $2,850
  • Meal Plan #3: 12 meals per week AND $200 in Jacket Bucks and $125 in Stinger Bucks per semester = $2,700

2024-2025 Options for Students Living in Apartments or Off Campus

  • Meal Plan #1: Unlimited meals per week AND $100 in Jacket Bucks per semester and $125 in Stinger Bucks per semester = $2,950
  • Meal Plan #2: 15 meals per week AND $150 in Jacket Bucks and $125 in Stinger Bucks per semester = $2,850
  • Meal Plan #3: 12 meals per week AND $200 in Jacket Bucks and $125 in Stinger Bucks per semester = $2,700
  • Meal Plan #4: 5 meals per week and $250 in Stinger Bucks $1,275
  • Meal Plan #5: 55 meals per semester and $150 in Stinger Bucks = $750
  • Meal Plan #6: 33 meals per semester and $100 in Stinger Bucks = $450

Click here to view information from Sodexo, HPU’s dining services provider.

Click here to access the Student Dining Portal to check your balance or add money to your account. 

Residence halls close for certain holidays and university breaks (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Spring Break). Residents are responsible for securing off campus housing during these periods if they choose to remain in Brownwood.

Students and parents are strongly encouraged to purchase renter’s insurance or check on the transferability of coverage from their home owner’s insurance to cover the student’s personal belongings and safety. Precautions are taken to maintain adequate security in the residence halls; however, the University is not responsible for loss or damage to personal property or personal injury/safety in University housing by fire, water, theft, vandalism, or other causes. Rental insurance policies may vary from one company to another. The following link will direct you to a third-party entity which has conducted extensive research on home owner’s/renter’s insurance policies: http://www.reviews.com/homeowners-insurance/. The University does not officially endorse this service and is in no way affiliated with this third-party entity.

Each residence hall room is furnished with two twin beds, two dressers, two desks and two desk chairs. Each hall has a microwave oven, soft drink machine, snack machine, and a television in the common area. Each hall has a laundry room. Laundry is an amenity included in the cost of housing (no coins needed).

  • Bedding: extra long twin sheets, comforter, blankets, pillows, mattress pad, etc. (The mattress dimensions are 36″ wide by 80″ long.)
  • Towels
  • Personal Care/Hygiene Items
  • Hair Dryer/Electric Hair Stylers
  • School Supplies
  • Laundry Supplies
  • Electronics
  • Carpet/Rug
  • Curtains (All curtains must hang on tension rods.)
  • Small Fan
  • Television (one cable hookup per room)
  • Iron
  • Small Refrigerator (maximum of 36″ tall)
  • Fridge/Microwave Combination Unit (2.7 or 3.7 cubic feet)
    (The unit can’t exceed 10 AMPS.)

Please Do Not Bring:

  • Microwaves and Cooking Appliances
  • Coffee Makers (unless the burner is on the inside and/or it has an automatic shut off)
  • Iced Tea Makers
  • Space Heaters
  • Cinderblocks
  • Candles
  • Foam/Sticky Adhesives, Nails, and Screws (3M brand “Command Strips” are allowed.)
  • Loft Beds
  • Pets (Only fish in bowls or small aquariums are allowed.)

Each apartment is furnished with a refrigerator, range, microwave, washer and dryer.

  • Furniture (Furniture is not provided in the apartments and duplexes.)
  • Bedding: sheets, comforter, blankets, pillows, mattress pad, etc.
  • Towels
  • Personal Care/Hygiene Items
  • Hair Dryer/Electric Hair Stylers
  • School Supplies
  • Laundry Supplies
  • Electronics
  • Microwave
  • Carpet/Rug
  • Curtains (All curtains must hang on tension rods.)
  • Television (one cable hookup per apartment/duplex)
  • Small fan
  • Iron

Wireless Internet access is available everywhere in all residential communities. Computers must have wireless networking cards. Instructions for accessing the wireless Internet are available on via HPU Gateway under Menu -> IT Services.

Each room is also wired for Internet access. This access is provided to students as part of their activity fee for educational purposes. An Ethernet hub or switch may be purchased to allow students in the same room to be on the Internet at the same time.