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Dalhousie University Residence & Housing
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Housing, commute, campus setting, and city fit. This focused guide keeps the detailed tables, official sources, and practical next steps in one manageable reading path.
The short answer
- New direct-from-high-school students, domestic or international, are guaranteed a room if a complete application is on file by May 1.
- The room rate is only half the budget: every traditional residence except LeMarchant Place requires the $6,232 Freedom meal plan.
- For 2026–2027, Howe Hall rates are bunk double $6,645, double $9,380, and single $10,622 for the year.
- Gerard Hall rates are loft double $8,098, double $9,175, single $10,431, and super single $10,708.
- Truro traditional doubles cost $6,812, singles $7,779, and super singles $8,625 for 2026–2027.
Reviewed October 8, 2026 · Official university sources · How we review guides
Dalhousie residence costs, including meals
Dalhousie's 2026-27 Howe Hall double costs $15,612 with the Freedom meal plan. Its bunk double calculates to $12,877. LeMarchant Place costs $15,849 with Block Plan 2. These are room-plus-plan sums; choose an eligible plan before comparing two rooms.
Halifax traditional rooms need a meal plan. Only LeMarchant residents can choose the two block plans. Other traditional rooms use Freedom, which costs $6,232 for the year. The general costs-page intro mentions meals, but its room totals exclude the separately added meal charge. Council fees are already in room fees; the $100 application fee is separate. Fall 2027 rates weren't confirmed.
Cost sources checked October 13, 2026. Recheck due February 1, 2027. This is a focused cost check.
| Room and cycle | Term | Room charge | Meal plan | Room + meal total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howe Hall bunk double + Freedom2026-27 | Fall and winter | $6,645.00 | $6,232.00. Required Freedom plan | $12,877.00Our calculation |
| Howe Hall double + Freedom2026-27 | Fall and winter | $9,380.00 | $6,232.00. Required Freedom plan | $15,612.00Our calculation |
| LeMarchant Place + Block Plan 22026-27 | Fall and winter | $11,967.00 | $3,882.00. Eligible 155-meal block plan | $15,849.00Our calculation |
- Dalhousie residence costs. Latest available: 2026-27 room rates; meal-plan charge is added to the account separately. Intro's inclusion wording is qualified by its payment section. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Dalhousie residence meal plans. Latest available: 2026-27 annual Freedom and LeMarchant-only block plan costs. Checked October 13, 2026.
Dalhousie residence rates and the May 1 guarantee
Dalhousie publishes something most Canadian universities in this library do not: an actual first-year residence guarantee. New students who come straight from high school are guaranteed a room if a complete application is on file by May 1. This applies to domestic or international students. The room rate is only half the budget. Every traditional residence except LeMarchant Place requires the $6,232 Freedom meal plan.
| Residence | Room types | 2026–2027 annual |
|---|---|---|
| Howe Hall (traditional, Dalhousie's largest) | Single, double, bunk double, loft double | Bunk double $6,645; double $9,380; single $10,622 |
| Gerard Hall (traditional, near Sexton Campus) | Single, double, super single, loft double | Loft double $8,098; double $9,175; single $10,431; super single $10,708 |
| Risley Hall, Shirreff Hall, LeMarchant Place (traditional) | Risley singles, doubles and loft doubles; Shirreff singles and doubles including the Newcombe female-only house; LeMarchant singles with shared adjoining bathroom and two-, three- and four-bedroom suites | Published tiers run from $8,206 to $11,967 for the year |
| Glengary Apartments and Grad House (non-traditional) | Bachelor and three-room apartments; large single rooms | Glengary bachelor $12,684; Grad House single $10,606 |
| Truro traditional (Chapman, Fraser, Trueman) | Single, super single, double | Double $6,812; single $7,779; super single $8,625 |
| Truro non-traditional (graduate and mature housing) | Single; super single with toilet and sink | Single $8,649; super single $8,972 |
Meal plans for 2026/27
Freedom plan
$6,232 for the year
An unlimited swipe plan with $200 in Foodbucks ($100 per term) and four guest passes. Required in every traditional residence except LeMarchant Place, on both the Halifax and Truro campuses.
Block Plan 1 (LeMarchant Place only)
$4,825 for the year
217 meals across the academic year, equivalent to about seven meals a week, plus $200 in Foodbucks and four guest passes.
Block Plan 2 (LeMarchant Place only)
$3,882 for the year
155 meals across the academic year, equivalent to about five meals a week, plus $200 in Foodbucks and four guest passes.
Non-traditional residences
Optional
Meal plans are not required in Glengary, Grad House, Peter Green Hall, or Truro non-traditional housing. Those units include kitchen facilities.
Application fee
$50
Non-refundable, due with the residence application and paid online by credit card.
Guarantee condition
Complete by May 1
New, direct-from-high-school students only — domestic or international. Assignments are first come, first served.
Truro discount
About $1.5K–$2.8K less
A Truro traditional single is $7,779 against $10,622 for a Howe Hall single in Halifax.
Verify the year label
The guarantee text carries no year
The apply-for-residence page states the May 1 guarantee without a year. The only dated version is May 1, 2026. It sits on the deadlines page for September 2026 entry. Treat May 1, 2027 as the working planning date. Confirm once Dalhousie posts the Fall 2027 housing calendar. Priority access applies to Indigenous students, especially Mi'kmaq students. It applies to African or Black students, especially Historical African Nova Scotian students. It applies to students with disabilities or medical conditions that significantly impact housing needs.
First-year residence guarantee
Current guarantee · Published for this period
Dalhousie states that you will be guaranteed a room in residence if you are a new student coming directly from high school. This applies to domestic or international students. You must have a complete application on file by May 1. Room assignments are processed on a first come, first served basis. A $50 non-refundable application fee is due with the residence application.
This is a real published guarantee. It is unusual among the Canadian universities in this library. But it only applies if you are direct-from-high-school. You must also have a complete application by May 1.
Applies to: All applicants, International, Ontario high school
Dalhousie University: Apply for residence: guarantee, priority, and application fee · Verified August 16, 2026
Fall 2027 residence guarantee date
2027 pending · Fall 2027
The apply-for-residence page shows the guarantee text with no year. Only the deadlines page has a dated version. There it appears as the May 1, 2026 guaranteed residence application deadline for September 2026 entry.
Treat May 1, 2027 as the working planning date and verify once Dalhousie posts the Fall 2027 housing calendar.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: Dates and deadlines (admissions, awards, residence) · Verified August 16, 2026
Priority access groups
Current policy · Published for this period
Some groups get priority access. One group is Indigenous students, mainly Mi'kmaq students. Another group is African and Black students, mainly Historical African Nova Scotian students. A third group has disabilities or medical conditions. Those conditions must greatly affect their housing needs.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: Apply for residence: guarantee, priority, and application fee · Verified August 16, 2026
Halifax residence rates for 2026–2027
2026–2027 residence year · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Howe Hall, Dalhousie's largest residence: bunk double $6,645.00, double $9,380.00, single $10,622.00 for the year. Gerard Hall: loft double $8,098.00, double $9,175.00, single $10,431.00, super single $10,708.00. LeMarchant Place, Risley Hall and Shirreff Hall tiers run from $8,206.00 to $11,967.00 annually. Non-traditional: Glengary Apartments bachelor $12,684.00 and Graduate House single $10,606.00. A council fee of $20 per semester is included in the posted 2026/27 fees.
Rates are split unevenly across Fall and Winter instalments. The annual total is the planning number.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: Halifax campus residence costs and fees for 2026–2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
Agricultural Campus residence rates for 2026–2027
2026–2027 residence year · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
Traditional residence in Chapman, Fraser and Trueman Houses: double $6,812.00, single $7,779.00, super single $8,625.00 for the year. Non-traditional graduate and mature housing: single $8,649.00 and super single with toilet and sink $8,972.00. Truro adds a House Council fee of $20 and a Laundry Fee of $35 per semester.
Truro rooms run roughly $1,500 to $2,800 a year cheaper than the Halifax equivalents.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: Agricultural Campus residence costs and fees for 2026–2027 · Verified August 16, 2026
Halifax residence buildings and room types
Current buildings · Published for this period
Traditional: Howe Hall has single, double, bunk double and loft double rooms. It has six houses and a large dining hall. Gerard Hall has single, double, super single and loft double rooms. It is downtown near Sexton Campus. LeMarchant Place has singles with a shared adjoining bathroom. It also has two-, three- and four-bedroom suites. It is the newest residence and is centrally located on Studley. Risley Hall has single, double and loft double rooms and opened 2004. Shirreff Hall has single and double rooms plus the female-only Newcombe house. It opened 1923 and is Dalhousie's oldest residence. Non-traditional: Glengary Apartments, Grad House, and Peter Green Hall family housing with on-site daycare.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: Halifax campus residence buildings and room types · Verified August 16, 2026
Mandatory meal plans and 2026/27 prices
2026–2027 residence year · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
The Freedom plan is an unlimited swipe plan. You can eat all you care to eat, as many times as you like while the dining hall is open. It costs $6,232.00 for the year on both campuses. This includes $200 in Foodbucks ($100 per term) and 4 guest passes. It is required in every traditional residence except LeMarchant Place. LeMarchant residents can choose Block Plan 1 at $4,825.00 for 217 meals (about 7 meals a week). Or they can choose Block Plan 2 at $3,882.00 for 155 meals (about 5 meals a week). Those suites include kitchen facilities. Meal plans are not required in non-traditional residences but are recommended.
A Howe Hall single plus the Freedom plan is roughly $16,854 before tuition and incidental fees.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: Residence meal plans and 2026/27 prices · Verified August 16, 2026
Campus and city: what Dalhousie publishes about student life
Dalhousie runs one student experience across two very different settings. It also runs across three Halifax campuses. These cards use only dal.ca statements about scale and the international community. They also cover the Truro environment and cross-campus access with King's. They cover what the mandatory student fees actually buy.
Halifax and the Atlantic setting
Current positioning · Published for this period
Dalhousie says it is on Canada's welcoming East Coast. It says it is on the edge of the Atlantic. It lists ocean sustainability as a strategic research cluster. It lists sustainable food systems as another cluster. It lists healthy people, communities, and populations. It lists climate tech and clean energy. It lists culture and society. It lists AI and digital innovation.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: About Dalhousie: founding, scale, and campuses · Verified August 16, 2026
International community
University-published counts · Published for this period
Dalhousie publishes 21,000 students from across the country and more than 115 countries around the world.
Applies to: International
Dalhousie University: Facts, figures and rankings · Verified August 16, 2026
Living on two very different campuses
Current campuses · Published for this period
Halifax is a multi-campus urban environment across Studley, Carleton and Sexton. Truro is a rural campus in Bible Hill with almost 1,000 acres, a working farm, three residence halls (Fraser, Chapman and Trueman), the Jenkins Dining Hall, the MacRae Library, the Langille Athletic Centre, and the annual College Royal event.
Truro is roughly an hour's drive from Halifax; Truro Start students will make that transition after first year.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: Truro and Bible Hill campus profile · Verified August 16, 2026
Cross-campus access with King's
Current association · Published for this period
Dalhousie's own account states that facilities at both universities exist independently. These include libraries and athletics departments. They are available to students at both schools. A student ID from one school is essentially a hall pass to the other. Their Halifax campuses are close together. Dal and King's students may traverse back and forth several times a day.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: Dalhousie and King's celebrate 100 years together (Dal News) · Verified August 16, 2026
What the student fees buy
2026–2027 · Latest published information; newer cycle not yet confirmed
The mandatory incidental total includes several fees. These are the Dalhousie Student Union fee, a Student Service fee, and Facilities Renewal. Facilities Renewal includes a recreation component supporting athletic facilities. It also includes the University Bus Pass at $177.90 per year. The DSU Health plan is $491.89 per year, with an opt-out for students holding comparable coverage. There is a Fall Orientation/Transition Fee of $130.00 for new students. The Dalhousie Medical Campus Response Team levy is also included.
Applies to: All applicants
Dalhousie University: 2026–2027 Undergraduate Fee Schedule, Fall and Winter term estimates (PDF) · Verified August 16, 2026
Official Dalhousie residence and student-life sources
Housing and Location Questions
| Campus Setting | Major-city campus environment |
|---|---|
| Residence | Check residence guarantee rules, first-year room styles, and meal plans. Also check deposit deadlines and off-campus housing pressure. |
| City Fit | Students should compare transit, weather, cost of living, safety, and community feel in Halifax. |
| Commuting | If you live off campus, map commute time before committing. Include classes, labs, placements, and evening activities. |
Official Sources and Next Steps
Stellar keeps this guide structured for comparison, but official university pages remain the source of truth for program requirements, tuition, residence, scholarships, deadlines, and policy changes.
Prepared by Stellar Advisers Editorial Team · Reviewed October 8, 2026 · Editorial, corrections, and source methodology