Emotional Support Animals
ESA Approval Process
Oklahoma State University is committed to providing individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to use University Housing. OSU recognizes the importance of Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), which are animals that provide comfort and/or emotional support to individuals with disabilities. Emotional Support Animals are not Service Animals.
Learn more about the differences between Service Animals and ESAs.
Student Accessibility Services (SAS) verifies documentation of the need for an ESA and sends that verification to OSU Housing and Residential Life. OSU Housing and Residential Life handles the remainder of the process.
Please be advised: Residents must obtain prior written approval from Housing and Residential Life to bring an ESA into University Housing. Residents, including those who are eligible but have not yet received Housing and Residential Life’s approval for an ESA accommodation, are subject to consequences under generally applicable housing policies for bringing an ESA into university housing without approval, which may include fines or removal of the animal. However, under the FHA, a resident can request an ESA reasonable accommodation at any time. The process for ESA approval can take up to 60 days.
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Fill Out an Application
Open the Application Center in the AIM Portal and complete the Emotional Support Animal Application. The student will need to submit appropriate qualifying documentation from a qualified professional who is currently treating them.
The SAS Emotional Support Verification Form may be completed and submitted as appropriate qualifying documentation. The questions in the SAS Emotional Support Verification Form are provided as a courtesy to facilitate the provision of reliable support for ESA requests. While a healthcare professional is not required to use this specific form to provide reliable documentation for an ESA accommodation, all information from the SAS ESA Verification Form must be included in the documentation, and the information provided must reasonably support that the person seeking the accommodation has a disability and there is a disability-related need for an ESA accommodation.
If the documentation provided is not sufficient, SAS will reach out to the student.
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Complete an Intake Appointment
Once documentation has been reviewed, SAS will reach out to the student to set up an ESA Intake. The intake meeting focuses on the role of the ESA, ownership responsibilities, and other important logistics.
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Verification Transferred to Housing and Residential Life
After completing the intake appointment, SAS will inform Housing and Residential Life, verifying the need for an ESA. Housing and Residential Life will then reach out to the student to discuss steps needed to finalize the process before bringing the animal into housing.