German House Application
Valpo’s Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center allows you to live in a German language environment without even leaving campus!
Residents — aided by the native-speaker Project Assistant — speak German with each other, plan meals and activities together, and live in a real Studentenwohngemeinschaft.
First, take a tour of the residential section of the Kade-Duesenberg German House and Cultural Center (upstairs). If you’re not yet a Valpo student, ask your Admissions Counselor to add a tour of the German House to your Visit Day schedule. If you’re already in a German class, just stop by the German House and ask the Student Building Manager to take you upstairs and show you around.
Also, be sure to come to the annual information meeting in November; you’ll hear about the meeting in your German class.
Complete the application form in January. That form contains a link to the recommendation form, which you should share with your recommender at least one week before the deadline. The application and recommendation deadline is in late January and appears at the beginning of the online form. Students will be informed of their selection status before regular room selection begins.
Who can live in the German House?
Any Valpo sophomore, junior, or senior who is enrolled in a German course at any level or who has completed German 204 can live in the German House. Applications are submitted in January the year before you want to live in the house (right before the regular Room Selection process in March).
How long can I live in the German House?
German House residents that want to live in the building for more than one year simply reapply.
I’ll be abroad for part of the year. Can I apply for just one semester?
Yes. Students who are studying abroad are especially encouraged to apply to live in the German House — either in preparation for their time abroad or as a way of easing back into American campus life. There is space on the application form for you to indicate your intent to apply for the fall or the spring semester only.
What happens if I apply to live in the German House but am not selected?
Space in the German House is limited to 13 students, one of whom is a PA; this means that not every applicant can always be accommodated. Applications are reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff, and selections are made based on language ability and willingness to participate in communal life. Seniority and male/female balance may also be considered. Applicants are informed whether or not they have been selected well in advance of the campuswide room selection process so that students who are not selected to live in the German House have time to find a roommate and join the regular room selection process at no disadvantage.
Who is the Project Assistant?
Each year there is a new project assistant. The PA is normally an exchange student from Tübingen who takes regular Valpo courses while serving as PA at the German House. There is also a Valpo student serving as Resident Assistant.
What are the rooms like?
The rooms in the German House are singles and doubles within same-sex suites. Each suite has its own bathroom so that only two, three, or four students share a bathroom. Each suite has movable furniture — beds that can be bunked, wardrobes, dressers, desks and study chairs; wiring for cable television; wiring for computer connections and Wi-Fi Internet access; and access to the balconies that run the length of the house.
Click here to view the floor plan!
What are the shared areas of the German House like?
The shared areas of the German House include a living room with fireplace, comfortable seating, and a large table for communal meals; a large kitchen; a TV lounge with German (and American) television; a study room with university computers and free printing; a laundry room; and a guest restroom. For students who have cars on campus, there is a small parking lot available in front of the house.
What makes the German House different from the other residence halls?
German House residents pledge to speak German in the common areas of the house. (Beginning and intermediate German students have leeway but should respect the German-speaking community and work on making steady progress in speaking German.) Residents share meal planning and preparation on weekday evenings, Sunday through Thursday. This shared mealtime (and planning time for it) is the main time period for community interaction in German.
Are there any on-campus jobs associated with living in the German House?
Yes. German House residents may apply for positions as the German House RA, Student Building Managers in the Cultural Center downstairs, and as teachers in the “Kinder lernen Deutsch” program. The other German-related job on campus is the Language Partner position in the Language and Intercultural Learning Center.
What does it cost to live in the German House?
In the 2024/2025 academic year, the charge is $4,526 per semester per person for a double room and $6,579 per semester for a single room. Also, residents enrolled in a German course receive a German House Residency Scholarship in the amount of $500 per semester, which is added to a student’s existing financial aid to reduce the cost. (Exchange students from Germany are not eligible for the Residency Scholarship.)
Do I have to purchase a full-price meal card? After all, we are doing our own cooking five nights each week.
No, your meal card buy-in is at the lower specialty housing rate. That rate for the 2025-2026 academic year is $1,030 per semester, for example.