Frequently Asked Questions

Tropicana Gardens

6585 El Colegio Road

Goleta, CA 93117

Phone: (805) 968-4319

www.tropicanagardens.com

FAX: (805) 968-5703

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

From the South:

1) Take the Ventura Freeway (101) north. Exit at Los Carneros (it is past the UCSB

exit), turn left towards the ocean.

2) Follow Los Carneros until it dead-ends at a stoplight on the corner of Los Carneros and El Colegio Road. Turn left on El Colegio Road. Turn right on Embarcadero Del Mar (the first stoplight)

3) Make your first right into the Tropicana Gardens parking lot. You may enter

Tropicana Student Housing from the parking lot through the rear tunnel doors.

From the North:

1) Take the Ventura Freeway (101) south. Exit at Los Carneros, turn right towards the ocean.

2) Follow Los Carneros until it dead-ends at a stoplight on the corner of Los Carneros and El Colegio Road. Turn left on El Colegio Road. Turn right on Embarcadero Del Mar.

3) Make your second right into the Tropicana Gardens parking lot. You may enter

Tropicana Student Housing from the parking lot through the rear tunnel doors.

The Front Desks are open:

Monday-Thursday: 8 AM - 11 PM

Friday: 8 AM - 1 AM

Saturday 10 AM - 1 AM

Sunday: 10 AM - 11 PM

Professional Staff Hours:

Monday-Friday 9 AM - 5 PM

Starbucks is located on the corner of Pardall Road and Embarcadero del Norte.

Located on Storke Road you can find Camino Real Marketplace.  The shopping center includes Home Depot, Staples, Costco, Best Buy, Sports Authority, Sportsmart, Ross and Borders.  You can find this marketplace by going west on El Colegio and turning right onto Storke Road; it will be located a few blocks down on your left-hand side.  In addition, K-Mart is located across the street from Camino Real Marketplace. Bed Bath and Beyond is located off the Fairview exit.

In Camino Real Marketplace you can find an array of nice restaurants.  They include: Mika Sushi, Gina’s Pizza, McConnell's Ice Cream, Anna’s Bakery, Chili’s, Kahuna Grill, Baja Grill, Blenders in the Grass, Starbucks, Hollister Brewing Company, and Pasteria, and McDonald’s.

You can also find a couple of restaurants in Isla Vista like Freebirds (Mexican), Woodstock’s Pizza, Subway, Silvergreen’s, and Sam’s to Go (Sandwiches), Dominos and Sushiya (Sushi).

There are two options for students to move in early. The first option is that students can pay $200 to move in one day before the scheduled move in day or $400 to move in two days before the scheduled move in day. Click here for more information.

The second option is the TEMPO program, which for $500.00, allows a student to stay up to a week early with activities provided, further described on next page.

Trop Early Move-in Program and Orientation (TEMPO) starts Tuesday the week before move in. It costs $500 and the registration information can be found on our website. This program allows students to move into their assigned rooms early and addresses the top 10 important things concerning incoming freshmen. This includes healthy eating, dealing with relationships, touring the campus, getting books, finding classes, field trips around the city and getting to know 50 other Trop students. See our right hand menu for a link to download an application. Click here to register.

Prior to move-in, residents can receive help by calling (805) 968-4319, e-mailing at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by using our live chat feature on our website.

Yes, Desk Attendant (DA), Resident Assistant (RA) positions and positions in the Café are available to students. Contact the Café Manager at Bon Appetit for kitchen jobs. The selection process for DAs and RAs for the next academic year will take place during February-March. Tropicana also hires students enthusiastic about their experience living at Tropicana to be Tour Guides during our leasing season; watch for flyers and announcements toward the end of the year.

Tropicana Gardens residence hall is closed for residents during the Winter Break and Thanksgiving holidays. The hours listed at the link below are for Tours, Villas apartment residents’ package pickup, and other Tropicana Student Housing business.

Click Here to See the Holiday Hours

Yes, Tropicana Student Housing does house both UCSB and SBCC students. We estimate our population for 2012-2012 will consist of approximately 75% Freshmen, 25% Non-Freshmen (Sophomores, Juniors, Seniors, Transfer and International) with approximately 40% male and 60% female residents.

BEFORE THINKING OF CANCELLING -- HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE FOLLOWING:

1. Try resolving any issues you may have with roommates that may be potentially causing conflict?
2. Have you tried including a Resident Assistant or another Tropicana Staff member to help resolve any potential conflicts?
3. Have you considered requesting a room change (Note: there is a $200 room move fee)?
4. Have you considered placing an ad on Craigslist, UCSB's Housing Site, to see if someone would be willing to take over your contract?

Tropicana Student Housing has a cancellation policy as follows:

Cancel before June 30th, 2012 - $500.00 fee
Cancel between June 30th, 2012 and the first date of the contract - $2,500.00 Fee
Cancel after the first day of the contract - The greater of $2,000.00 or 50% of the remaining contract (based on the pro-rated daily rate) fee

Notes about the Cancellation Policy:

Student/Guarantor has the right to find an acceptable replacement student that Tropicana Student Housing agrees is a suitable replacement to avoid paying cancellation fee. A $500.00 administrative fee will apply to lease takeovers. If you cancel your contract, to finalize your bill, we will take the following steps.

(A) We will calculate the total contract amount for the year and prorate the number of nights responsible during the contract.

(B) We will then add the cancellation fee according to the date of the cancellation.

(C) We add the cancellation fee, plus the nightly rate and number of days in contract and add any other fees or outstanding balances remaining on your account to determine your final account balance. If you cancel your contract, you lose the right to park at our facility or to resell your space, and you will not be refunded any money for parking. Your Tropicana Student Organization Fee will be forfeited. Your security deposit will be returned less the $50.00 cleaning fee and any other damage charges and outstanding balances. (The $50.00 cleaning fee includes steam cleaning of the carpet and normal cleaning, but does not include removal of items, etc.) Once you have checked out, signed a cancellation form and your account is paid in full, you will be relieved of your contractual duties.

Note: If you are a member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty and receive change-of-station orders to permanently leave the local area; are returned to active military duty; or are a national guard or reservist called to active duty, then you may terminate the Contract by giving written notice to us from the US Government.

View the 2011-2012 Cancellation Policy

Yes. Tropicana Student Housing offers Academic Year contracts of 10-months as well as 1 quarter, 2 quarters, and 1 semester contracts. If you are interested in any contract other than the Academic Year contract you need to contact Laura Adams by e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information. You may apply for the spring quarter/semester during the academic year, as there may be vacancies. These mid-year applications are not guaranteed.

Tropicana Student Housing is not open for the Thanksgiving holiday, or Winter Break (includes Christmas and New Year’s). Please see our 2011-2012 Academic Year Calendar located online for more information. If a student is from out of the area and is unable to go home at the quarter/semester breaks, arrangements must be made through our front desk and approval will be made on a case by case basis. Students can stay in the halls for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day.

*Please note that academic Calendars are different for SBCC and UCSB.

Each contract includes an unlimited meal plan, Internet connection (wired and wireless), basic cable television and all utilities (with the exception of telephone).

Changes can be made. However, they are only accepted in writing or e-mail by resident or guarantor. CHANGES CAN NOT BE MADE OVER PHONE. If you would like a change in your contract, please email Laura Adams at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

We take check, cash and Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express credit card payments. You can mail payments into our office at 6585 El Colegio Rd Goleta CA 93117. If you wish to make a contract payment with a credit card you can do that in person in our office. You can also make a payment online. Click HERE to Pay Online.

Tropicana Student Organization (TSO) is a group of residents that contributes ideas and votes on how to spend a budget of over $35,000. Some of the $150 activity fee that is paid at the beginning of the year goes towards this budget. TSO approves how this budget is spent. All residents are invited to participate in TSO and run for positions such as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Quad Representatives at the beginning of the year.

By definition, a security deposit is money paid in advance of a transaction to protect seller or renter against damage or non-payment. The $350 dollar payment at the beginning of the year is refunded, less a $50 cleaning fee, if the room is in the exact shape as it was before the residents moved in. A Room Condition Report (RCR) is done at the beginning of the year by our summer staff, as well as when each resident moves in. The purpose of the RCR is to document any damages that were made to the room prior to any residents moving in. This prevents money getting deducted from the security deposit that were not the fault of the residents. The amount refunded from the security deposit depends on the extent of damages caused throughout the year. A damage in any location of the suite is divided by the amount of residents that live in the suite. For example, in a 6-person suite, damage in the living room (a common area for all 6 residents) is divided by six, while a damage in the double bedroom is divided by 2 (amongst the people that live in said bedroom). Unless a resident takes responsibility for any damages, each person in the suite is charged from their security deposit for a damage.

What are the room options?

We provide numerous different room options. Please refer to our suite layouts for a better understanding of the room options.

2 Bedroom/1 Bathroom Suite

3 Bedroom/2 Bathroom Suite

$uper $aver $uite

We offer singles, doubles, triples, and quads with the various different bedroom sizes. A single means one person in the bedroom, while a double means two people sharing, a triple means three people sharing, and a quad means four people sharing the one bedroom style.

With our suite styles, we specifically offer:

A Single in the A Bedroom

A Single in the B Bedroom

A Single in the C Bedroom

A Double in the A Bedroom

A Double in the B Bedroom

A Double in the C Bedroom

A Triple in the C Bedroom

A Quad in the C Bedroom

And our $uper $aver $uite, which is a Double in the A, and a Quad in the B of our 2 Bedroom/1Bath Suite (shown above).

Yes, both men and women live in the same building together. The individual suites house only men or women, with the opposite gender potentially living in an adjacent suite or quad.

New residents cannot choose their suite or room. Although requests are always taken into consideration, they are not guaranteed. As a returning resident at Tropicana Student Housing, you have the ability to choose your room and/ or suite preference. (*Note: All requests are taken into consideration, but nothing is guaranteed.)

You may request to live on the Honors Floor if you have a 3.5 GPA or higher. You’ll be required to submit your transcripts to live on the Honors Floor with other academically-focused students.

You may choose to reside on the Quiet Floor, where other like-minded individuals choose to live a quiet lifestyle.

Yes, but requests must be mutual in order to be considered. Request’s can be made on the Room Assignment Questionnaire page of the contract.  (*Note:  All requests are taken into consideration, but nothing is guaranteed.)

In a 2 bedroom/1 bath suite, depending on the room type selected by all residents, there may be 3-4 people sharing a bathroom (Super Savers will have 6 people sharing one bathroom). In a 3 bedroom/2 bath suite, there may be 2-4 people sharing a bathroom. Bathrooms are within each suite, so they are not co-ed.

Yes, residents may install a lock on their door.  However, for safety concerns each resident must provide a key to the Front Desk.  We suggest you buy a “Kwikset” lock. If you do not provide a key and you lock yourself out, we will call a locksmith and there will be a charge of $100-$150 for which you are responsible. Tropicana Student Housing also sells locks for $30 at the beginning of the year; we will provide and install the lock and keys.

Things that you should bring are sheets (extra long twin), blankets, pillows, pillowcases, bedspread, towels, washcloths, toilet paper, alarm clock, computer, radio, beach towel, answering machine, bicycle, lock, iron, non-halogen study lamp and toiletries. You may also want to bring a TV, personal items, laundry soap, desk lamp, and a refrigerator not exceeding 3.8 cubic feet.  All rooms have blinds on the windows and all bedrooms are carpeted.

Pianos, organs, drums, electric guitars, hookahs, guns, weapons, dart boards, pets, candles, incense, water beds and fire arms/explosives are not allowed at Tropicana Student Housing. Cooking equipment is not needed.

We have provided a kitchenette for residents’ use, which is located off our study lounge. (Note: there are no kitchens in the students’ suites.)  The kitchenette has an oven, stovetop, sink, microwave and limited cookware which residents can borrow from the front desk. Please know that cooking is not permitted in the suites. Coffee pots are allowed. Rice cookers, hot oil popcorn poppers, open coil heating devices and blenders are not allowed. Microwaves are strongly discouraged, but not prohibited.

Yes, there is an Ethernet and Wireless connection for each resident.

There is a 24-hour study lounge located on property. In addition, there are other study buildings on both the UCSB and the SBCC campus.

Click HERE for more information.

For parking information please contact Laura Adams at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for Tropicana Gardens Parking.

*Please note prices will not be available until early August with move- in information

Tropicana Gardens has two on-site laundry facilities which are located in the St. Croix and Barbados Quads.  To wash one load of laundry will cost $2.00 and to dry one load of laundry is $1.50. Our laundry machines are card operated only. You will receive a laundry debit card upon move-in and can add money to it throughout the year using cash or a credit/debit card; this machine is located in rec room.

Yes, our housekeeping staff will provide light housekeeping services once every two weeks. Light housekeeping includes: vacuuming, dusting, bathroom cleaning and trash removal. If a suite is too dirty, housekeeping reserves the right not to clean it.

Many residents take the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transit District (MTD) to and from school.  With a CC student card, it is free to ride any MTD bus. The 15X line runs every 25 to 30 minutes and takes around 25 minutes to get to City College.  This bus stop is located on the Camino Pescadero side of Tropicana Student Housing.  Students may also carpool with other City College students, which is another affordable way to get to and from school.

For more information regarding the bus, please visit www.sbmtd.gov

We have staff that takes care of any maintenance problems residents may have, from a broken window to a faulty toilet. Just come down to the front desk and put in a maintenance request.  If the issue is an after hour emergency, please contact the RA Duty Cell (805) 637-5046.

Yes, Desk Attendant positions and positions in the Café are available to students. Interviews will take place during the 1st month of school for these positions.  There are other opportunities throughout the year as well.

Residents under 21 years of age may not drink at Tropicana Student Housing. Those students over 21 years of age may consume alcohol in their room but not in the presence of minors or in public.  If alcohol is seen, smelled or heard, it is considered public, visible and in violation of this policy. By contract, any staff members who witness this (by sight, smell, or noise) may enter and search the suite and/or room for policy violations.

Guests can stay up to three days in a fourteen day period if all suitemates are in agreement, with the exception of Halloween, when no guests are allowed on the property from dates that will be published. You will find out more about this from your RA during a suite meeting during your first month here at Trop.

There is no smoking in Tropicana Student Housing.  A non-smoker has the right to a smoke-free environment that supersedes a smoker's right to smoke in his/her room. However, we do have smoking areas located on the northwest side of our building, and in our parking lot.

The Community Standards can be found in the Tropicana Student Housing Student Handbook, located on our website, or in your contract. Each resident will also receive an Orientation to the Community Standards during the Town Hall meeting on Move-In Day and during a suite meeting with their RA during the first month of school.

RAs secure the building each evening at 10:00 p.m. RAs patrol the facility in the evenings on a regular basis. Tropicana Student Housing has 12 RAs and 3 on-site Directors.  All 12 staff members live on site and are available 24-hours a day.  Every night at 8:00 p.m., the exterior doors lock down, and students can only get in with their suite key.

The Front Desk has temporary keys if you are locked out.  You are allowed to have three (3) lockouts per quarter/semester at no charge. Starting with the fourth lockout there is a $5.00 charge.  If the key is permanently lost, there is a $25 replacement fee.

The best place to start is with their Resident Assistants (RAs), who are student staff members living in each quad.  The Director of Residence Life and the Executive Director are professional staff members who focus on the students concerns while living at Tropicana Student Housing. There are also services on campus available to serve students such as Counseling and Career Services staff, Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) Advisors, Student Health Center, and Academic Advisors.

Tropicana Student Housing has one of the finest university dining service programs available.  Bon Appétit Management Company provides our dining services.  Each meal is prepared daily with a strong emphasis on nutrition using fresh, grade-A ingredients. A variety of menu items are offered at each meal, including low-fat, vegetarian and vegan options.  A salad bar and fresh-baked desserts are offered daily. Our menu is listed at the front desk, or in the Café, and is updated weekly. Tropicana Student Housing only offers an unlimited meal plan, which is already included in the total contact rate.

We utilize a Biometrics system that registers your finger image to allow you access to the cafeteria. All you need to bring is your fingerprint!

Bon Appétit works hard to accommodate a wide variety of tastes and needs.  Each meal is properly labeled and offers at least one vegetarian meal option. It is best to alert Jeremy Glennon, Bon Appétit General Manager, to your needs.  A copy of the weekly menu is available at the Tropicana Gardens Front Desk, or in the Café. Jeremy Glennon can be reached at (805) 968-2501.

The Café is open from 6:45 AM-8:00 PM Monday-Thursday and 7:00AM-7:00PM on Friday with hot meals served at the following times:

Hot Breakfast 6:45 AM - 9:15 AM

Continental Breakfast 9:15 AM -11:15 AM

Lunch 11:15 AM -1:15 PM

Snack 1:15 PM - 5:00 PM

Dinner 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Grill 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Mon. – Thurs. only)

The Trop meal plan is only valid at our Café. If you will miss a meal, be sure to schedule a late meal or sack lunch with the Café.

Meal Card prices for next year are:

10 meals for $100.00

20 meals for $190.00

Or you can purchase an Academic Year Unlimited Meal Plan for $5,000.00.

Meal Card prices for next year are:

10 meals for $100.00

20 meals for $190.00

Or you can purchase an Academic Year Unlimited Meal Plan for a discounted price $4,500.00.