Casa Hispana
Casa Hispana: On-Campus Spanish-Language Living
Live in a great house where you can speak Spanish, participate in cultural events, and share a great space with a warm community!
The Department of Spanish & Portuguese sponsors a campus house for students interested in living in a Spanish-speaking environment. Residents speak only Spanish in the house. Two Casa Hispana Program Assistants live in the house to supervise it and organize various activities. The residence is intended for students who have achieved at least an intermediate level of proficiency and want to maintain or improve their language skills, which means residents must have completed SPAN 204 or 220, or have tested out of Macalester’s language requirement in Spanish or Portuguese. Students must take a course in Spanish in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese each semester they live in the house.
Students who live in Casa Hispana are not required to be on a campus meal plan, though some decide to purchase the meal plan anyway.
Residents of La Casa Hispana celebrate a variety of traditions from the Spanish-speaking world by hosting events that are open to the community.
The house also functions as a hospitality center when distinguished scholars are visiting the department.
Applications for residence are typically open in February for spots in the following academic year. If there are any openings during the Spring semester, applications will open in October.
Want to Live in Casa Hispana During the 2025/2026 Academic Year?
Students who are interested in living in our Language House must apply through Residential Life’s Living Learning Community (LLC) Application. When filling out your application please indicate which houses you are interested in living in. The LLC application is the only application you will need to fill out. Residential Life, and our department, will work together on the selection process and notification. Please note, the application closes on February 24th at 9:00am. Students will be notified of their placement March 10th by 4:30pm. Students will need to accept or reject their placement by March 12th before 4:30 pm.
Residents must have completed SPAN 204/220 or tested out of the language, agree to speak Spanish in the house, and take a SPAN class each semester they live in the house.
Contact
Contact our Casa Hispana faculty liaison, Professor Claire Lozano if you have any questions.
Casa Hispana
196 S. Vernon St.
St. Paul, MN 55105