Although she was a complete ship, containing an engine room, wheelhouse, bridge and decks, she was licensed by the State of New Jersey as a residence hall. Designed to the highest Coast Guard standards (1948), fire safety doors and smoke ventilation systems were functional and met local regulations. The first student residents of "Stevens", a total of 150, moved aboard her in January 1968. On Wednesday, May 22, 1968, an open house was held aboard Stevens in honor of National Maritime Day, commemorating the beginning of trans-Atlantic steam navigation. When the first ocean-going training vessel for the Texas State Maritime Program, USTS "Texas Clipper" was in need of spare parts, "Stevens", with the blessing of the U.S. Maritime Administration, answered her call. As a benefit of their common heritage — "Stevens", the former "Exochorda", and "Texas Clipper", the former "Excambion", sisters ships in the post-war "4 Aces" — many parts were interchangeable between the two vessels. The parts were made available to "Texas Clipper" during her visit to New York in June 1968, the first such visit since her conversion from "Excambion". In 1968, the per-student cost of a room for one semester ranged from $200 to $265, depending on available amenities such as portholes and private shower. By 1975, the cost for a room with two students had risen to approximately $650 per student, per semester. Rooms were equipped with desks and lamps, many of which were fixed in place, a common feature among seafaring vessels. Heating and air-conditioning were controlled by a thermostat in each room, a significant feature also enjoyed by ocean-going passengers aboard Exochorda, one of the first fully air conditioned ships. Most rooms were fitted with "ingeniously arranged oversize downy berths" — 79" by 34" roll-up beds operated by "an ingenious new device which by the simple turn of a wheel recesses the berths flush into the wall". Prominent in "Exochorda"'s advertising literature, the roll-up berths facilitated the conversion of rooms from sleeping quarters at night to spacious sitting rooms by day. The two large suites on the Promenade deck, featured twin beds. The teak and dark blue leather chairs, depicted in many print ads and brochures for the "4 Aces", remained in the rooms. While a typical room harbored the usual complement of personal items such as TV, stereo and refrigerator, students aboard the ship were afforded more latitude regarding individual décor as compared to their land-based counterparts.