Housing and Residence Life (HRL), a department within Student Engagement and Well-Being, has announced a new housing priority allocation strategy and lottery application process. Beginning Fall 2025 – Spring 2026 academic year, HRL will transition from a first-come, first-served application process to a lottery system. This change is intended to ensure that access to on-campus housing is more equitable to all students, as well as prioritize access to a highly coveted amenity to support those students who need it most to support their holistic success. New students and Pell recipients will receive priority in allocation processes moving forward. Upper-class graduate students, returning and new graduate students, and new transfer students will participate in a lottery process.
To ensure a smooth application process, students received a time ticket via email to notify them when they could access the application in My Housing.
Returning undergraduates, graduates, and transfer students who complete their application by November 18 at 8:00 a.m. will be included in the lottery. Rising second-year and Pell-recipient students will not be included in the lottery but must complete the application by November 18 at 8:00 a.m. to secure housing.
Students who complete the application by the deadline will be notified on November 22 if they secured housing or have been placed on the waitlist.
"By moving the housing application deadline to the fall semester, we are empowering students to plan ahead and make informed decisions. This proactive approach helps them secure housing earlier, giving them peace of mind and allow them to take advantage of off-campus opportunities if needed," said Dr. Jenny Cotton, Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life.
The shift to the lottery system creates equity in the process and increases access to housing for students who may have yet to take advantage of the opportunity to apply when the application first opened. For students preparing to move off-campus, Housing and Residence Life offers helpful resources such as the Off-Campus Housing Marketplace, Renter 101 workshops, and multiple housing fairs to help find availability near campus.
For more information about the housing lottery, check out the HRL knowledge articles.