Housing & Residence Life

Current Resident Assignments

Open Housing

We are committed to providing all students on-campus housing accommodations that are safe and inclusive. Our office is proud to offer Open Housing, also known as gender neutral/inclusive housing. All multi-occupancy spaces, with the exception of those that are part of a single sex floor or wing, may be occupied by students who prefer open housing accommodations.

Living with students of the opposite sex is a choice and not all students may be comfortable with such arrangements. No student will be assigned to such a space unless they specifically express interest. We also encourage students interested in open housing to discuss their preference with other individuals in their support network, including parents/guardians.

Housing Contract

In order to live on-campus, a student must have a signed (electronic or written) housing contract. The housing contract is legally and financially binding. Once signed, the contract commits a student to living on-campus for an entire academic year, according to the Terms & Conditions of Residency.

Contract terminations initiated by residents, regardless of the reason, are not automatic and require that you adhere to the petition processes described below.

Reasons for requesting a termination of your housing contract usually include one of the following:

  • University withdrawal or leave of absence
  • Graduating at the end of the Autumn or Winter quarters
  • Studying abroad
  • Medical/psychological (need-based)
  • Financial (need-based)

Students requesting to terminate their housing contract due to discontinuing enrollment (withdrawal/leave of absence), graduating at the end of the Autumn or Winter quarters, or studying abroad are required to complete all departure procedures (emailed once our office is notified of the change in enrollment status).

Students requesting to terminate their housing contract due to medical/psychological/financial need are required to schedule a meeting with the Director of Occupancy Management & Administration to discuss their circumstances. During this meeting, a determination will be made on the viability of success in the housing contract petition process and the student will be advised of next steps. Students should be prepared to provide additional documentation to support their request and may also be referred to other campus offices as part of the petition process.

Housing Assignment Changes

Students may request a change in their housing assignment through the established myHousing portal process. This process generally opens during the second week of Autumn Quarter and closes prior to the start of returning student room selection. Room change requests will generally not be considered after the process has closed. Submission of a room change request does not guarantee that a room change will occur, as several dynamic factors influence the process, including: overall number of requests received, individual student preferences and available spaces.

Returning Student Room Selection

The annual returning student room selection process (room selection) is the process by which current students select on-campus housing for the next academic year. The process occurs entirely through the myHousing portal during the late Winter and into Spring Quarters.

Room selection has a number of specific deadlines, policies and procedures that are strictly and uniformly followed. A guide summarizing these points is available: Room Selection Guide.

Study Abroad, Leave of Absence & Suspensions

Students will be contacted via their UChicago email account if our office is notified of a change in status that affects their eligibility for on-campus housing. Students who are placed on a leave of absence or suspension are required to move out of on-campus housing within 5 business days of notification by our office. Students who leave campus to study abroad will be contacted via their UChicago email account prior to the quarter they will be abroad to communicate departure procedures. Students studying abroad are required to move out of on-campus housing the deadlines available here. Move out extensions are not possible, therefore students should plan accordingly. Students may not keep their items on-campus nor will we hold their housing assignment while they are abroad, or on a leave of absence or suspension. Information about storage can be found here: policies and procedures.

For students who depart on-campus housing prior to the end of a quarter, their room charge will be pro-rated. This adjustment is calculated only after a student moves out and completes all departure steps and will reflect the number of nights between the start of the quarter to the date all departure steps were completed. Students should contact UChicago Dining regarding any meal plan adjustment inquiries.

Students are required to submit a housing application to return to on-campus housing after studying abroad or resuming studies after a leave of absence or suspension. The application process will generally open around the mid-point of the prior quarter. Assignments are made over break periods (summer, winter, spring) for the following quarter. For students returning from a leave of absence or suspension, we will make an assignment for these students only after receiving confirmation that they have been approved to resume studies by the College. While our office makes a concerted effort to consider a student’s housing preferences during the assignment process, we cannot guarantee a student’s return to their former House, Hall, or to a specific room or room type. All of these preferences are influenced by space availability and overall demand for housing.