The Housing Selection Process is for any student who is already taking classes at UNC and is interested in living on campus next year. If you are an incoming first-year or transfer student (i.e., have not yet arrived on campus) you will participate in a different process, outlined under the section Future Residents.
Welcome to our “Common Questions” resource page. Here, you’ll find a series of foundational questions and answers designed to introduce the key elements of the Housing Selection process and provide an overview of how it works. Simply click on a question to reveal its answer. For detailed, up-to-date information about this year’s process, please visit our Informational Resources page.
We have also included several frequently asked questions from parents and students, which may address concerns or inquiries you have. We encourage you to review these for additional insights.
Housing Selection is how you secure your living space on campus for the next academic year! Housing Selection has two parts - the priority housing application, and the room selection process. You must complete your housing application by the priority deadline to participate in room selection or room renewal. During the room selection process, students will be organized by class standing (ex: Senior, Junior, etc), and then randomly given a time slot. When your time slot arrives, you can enter the housing portal and select the available room of your choice.
If you don't apply for housing by the priority deadline, you cannot participate in room selection, and you will automatically be placed on a housing waitlist. As space is available, we will place as many waitlisted students as possible to a room based on availability and the room preferences listed on their application. If you would like to submit a housing application, doing so sooner rather than later would be best.
The Priority Housing Application will be open from October 21 to November 12, 2024.
Dates for Room Selection have not been finalized yet, but will occur a few days following the closure of the Priority Application.
As an upper division student, you have the freedom to live anywhere on campus aside from first-year exclusive buildings! There is a perfect match for you among the dozens of choices we offer. From apartment to suite to hall-style, from big to small, from north campus to south, we have it all!
For current first-year students, we highly recommend Morrison Hall for next year! This Sophomore-only building offers a bustling social atmosphere similar to Hinton-James or Ehringhaus! Plus, the wonderful Morrison Art Studio is the perfect place to try out a new hobby, or expand your creativity.
Explore the Halls to find the perfect fit for you!
On-campus living is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! It may be the only time where you can live in the center of a bustling community of your peers, filled with non-stop events and gatherings. Carolina Housing also provides a unique support system of Resident Advisors, Community Directors, and a Residence Hall Association who are on-call to assist and advocate for you.
There is nothing more convenient than living on campus! Depending on your choice of hall, you can be just minutes away from that 8:00 am class, next door to your best friends, steps away from dining options and recreational facilities, and have no need for a personal vehicle.
Carolina Housing understands the unique needs of a college student, so we offer flexible housing contracts to our residents. Graduating early? Studying abroad next year? You can apply for a single-semester contract!
Rates for the next academic year are generally approved by the University in Spring semester. Visit our Rates page for more details.
Visit MyHousing Portal during the application period to submit your application. By submitting a contract, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions found in the Housing Contract, including the cancellation penalty schedule. This lets us know that you want to live on campus and makes you eligible to select your own housing.
Room Renewal is for students who are assigned to upperclassmen communities for the Fall 2024 semester who want to keep their same assignment for the next year, unless the space is designated for a special program or as a staff room. Students can individually renew their space, or renew their space with a roommate group, but must do so by the November 12th priority deadline. If you renew your room, you will not need to participate in the Room Selection process.
To apply for a Residential Learning Program, first submit a Housing Contract. Then click on the "next step" drop down menu and choose the RLP Application. If your Residential Learning Program application is still pending when Room Selection begins, go ahead and select a room/apartment as a backup plan.
The Housing Selection Contest is our way of saying thank you for applying by the priority deadline! By applying for 2025-2026 on-campus housing by the priority deadline, you are automatically entered to win one of our unique prizes! Click here to learn more.
On various days between October 21 to November 12, Carolina Housing staff will set up a table on campus where students can enter their name for a chance to win a Lottery Pick. A Lottery Pick is your golden ticket to your top housing preferences! If you win a Lottery Pick, you will be part of the first wave of Room Selection. If you want to secure a single room, or an apartment in Ram Village for you and your roommate group, this is your best shot! Stay up-to-date on Carolina Housing social media accounts, where we will release a tabling schedule and announce winners.
If you're looking for a roommate for next year, we are here to help! We have two resources for you. The first is the Roommate Search Tool in the Housing application, which allows you to fill out personal criteria to help find you a match for your roommate needs. Your other option is to join the WhatsApp group created by Carolina Housing to also help you find next year's roommates or suitemates! Once you identify your preferred roommate(s), make sure you follow the instructions within the housing application to create your group before the priority deadline.
Yes. Morrison, Manly and McIver are designated as Sophomore-only buildings. In this case, Sophomore is defined as a student who enrolled in UNC as a first-year in Fall 2024.
Yes. Students can form groups within the Housing Application for 2-8 students. In order for the group to be assigned together, all students must have completed applications by the deadline and be members of the roommate group within the application
Room reassignment is a process where you can move into a different room if you are having roommate issues or other concerns. The reassignment will depend on what our availability looks like and what your preferences are. Room reassignments for 2025-2026 will begin in mid-January.
Everyone in the suite has the right to renew their space, however, if your roommate decided to not renew, everyone else is still able to. You can either find someone to fill that space or get a random roommate.
The process for the Ram Villages apartments is the same as the rest of the residence halls.
A student on the housing waitlist at the end of room selection will have until January 16th to cancel without penalty. Beginning on January 17th, students without an assignment who cancel will only be charged the $500 penalty.
Everyone who wants to live on campus next year must fill out an application.
That space will be filled with another student, either through room reassignment or from the Spring housing application.
If you are studying abroad, you will not face a penalty for cancelling as long as you have documentation that you have been accepted to an abroad program.
Yes, as long as they are on the same floor.
Once you have been given an assignment you will be responsible for the cancellation penalty. See the full cancellation policy here.
Once the RA staff have been hired, they will be removed from their current housing assignments, or off the waitlist, and put into RA rooms. Their spaces will then be available for the next people in line on the waitlist.
The student with the earliest timeslot is able to choose housing for the entire group.
You can break the group up and select different housing, whether it is two 4 people suites beside each other or 4 double rooms. Students who split up from their roommates can utilize the Room Reassignment process or Room Swap to try and be assigned together before Fall move-in.
There is a separate application for summer housing. It opens in early February and the priority deadline closes on April 1st.
They will not be able to renew since the spaces will continue to be designated for second year students only.