For information on the eligibility criteria, check the Room Selection Lottery page of the housing website linked here or use the UC Santa Cruz 2025-2026 Room Selection Lottery Planning Guide linked here.

Yes. The housing application will remain open throughout the summer and can be accessed at studenthousing.ucsc.edu. Log in to studenthousing.ucsc.edu and click on the “Housing Application” button. Then select “Undergraduate Housing”. You will then be prompted to select “2025 - 2026 Academic Year”. Follow the instructions in the application.

If your application is sent after the Continuing Student Housing Application Period, your application will be considered LATE and you will be placed on the waitlist. 

Honesty about your lifestyle and Flexibility with your room type. The housing coordinator's job isn't to judge how you live your life, their job is to try to find a room or apartment where you will be happy living with people with similar lifestyles.

NOTE: if you have a medical need for a certain kind of room, please work with the Disability Resource Center to get a housing accommodation.

No. You can only apply to one community.

You can maximize your chances of being assigned by ranking as many room types as you agree to accept in your housing application.

Tip: After completing your housing application, you will have the option to add more room preferences, including those in other communities. We highly recommend taking this additional step!

If possible, you will be assigned to your preferred housing community, but you may be assigned to any room type in your application even if it is not in your preferred community. 

Yes, College Nine and John R. Lewis College are different communities. If you want to live with a roommate or roommates, please make sure you all apply to the same college, be that College Nine OR John R. Lewis College.

For students who are unable to participate in Room Selection, the housing coordinator will do their best to meet roommate requests. The chances are low that multiple spaces will open in a room or apartment that will accommodate a large roommate group. But there are a few ways to improve the chances of getting assigned to preferred roommates:

1. Apply to the same community: only students who apply to the same community can request each other as roommates.
2. When available to students ineligible for the Room Selection lottery, request each other as roommates.
3. List at least one room type in common with your roommates.
4. Make sure you fill out the lifestyle questionnaire accurately.
   
   • If the housing coordinator is unable to assign you to your preferred roommate, they will still try to assign you to the best roommate match.
     
     • It does not matter how similar or different your questionnaire answers are, if there is a roommate request, housing coordinators will do their best to meet roommate requests.
   • Tips on making a good housing application can be found under "What Makes A Good Housing Application".

Talk to your friends about what housing you prefer and what things you are willing to compromise. If you are unable to come to a compromise that leaves all parties happy, consider different roommates or a smaller roommate group.

For eligible students, some students will be able to assign themselves during Room Selection. Roommates will be able to place themselves and their roommates into rooms. It will be up to the student assigning their roommate group to ensure that everyone's room preferences are met.

Keep In Mind: The College Nine and John R. Lewis College apartments have specific configurations that may not accommodate everyone's first choice in room type. 

For students who are unable to participate in Room Selection, the housing coordinator will do their best to meet roommate requests. However, if a roommate group has NO room types in common, the housing coordinator will then assign students based on their room preferences and try to keep students in similar areas. 

Keep In Mind: The Housing Coordinator will assign people to housing as there are available spaces. Even if all roommates have the same room type on file, the housing coordinator may not have enough spots in a room to completely assign all roommates. For example: three (3) roommates will all accept a triple room, but there is only one triple available with two (2) spots. 

We STRONGLY recommend all roommate groups have at least one multi-occupancy room type in common. If you have a 5-person group, roommates should list a triple room option in case a smaller room type is unavailable.

No, every student should fill out the lifestyle questionnaire accurately. The housing coordinator will do their best to meet roommate requests, even if your lifestyle questionnaire might inform us that you live different lifestyles.

We trust that roommate groups have already discussed the difference in their lifestyles and will come up with roommate agreements that help address any conflict that might arise.

Furthermore, an accurate lifestyle questionnaire allows the housing coordinator to make a good roommate match should they need to assign an additional occupant to your room later on in the year.

1. Application Community
   • College Nine  ≠ John R. Lewis College
2. Themed Housing Areas if you want to live at the ILC, for example, together.
   
3. At least one room type or set of rooms that comprise an apartment that can house the entire roommate group. For example,
   • College Nine and John R. Lewis College do NOT have 8 people apartments.
   • If a roommate group of 8 applies, the housing coordinator cannot house them anywhere at College Nine or John R. Lewis College without breaking the group.
4. Gender composition preferences (should not contradict)
   • If Sammy Slug does not prefer single-gender housing and Beatrice Butterfly does not prefer mixed-gender housing, the housing coordinator CANNOT assign them to a room together that will meet their gender composition preferences.
     • we do not have a Schrodinger's gender composition floor
   • If Sammy Slug will accept single-gender housing, but prefers mixed-gender housing, and Beatrice Butterfly will accept mixed-gender housing, but prefers single-gender housing, the housing coordinator CAN assign them together.

1. Your lifestyle questionnaire (unless all parties DO live in the exact same way).
2. Your ranking of room types (unless all parties all want the same kinds of rooms in the exact same way).

Roommates are not a disability accommodation UNLESS they are licensed medical professional who must reside with you.

If you are eligible for the Room Selection Lottery, have a DRC accommodation on file for the 2025-26 school year, and apply by the deadline, you will be offered the option to get pre-assigned. Disability-related pre-assignment is an offer, not a requirement. Students can decline the offer of preassignment and choose to take part in room selection.

Students who apply to John R. Lewis College and are eligible for room selection will be able to pick:

• rooms at the John R. Lewis College Residence Halls
• rooms within apartments at the College Nine and John R. Lewis College apartments

Students will NOT be able to pick rooms within the ABC community and ILC during room selection as those spaces are pre-assigned.

Which apartments can I assign myself during Room Selection if I apply to John R. Lewis College?

All students who apply to College Nine or John R. Lewis College can live in apartments within the College Nine and John R. Lewis College Apartment Buildings.

Apartment Configurations:

Apartments Available for All Students Who Apply to College Nine and John R. Lewis College:

• 5 Person Apartment – one Apartment Triple, one Apartment Double (only 2 available)
• 6 Person Apartment – two Apartment Triples
• 6 Person Apartment – one Apartment Triple, one Apartment Large Triple
• 6 Person Apartment – one Apartment Large Triple, one Apartment Large Triple
• 6 Person Apartment – two Apartment Small Doubles, two Apartment Singles
• 7 Person Apartment – one Apartment Quad, one Apartment Large Triple (only 1 available)

Apartments Available for Students Who Apply to John R. Lewis College:

• 4 Person Apartment - one Apartment single, one apartment triple (only 1 available, attached to a Residence Hall)
• 5 Person Apartment –one Apartment Triple, one Apartment Small Double (only 1 available, attached to a Residence Hall)
• 5 Person Apartment – one Apartment Large Triple, one Apartment Small Double (only 1 available, attached to a Residence Hall)

No. You do NOT have to apply to College Nine or John R. Lewis to live at the ILC. A supplemental application for a themed community communicates “I would like to live at the ILC. If I do not get into the ILC, I would like to live at the college or community I originally applied for".

No. The first pass of room selection is ONLY at the college where you applied to live.

As the Oakes College students are not affiliated with College Nine and did not apply to Oakes, they will not a time in the first pass of room selection.

The following student groups are eligible to be assigned before Room Selection:

• • Resident Assistants (RAs) and Neighborhood Assistants (NAs)
  • Students with documented Disability Accommodations for the 2025 - 2026 academic year
  • Students accepted to campus-wide themed communities such as the International Living Center

Pre-assignment is ONLY for students who are eligible for the Room Selection lottery. The ONLY exceptions are RAs and NAs as living on campus is part of their terms of employment.

No. Any pre-assigned space will go to a student who is eligible for Room Selection. One preassigned bed means one less person in the lottery.

• RA Rooms aren’t available during room selection.
• Less-common accessibility spaces aren’t available during room selection (for example, flashing doorbells and carpet free spaces) to ensure students who need those spaces have them available.
• Themed communities aren’t available during room selection.

Please follow any instructions sent to you by the hiring committee.

If you do not plan to live on campus unless you get the RA position, it is your responsibility to cancel your housing application in the event you do not get hired for the RA position.

The housing coordinator suggests you apply for housing as if you are not going to get the RA position. This includes applying for the community where you (and your roommate group) have the best chance of getting a first pass time slot in the Room Selection Lottery, completing competitive supplemental applications (if applicable), and picking all room types that you would accept. This ensures you are setting yourself up for success in the event you do not get the RA position.

As an example, if you apply for John R. Lewis College but are hired at Oakes College, the housing coordinators for both communities will work together to get you assigned to the right space for your job. 

Roommates are not a disability accommodation UNLESS they are licensed medical professional who must reside with you.

If you are eligible for the Room Selection Lottery, have a DRC accommodation on file for the 2025-26 school year, and apply by the deadline, you will be offered the option to get pre-assigned. Disability-related pre-assignment is an offer, not a requirement. Students can decline the offer of preassignment and choose to take part in room selection.

NO! You do not need to change your college affiliation to live in another community as a continuing student. All you need to do is apply for that community during the continuing student housing application period.

However, students eligible for the Room Selection Lottery will only be given a timeslot for Room Selection during the first pass if they apply to the college of their affiliation. For more information, please refer to the Room and Apartment Selection section of the Continuing Student Housing Application Period Website linked here.

All petitions to change college affiliation must be submitted by February 28th, 2025 for your change to your College Affiliation to be effective for Spring Quarter. Petitions to change college submitted after February 28th, 2025 will become effective in Fall Quarter - not in time for Room Selection.

If you'd like to change your college due to that college's themes, resources, and academic support, you can learn more about the College Change Procedure on the registrar website.

Yes! The first pass of Room Selection info linked here are exclusive to affiliates (and their roommates). Starting during the second pass of room selection, affiliation will not increase or decrease your likelihood of getting housing.

The waitlist is NOT a numbered list and does not work as such. The waitlist is as long as there are students wanting housing on campus. Students are assigned off this list based on what spaces are available and how well they will get along with any current residents. 

To use a metaphor, the waitlist is a box of puzzle pieces and as there are spaces available, the housing coordinator will evaluate the available puzzle pieces and put the piece that fits best into the available space. Once a match is made, a student is assigned.

Technically, all students who have an active application for the 2025 - 2026 academic year and who have yet to be assigned to housing are on the waitlist. You can check if you have an active application by logging into your Student Housing Portal at studenthousing.ucsc.edu.

As stated on the Housing Contract (Article 6, Section 6, Subsection 12, Paragraph 6, Point ii), if a student has been offered two alternate housing assignments and either declined or did not respond to the email at all, “the University reserves the right to terminate the waitlist application. The Student will be required to submit a new waitlist application if interested in future university housing.”

Yes. We encourage all students waiting for housing assignments to look for Off-Campus Housing. The Community Rentals office has a lot of resources including a first-time Renter's Workshop.

If you secure Off-Campus Housing, it is your responsibility to cancel your housing application once you have signed the lease.

Students who are eligible for the Room Selection lottery should be able to select roommates as soon as they complete the application. Students who plan to participate as a roommate group should make their roommate group no later than April 8th.

Students who are ineligible for the Room Selection lottery will be able to form a roommate group AFTER Room Selection (April 11th onwards). 

One a student is assigned to housing, they will not be able to join a roommate group.

Students who are eligible for the Room Selection lottery should be able to select roommates as soon as they complete the application.

Students ineligible for the Room Selection lottery will be able to select roommates after Room Selection has concluded. This is to prevent confusion and any unnecessary stress for students during Room Selection.

If you cannot find your roommate, here are some common problems to troubleshoot:

• Have your roommates submitted an application?
  • You cannot add a roommate who does not have an application on file.
    
• Did you and your preferred roommates all apply to the same community? 
  • Keep in mind, College Nine and John R. Lewis College are DIFFERENT communities.
• Did you and all your preferred roommates mark yourself as visible for roommate requests in the application?
  • If not, you can reenter the application and mark yourself as visible!

The only way to change your application community is to cancel your housing application.

Before 11:59 PM on February 25th, 2025:

You can cancel your housing application and reapply without affecting your eligibility to participate in room selection, as long as the new application is finished by 11:59 PM on February 25th.

After 12:01 AM on February 26th:

You cannot change the community you applied to without voiding your eligibility to participate in room selection and/or lowering your chances of getting on-campus housing. You should immediately inform any roommates you had plans with so they can modify their plans. 

You should add all the room types available at the residential community that you meant to apply to in your application. Keep in mind, your first choice of room MUST be at the residential community where you applied.

Cancellation fees are ONLY applied to your account if you have been ASSIGNED to housing. For more information please refer to the Continue Student Housing Application Website linked here.