Your first steps toward campus living
You’ve been admitted to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – congratulations! We know you’re excited about the future, and we’re excited for you.
Now it’s time to start thinking about your next steps.
This includes completing your University Housing Contract by the priority deadline. We’re here to guide you through that process to make things easier!
Review Your Checklist and Check Your Email
Once you’ve been admitted to the U. of I., you’ll receive a checklist for admitted students. We encourage you to review the checklist closely.
Set up and start checking your Illinois email account regularly, as you’ll begin receiving important messages and updates, including emails from University Housing!
Consider LLCs and Special Living Options
As a student in our residence halls, you can consider being part of a living-learning community, often referred to as an “LLC.” We have 10 LLCs within University Housing, and they provide residents with an opportunity to connect with other students in the community who may share similar interests.
If this sounds interesting, learn more about living-learning communities before you start your University Housing Contract.
If you find an LLC you’d like to be a part of, you’ll need to indicate your preference for the LLC in your University Housing Contract. You will then complete a short LLC essay to apply, in which you describe what you hope to gain from living in an LLC and what you plan to contribute to the community.
We encourage you to do your best and write a thoughtful essay, as admissions into an LLC can be a very competitive process. LLC staff will review your essay closely as they make their decisions.
University Housing also offers a number of special living options. Our goal is to serve your individual needs to help optimize your Illinois experience, and we offer unique options and programs designed for a variety of special situations.
One of the special living options available is gender-inclusive housing. Gender-inclusive spaces allow for individuals with different biological sexes, sex assigned at birth and/or gender identity to live in the same room. Learn more about gender-inclusive options on our website.
If one of the special living options appeals to you, you should indicate your preference for that option in your University Housing Contract.
Will You Need a Housing Accommodation?
If you will need a Housing accommodation, we strongly encourage you to start the process right away.
It’s a different process than what you may be familiar with, like a 504 plan or an IEP, in that this process is student-driven, meaning you will initiate it.
It’s also important to note that academic and housing accommodations are separate.
You can learn more about accommodations and considerations related to your housing assignment through our website.
You’re strongly encouraged to apply for services with DRES – Disability Resources and Educational Services – as soon as possible after accepting the offer to attend Illinois.
During the process, you’ll need to request and then submit medical documentation and be assigned an access specialist, who will also be working with other students. Due to the complexity of the process and outside involvement, starting the process right away is very important and in your best interests.
You should have your accommodation documentation ready to submit when you complete your University Housing Contract.
Research Residence Halls
While you won’t list location preferences in Step 1 of the two-part University Housing Contract process, beyond indicating potential interest LLCs and special living options, you should use the Compare Options tool on our website to start researching residence halls to learn about their locations, amenities and special features.
After researching all of our residence halls, make a personal list of halls ranked in order of your preference that you can refer to later. Doing so you will help you prepare for Step 2 of the University Housing Contract process, which will take place in late May.
Prior to Step 2 beginning, you will receive an email to your Illinois account noting the randomly assigned window of time during which you’ll select your meal plan and view available rooms. During your window of time, you can reference your ranked list as you look for a room in the system.
Demand for living with University Housing is now greater than ever, and some of our premier housing options, such as Nugent, Wassaja and Bousfield halls, may not be available to first-year students, as returning residents select their residence halls first (you’ll get your chance next year!). But with University Housing’s 24 undergraduate residence halls, we guarantee housing space for everyone who is required by the Student Code to live on campus.
Authorized Contacts, Roommates and Application Fee
During Step 1 of the University Housing Contract process, you’ll add information for your emergency and authorized contacts, which typically means one or more of your parents, guardians or close friends/family members.
If you’re under 18, you will need to enter a parent or guardian’s email address, so they can authorize the completion of the contract. You won’t be able to complete Step 1 of the contract process without consent from your parent or guardian, so you’ll want to make sure they will have time to authorize your contract before the May 8 priority deadline.
You’ll also fill out a roommate matching profile during Step 1. This short questionnaire may be used to help identify well-matched potential roommates.
If you already have a roommate in mind, you can request to live with them by searching for them in our system using their UIN, NetID or web screen name. If you don’t have that information when you start the process, you can come back to that step once you verify their info. Make sure they, too, have begun the University Housing Contract process so you’ll be able to find them within our system.
Once your roommate has accepted your roommate request, you both need to complete Step 1 by the May 8 priority deadline. Accepted roommates will be assigned the same window of time to complete Step 2 of the University Housing Contract process.
As you complete Step 1, unless you were awarded a payment waiver, you will need to pay a non-refundable application fee by credit card before electronically signing and submitting your contract.
The Priority Deadline
The priority deadline to complete Step 1 of the University Housing Contract is May 8. You’re able to submit your University Housing Contract within 48 hours of accepting your admission, so you can start your research right away and begin Step 1 soon after.
Review Meal Plans and Rates
Watch your Illinois email for your randomly-assigned time in late May, at which point you will complete Step 2 of the University Housing Contract process, which includes selecting your meal plan.
Along with researching the different residence halls through the aforementioned Compare Options tool on our website, you should also review meal plans and rates. All residents in an undergraduate residence hall are required to have a meal plan.
During Step 2, you’ll also be able to see available spaces and potentially select a living space.
If you have a mutually selected and accepted roommate – and they completed Step 1 by the priority deadline, you have the option of entering the system at the same time to find an available room, allowing you to select your housing assignments together, or you also have the option of selecting and assigning a bed for both you and your roommate.
This is just one way to get a housing assignment. If spaces aren’t available to select during your assigned window for Step 2, there is no need to worry. You will receive a housing assignment over the summer prior to Move-In. We guarantee housing for all first-year students.
What If I Miss My Deadline?
We will provide housing assignments for contracted students who don’t use their assigned time slot to self-assign and for those who miss the priority deadline. As noted above, we guarantee housing for everyone required by the Student Code to live on campus.
Questions?
If you have questions about University Housing or the contract process, you can check out our frequently asked questions page, which probably has the answers. You can also check out the “How to Apply” page for new residents.
If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, you can contact the Housing Information Office. We’re happy to help and glad you’ve chosen the University of Illinois!
