The on-campus housing application process, or Contract, is the process in which a student signs a binding Contract agreement online for the academic year (fall and spring semesters) or spring-only, in their Housing Portal, to secure on-campus housing and residential dining.
The Application Process
Become a UWM Student
You must apply to UWM, and be admitted as a student, to be eligible for on-campus residence with University Housing.
Financial Commitment, Accommodations & Requirements
Before starting the on-campus housing process there are a couple of considerations to be made.
Are you prepared for the financial commitment you’ll be agreeing to under the terms of the Contract? Start to prepare your budget by reviewing the most current Housing and Dining Plan rates. The official rates for any upcoming academic year will not be published until the Spring semester prior. For an approximate average academic year cost, use the price of a double-occupancy room. Add to that the “225” Dining Plan cost. There are rooms that cost more (or less), as well as alternative dining plans. However, because room assignments are made based on a random lottery that takes into consideration your preferences (and not on a first-come-first-serve basis), you should be prepared for a range of possible costs for your room and board (in addition to charges for tuition and fees).
Medical and Other Accommodations
UWM new and current students with a documented disability or medical condition which requires special accommodation or modification to a University Housing facility (accessible shower, doorbells with light flashers, Braille signs, etc.) and/or UWM policy should apply for a Housing Accommodation through the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC). This also may include requests for assistance animals to reside with you in our facilities. Please read through our Service & Assistance Animal Guidelines prior to completing an accommodation request.
When you initiate a Housing Accommodation request, you will be prompted to sign in with your UWM credentials and complete the application, along with uploading supporting documentation. You may also submit documentation either by email (archelp@uwm.edu) or by fax (414-229-2237). University Housing suggests that you submit your request by June 1 for Fall/Semester I and January 1 for Spring/Semester II in order to maximize the availability of the requested accommodation. The Housing Accommodation Review Committee meets weekly to discuss accommodation application requests and decision letters are sent to the email address on file.
Dietary Accommodation requests should be submitted through Dining and Retail Services’ (DRS) Allergy & Dietary Needs Form after reviewing all dietary accommodation information. DRS suggests you submit this form no less than 4 weeks prior to the first day of classes.
UWM Residency Requirement*
While UWM has a residency policy that essentially states first-time, first-year students are required to live on-campus where space permits, we know that some students will want to live with their parent(s)/guardian(s) and commute; or have other extenuating circumstances which might necessitate them requesting an exemption from the policy. Those students will need to request an exemption by completing the Exemption Request Form in the Housing Portal and submitting documentation to support their rationale.
However, be aware that University Housing and Dining and Retail Services are able to accommodate for many medical and cultural reasons. If your exemption is not approved, it may be that you need to submit an Accommodations Request as mentioned above.
* All first-time, first-year students must submit EITHER an exemption to the Residency Requirement, OR a completed on-campus Housing Contract. Both of these documents can be found in the Housing Portal.
Other Housing Options
Admission to UWM does not guarantee on-campus housing. You are not guaranteed housing until you successfully submit your online Contract and pay the non-refundable contract fee. Eligible students may choose to live off-campus. This option is available to anyone who has already satisfied the terms of the UWM Residency Policy.
If you are eligible and choose to live off-campus, the Off Campus Resource Center can assist you in finding rentals and roommates.
Review the University Housing Contract
Once admitted to UWM, you will automatically be granted online access to a University Housing Contract. Instructions will be emailed to you regarding how to access your University Housing contract via your Housing Portal, where you are able to read the contract1 in its entirety. Before completing, read it through completely to be sure you understand all terms of the agreement.
Access to the Kenilworth Square Apartments* Contract is not automatically granted due to limited new vacancies each year. However, upper class and Graduate students may find this apartment-style setting most fitting. If so, a contract must be requested, and then online access will be provided based on vacancies.
1 The University Housing Contract and Guidebook contains information related to residency in all University Housing Facilities other than Kenilworth Square Apartments (KSA). KSA has its own specific Contract and Guidebook. While these publications are very similar, there are some material differences, with respect to contract start and end dates, rates, and billing.
*Students must be a minimum of junior standing or 21 years of age by September 1 to be eligible to contract for housing in Kenilworth Square Apartments.
Submit A Contract (and fee) For On-Campus Housing
University Housing has been in high demand. As a result, it is imperative to complete your contract by the priority deadline as we may not be able to accept applications beyond that date.
Once you submit your University Housing Contract online, you are legally bound by the Contract. You will also be required to follow the Resident Handbook. The non-refundable contract fee is due, in full, at time of Contract Completion. Payment must be made via debit or credit card through the payment gateway in the Housing Portal. Priority deadline** for Contract submission and payment of the $50 Non-Refundable Fee for new students is May 1.
**Spring-Only contract deadline is December 1. Summer Session I contracts must be completed by May 1.
You will gain access to Housing Preferences (including residence hall and room type) once you submit your contract AND pay the non-refundable fee. See Step 5 for more information on preferences you may request on your completed Housing Contract.
After you have submitted
If you submit your contract and payment by May 1, you are guaranteed on-campus housing. Contracts submitted after that date may not be accepted by University Housing based on space availability at time of submission. Information about Move-In will be sent to you in July.
IMPORTANT: Update the University with the best email to contact you, especially if you applied to UWM using a high school email address. AND, check your home and UWM email addresses during the summer to be sure you don’t miss any important University Housing dates and/or deadlines!
If full capacity has been reached
In the event University Housing facilities reach full capacity before you are able to complete a Housing Contract, you will be given an automatic exemption to the Residency Requirement and may pursue other housing options. However, if you would still wish to be considered for a University Housing contract, you would need to place yourself on a waitlist accessible through your Housing Portal. We would then offer contracts (via UWM email) based on the date/time you added yourself to the list, as space becomes available. Contracts that may be offered will be prioritized first to students who fit one or more of the following criteria: international students, out-of-state students, students who are otherwise homeless, students who are experiencing housing insecurity, students who have aged out of the foster system, and students with certain scholarships.
University Housing uses a few different practices as we work to support students when University Housing Contract returns reach our capacity. We also want to acknowledge that University Housing receives a significant number of Contract cancellations throughout the summer and early fall. While we plan for extended housing at times we reach capacity, we also recognize that the situation may be temporary.
For additional information, please read through the list of frequently asked questions we receive about these practices.
Determine Your On-Campus Housing Preferences
Note: Preferences are not a guarantee. They are used to assist in room assignment from spaces still available at the time a contract holder’s name is chosen in the lottery system.
What type of building/room do you want to be in?
If smaller/tighter-knit communities are your thing – look at Cambridge Commons or RiverView Residence Hall. If you want to be in the middle of all the action with nearly 2,800 other students, then Sandburg Hall might be a better fit. Remember – all of University Housing residence halls at UWM are suite-style accommodations, so you’ll always have suite mates living alongside you, sharing a suite bathroom, regardless of your bedroom’s occupancy.
The preference for Single/Double/Triple refers to the occupancy of your particular bedroom, not the entire suite. When listing your residence hall bedroom-type preference, please be aware that out of University Housing’s total bedrooms only 15% are single-occupancy and 3% are triple occupancy. Due to the scarcity of these two room types, most residents will be placed in a double-occupancy bedroom, regardless of chosen preference.
Speaking of your room – do you want a specific roommate?
If so, there are some things you will want to do. First, you and your roommate need to request each other by forming a roommate group in your Housing Portal. Second – you need to list a preference, and be eligible, for the same LLC** (or both have the same preference for No LLC; the point is we can’t mix and match students as roommates if they aren’t looking for the same LLC experience). Third – the best practice is to not request a single room (requests for single rooms and roommates are conflicting for our computer system).
If you don’t have a specific roommate in mind (or just in case your specific roommate request is unable to be assigned to you), we will also ask you some questions about your personal habits/personality traits so that in the event of a random roommate pairing, we can try to put you with someone who is at least somewhat compatible with your preferences (sleeping, studying, socializing, etc.). Within your Housing Portal you can also use the Roommate Search feature to try to find a roommate based on preferences and profiles.
**LLCs are not available in Kenilworth Square Apartments.
You mention “LLCs” above, what is an LLC and why should I be interested in participating?
An LLC, or Living Learning Community, is a group of students with a common interest or academic major living on the same floor(s) of a residence hall. Each LLC usually takes a class together, making it easier to meet classmates, form study groups, and get involved in leadership opportunities. Before completing your contract, read more about our LLC options and determine if requesting participation in an LLC is the right choice for you. There is no additional fee to participate and living with others that share your interest or major can assist in the transition to college.
However, as mentioned before, if you are looking to room with a specific person, be sure you both request AND are eligible for the same LLC. Since Living Learning Communities rank as the highest priority preference on your contract, if you and the person you would like to room with do not select and/or are not eligible for the same LLC, you will not be assigned to the same room or suite. You may even be assigned to different buildings.
If LLC participation doesn’t interest me, are there other types of communities within University Housing that may?
By default, all floors in all our facilities are co-ed and all suites are single-gender; however, there are other options to consider. Single-gender floors and/or Inclusive Housing can be requested once you’ve submitted your contract and paid the non-refundable contract fee. Please note that all suites in the Kaleidoscope LLC are also assigned as Inclusive Housing. You must be eligible for and request both on your contract to be placed in this particular LLC.
Why do I need to include my personality traits/personal habits on my contract, especially if I already know who I want to live with?
Besides assisting University Housing in matching you with a roommate if you do not request a specific person, personality traits are used to place you (and your roommate, if applicable) in a suite with people who have listed similar traits to optimize compatibility. We encourage you to be as truthful as possible about yourself when completing the personality traits portion of your contract to give yourself and others the best possible housing experience and suite environment right from the start.
Additional Information
Assignment Process
Once you’ve completed the contracting process and preferences have locked, you can expect to see your room assignment, roommate(s) and suite mates populate in your Housing Portal (and an email sent you) beginning early June. Assignments are not all made at once and will continue to drop into the Housing Portal throughout the summer. Do not panic if you don’t see your assignment right away. Just keep checking your Housing Portal and your UWM email.
Learn more about how University Housing assigns rooms, how preferences are used, and additional processes that may happen during the summer at Contract & Assignment Processes.
Summer Housing
If you are enrolled in summer courses or employed on campus during summer (other than with University Housing), you are eligible for a summer contract. Contracts require a minimum four-week period. Nightly rates are based on room occupancy and are determined the Spring prior to the contract term. Summer Residence Hall Contracts can be submitted through the Housing Portal, along with the upload of any necessary documentation (proof of summer employment or internship). This documentation can also be submitted to University Housing via one of the following methods:
| Contact | Contact Information |
|---|---|
| In-Person | University Housing Office, Sandburg C100 |
| housing@uwm.edu; Subject: Summer Residence Hall | |
| Fax | 414-229-4127 |
| University Housing, 3400 N. Maryland Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211 |
Contracts must be received by University Housing a minimum of 3 business days before desired date of entry. The priority deadline for Summer Session I contracts is May 1. All Summer Residence Hall Contract Holders are bound to the terms and conditions of the Summer Contract, and University Housing Rules and Regulations outlined in the most current Resident Handbook. If you have any questions, please email housing@uwm.edu
Frequent Questions
For students who live nearby and may already have alternative housing arrangements at home, we suggest you consider placing yourself on the waitlist for a University Housing space within the Housing Portal. As vacancies become available, we will start offering contracts to students on the waitlist.
For most students who need housing finalized by the start of school, we suggest that you contact UWM’s Off-Campus Resource Office (email rent-offcampus@uwm.edu or phone 414-229-6999). OCRC maintains listings of available spaces for rent, conducts background checks on landlords, and guides students through the process of becoming tenants.
Due to space availability, University Housing would automatically grant exemptions to the UWM First-Year Student Residency Policy to students who have not previously completed a University Housing Contract, or who have not had their previously submitted exemption request granted. This process occurs on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, no. There isn’t any manipulating that can be done to move oneself to the top of the list.
Contracts that may be offered will be prioritized first to students who fit one or more of the following criteria: international students, out-of-state students, students who are otherwise homeless, students who are experiencing housing insecurity, students who have aged out of the foster system, and students with certain scholarships.
Contract access is a difficult status to predict. We provide contract access to students on the waitlist as others cancel their contracts over the summer in order to take their space. We also must take into consideration those who ma have been assigned to an overflow location, as we prioritize permanent space reassignment to this group. Because cancellations can come through at any time, it is a good rule of thumb to check your UWM email daily. Contract access for those on the waitlist will typically come with a quick completion deadline before we move to the next person on the list. This process takes approximately seven days to complete, though the actual time available will be detailed in the contract access email you receive.
Not necessarily. We continue to work with the UWM Accessibility Resource Center to address accommodation requests. Please remember that some requests may take up to 30 days to process, even after the file is completed. If an accommodation is deemed necessary, we will use developing vacancies and potential quick swaps to meet requested accommodations. We do encourage students who need accommodations for housing and/or academics to submit their application and supporting documentation to uwm.edu/arc/apply as soon as possible. Continue to check your Housing Portal as the summer concludes to stay up to date on your assignment. In addition, a decision letter or update will be sent to you via email.
The purpose of the UWM First-Year Student Residency Policy is to support the on-campus experience of our students. All students who completed the University Housing contract by the priority deadline of May 1 will have a place to live in University Housing. Since we are also stewards of the funds paid by our residents, our priority is to achieve full occupancy, as that will help us be the most efficient. May 1 has been the historical date to complete University Housing Contracts. University Housing guarantees a room assignment for all students who have submitted their Contract up until we close the contracting window. We recognize some assignments may be a temporary booking until a permanent bed is available. If the residency requirement is suspended, University Housing still provides the option for a waitlist in hopes to continue to provide contracts as vacancies become available.