The on-campus housing application process, or Contract, is the process in which a student signs a binding Contract agreement online, in their Housing Portal, to secure on-campus housing and 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.
Determine Your On-Campus Housing Preferences
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.
For upper class and Graduate students, you may find our apartment-style setting most fitting. Kenilworth Square Apartments* provides single occupancy bedrooms within 1-, 2-, or 3-bedroom shared apartments and a more independent living environment. Each apartment is furnished with a full kitchen (stove, refrigerator, microwave), and each bedroom has a full size bed, built-in closets and desk with desk chair provided. For a flat monthly rate, all utilities are included, so you never need to worry about variable monthly expenses.
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 have 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/preferences 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.
*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.
**LLC are not available in Kenilworth Square Apartments.
Review the University Housing Contract
Once admitted, 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, and will provide you with a digital copy of the University Housing Contract & Guidebook1. Before completing a University Housing Contract, read it (and the Guidebook) 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. A contract must be requested (step 4), 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.
Apply for On-Campus Housing
Once you submit your University Housing Contract online, you are legally bound by the Contract and Guidebook. You will also be required to follow the Resident Handbook found on our Forms & Publications page. Effective 2025-2026, the non-refundable contract fee will be 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.
After you have applied
If you submit your contract and payment by May 1, you will be able to pick your own room during an online room selection process in June. Information will be emailed to your home email address, as listed in PAWS, with your selection dates and times. If you do not pick a room yourself, youwill be assigned by University Housing beginning in July. Information about Move-In will be sent to you in July as well.
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!
Important Information and Considerations
UWM Residency Policy
While UWM has a residency policy that essentially states first-time, first-year students are required to live on-campus, 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.
Financial Commitment
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).
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.
Non-Discrimination Policy
University Housing accepts contracts and assigns rooms without regard to race, color, creed, or national origin. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee does not discriminate on the basis of sex in admission to any educational program or activity administered by the institution. The policy extends to employment, as well as such programs and activities.