{"id":15248,"date":"2024-07-31T10:31:21","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T15:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/housing\/?page_id=15248"},"modified":"2026-05-01T09:11:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T14:11:03","slug":"process","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/housing\/process\/","title":{"rendered":"Contract & Assignment Processes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Contract & Assignment Processes<\/h1><\/header>\n\n\n

This section is designed to provide you with essential information regarding processes that happen after the Priority Contract Deadline has passed. Here, you will find detailed explanations on various topics, including the room assignment process, how to request a room or dining plan change and other administrative processes University Housing may use depending on space availability. Our goal is to ensure you have all the necessary information to make your transition to on-campus housing as seamless and comfortable as possible.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Room\/Suite Assignment Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lottery System<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rooms are NOT assigned<\/strong> on a first-come, first-served basis. Meaning, no matter how early a new student completes and submits their contract and non-refundable fee, ALL contract holders that meet the priority submission deadline of May 1 have the same odds of being assigned their top room-type preference. All contract holders meeting the deadline are entered into the room assignment lottery which assigns rooms in a randomized, system-generated order. Rooms are assigned to each contract holder with consideration to the preferences still available at the time their assignment is made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If two contract holders have requested each other on their contracts (via a roommate group) and are eligible for the same community (LLC and\/or Inclusive Housing), when the first person in the group is selected, all eligible contract holders within the same group will be assigned together (in the same room) ONLY<\/strong><\/em> if a room with the appropriate number of open beds is available at the time of assignment. Ex.<\/strong> Two students list each other as requested roommates; however, at the time the first student is selected there are no double-occupancy rooms with two beds available. The contract holders will be split up and placed in an available bed with consideration to their remaining contract preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lottery System is used to allocate housing options equitably among students, ensuring a random and unbiased distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assignment Timeline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Learning who you\u2019re going to live with and where can be one of the most exciting parts of getting ready to come to UW-Milwaukee. Information below will give you an idea of when to expect your assignment to post, where to find room-\/suite mate contact information and how we process assignments differently based on semester of entry and student type.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Students Entering in Fall\/Semester I<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Beginning in the fall a year prior to enrollment, University Housing will release online contracts and send a Contract Guidebook to each admitted student via email. You can specify a preferred roommate or provide information to help us assign one for you. You can also indicate your room type preference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assignments are based on a computer-assigned lottery, indicated preferences, and space availability, starting early June and continuing throughout the summer. Application to a Living Learning Community (LLC) takes priority over other preferences. University Housing may reassign students as needed to meet occupancy requirements, and inability to honor preferences does not void the contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room assignments and room- and suite mate contact information are available through the Housing Portal<\/a> starting in early June, with ongoing updates throughout the summer. It is common that not all contract holders will be assigned in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

University Housing does not discriminate in room assignments based on various protected categories.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Students Entering in Spring\/Semester II<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

University Housing does its best to accommodate the preferences you indicate when you sign your online contract, with room assignments made in a randomized order determined by lottery. (LLC requests are made by emailing UWMLLC@uwm.edu, which are then added to the resident preferences before the lottery is run). Due to a very limited supply of available spaces, it is very difficult to match most preferences. Roommate and LLC requests are the most difficult to match, followed by room type. All residents who submit their Spring-only Housing Contract by December 1 have an equal chance in the lottery. If you would like to explore a room change, please discuss it with your RA after you\u2019ve moved in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room Assignments for Returning Residents<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Beginning in January, we will release University Housing online contracts to all current residence hall students who then have the option to complete a new contract for the following academic year. In March, returners are given the opportunity to participate in Returner Self Assignment, self-selecting their own building, room and roommate(s), and suite and suite mates for the following year. If a returning resident chooses not to self-assign, they are assigned using the same process (lottery system) as new students.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

How Can I Tell If I\u2019m In An LLC?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The most reliable way to determine if you are assigned within an LLC is based on your room assignment. General locations of LLCs are listed on the Living Learning Communities page<\/a> (though some suites on the identified floors may not<\/em> be LLC suites). Also, some LLCs do not span entire floors. These will be listed as a range of suites (eg. 305-399).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n\n\n

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Contract Preferences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Preferences are not a guarantee. <\/b>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 described above<\/em>. Below is an explanation for students who don\u2019t get their preferred room assignment.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the annual summer release of room assignments, University Housing gets a number of phone calls from concerned students, family members, and sometimes even friends, who want to know: (a) why the student didn\u2019t get their top-choice room assignment and (b) what can be done about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an effort to answer some of these questions, we\u2019ve created the following guide for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Didn\u2019t I Get My Preferred Roommate?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n