First-Year Student Housing Application
First-Year Student Housing Application
The first-year housing application is for incoming freshmen and freshmen transfers entering in the fall semester and can be accessed in the My Housing Portal. It opens in early April and 48 hours after students submit their admissions deposit and set up their UD email, UDelNetID and password.
Housing is not first-come, first-served, but there is a priority deadline. All applications received by that deadline are given the same priority. After the priority deadline, a more limited application will remain available. There is no fee to apply.
2026–2027 First-Year
Application Opens
Early April, 2026
2026–2027 First-Year
Application Priority Deadline
May 18, 2026, 5 p.m.
On-Campus Living Requirements
All newly admitted first-year students are required to live on campus and are guaranteed housing the academic year of admittance. They should complete the housing application in the My Housing Portal after making their admissions deposit. Newly admitted students in the World Scholar program will wait and apply for spring semester housing when they prepare to return to campus.
Failure to complete either a housing application or exemption request may result in either being assigned and charged for housing or not being guaranteed and being placed on a waitlist.
Students admitted as a freshman transfer (transfer student admitted with 18 or fewer credits from another institution within one year of high school graduation) are not required to live on campus for the term of admittance and do not need to complete an exemption request if living off campus. However, they will be guaranteed housing if they complete a first-year application.
Exemption Requests to Live Off Campus
First-year students can request an exemption to live off campus if they meet one of these criteria:
- Living with a parent or legal guardian within 30 miles from campus
- Married
- Have a child
- At least 21 years of age by the first day of classes
The full exemption policy and required forms can be found in the First-Year Exemption Request process in the My Housing Portal. Students requesting an exemption must submit the First-Year Exemption Request form and supporting documentation by the priority application deadline instead of a housing application.
First-year students will be placed in traditional or suite-style housing, primarily in rooms that house two or three students, with limited single rooms available. First-year students may be placed anywhere across campus in a variety of buildings, and may not choose where they are housed.
Some buildings have air conditioning while others do not, and some have elevators while others have only stairs. Room rates depend on room type.
About half of incoming first-year students choose to let our system's algorithm assign their roommate(s) based on the compatibility of their lifestyle answers in the housing application. It can be an excellent opportunity to meet a new friend group, and we typically do not see increased roommate conflicts between these roommates compared to those who request each other.
To request a specific roommate, students can create or join a roommate group of 2–3 students of the same gender through the Roommate Manager section of the My Housing Portal by the priority application deadline. New requests or changes cannot be made after this deadline.
Students required to or who applied to live in an LLC may only be able to select other students who are also affiliated with that community. We do our best to accommodate roommate requests, but they are not guaranteed for any student. Group size does not guarantee a specific type of room (i.e., a group of two could still be assigned to a triple room with a third student).
On-campus Theme Housing and Living Learning Communities (LLCs) provide students with unique experiences designed around academic programs, interests or identities. Some majors and programs require their students to live together in an LLC – these students cannot apply to live in a different community. Students not required to live in a specific LLC can apply to live in one of our optional communities through the Housing Communities section of the My Housing Portal by the priority application deadline.
Students required to live in an LLC or who applied to live in an optional community may only be able to request roommates who also are affiliated with that community. Find more details about each community on our Housing Communities page.
Students with a medical or dietary circumstance that may impact their housing can request reasonable housing accommodations by submitting additional documentation to the appropriate office for consideration. Both a housing application and accommodation paperwork must be submitted by the housing application deadline.
New Student Checklist
This checklist is a helpful guide that lists some key actions to complete after submitting the admissions deposit, during New Student Orientation (NSO) and after NSO.
Get your ONEcard
The ONEcard is a student's official university ID used to access services and facilities such as their residence hall, parking, fitness centers, student activities, Student Health Services, athletic facilities and events, laundry and dining meals and points. Cashless spending using the Flex account on a student's ONEcard is also available at many locations on campus.
Students will receive an email with instructions to upload their photo online so student ID cards can be picked up when attending NSO in person. Students should submit their photo at least five days prior to their NSO date to ensure their card is ready.
Housing Application Steps
There are three different sections available to first-year students in the housing application process:
- Basic Application (required)
- Housing Communities (optional)
- Roommate Manager (optional)
Completing the basic application in the Apply for Housing section of the My Housing Portal is required of all applicants. A more limited version of the basic application will remain open after the priority deadline.
The Roommate Manager and Housing Communities sections are optional if students want to request up to two roommates or apply to live in an optional Theme Housing or Living Learning Community (LLC). These optional steps close on the priority application deadline. Students required to live in an LLC based on academic program cannot apply for a different community. Roommate requests may be restricted to community members for certain housing communities.
Housing assignments will be sent via email to UD email addresses later in the summer. We appreciate everyone's patience as we assign the thousands of Blue Hens to our residence halls!
Basic Application
(Required of All Applicants)
- Review application instructions.
- Electronically sign the housing contract (if under 18, parent/legal guardian must sign).
- Agree to the cancellation fee policy.
- Your application is valid! Receive confirmation email.
- Confirm demographic information.
- Provide optional identity details.
- Get instructions to submit housing accommodations, if needed.
- Answer lifestyle questions.
- Complete the room type interest poll.
- Indicate your intention if you plan to submit a supplemental community application.
- Submit the basic application and learn about next steps.
Optional Sections
After submitting the basic application, students gain access to these optional processes up until the priority deadline.
Housing Communities Section
- Read about the first-year communities being offered for next year.
- Select the community you want to join.
- Complete required essay questions.
- Receive email confirming submission.
Roommate Manager Section
- Review instructions to either create a new roommate group, join an existing group with specific students, search for potential roommates or view suggested roommates.
- Accept or decline pending invitations to join a group.
- Receive emails confirming new group members or other changes to the group.
- Verify your group.