Application Guide
All students who wish to live on campus during the academic year must submit a housing application by the designated deadline to be considered. There are also other times of year when a supplemental application is required to live on campus, for example during breaks, early arrival or late stay, and winter or summer sessions.
Keep reading to learn more about active or upcoming application processes, or log into the My Housing Portal to see what's available to you.
Thanksgiving Break (November 17-26)
Application opens October 17 and closes November 16 at 5 p.m.
All on-campus residence halls (except apartments) close at 7 p.m. on Friday, November 17 and reopen at noon on Sunday, November 26. Students living in residence hall rooms that are not apartment-style are expected to vacate by the posted time and will regain building access when the halls reopen. If you need to request a late stay, or plan to stay on campus during any part of the break, you'll need to fill out the Thanksgiving Break application in the Breaks & Early/Late Stays section of the My Housing Portal. If you live in apartment-style housing (University Courtyard Apartments or Executive Apartments), you'll keep your building access and do not need to vacate or apply for late stay/break housing.
December Break (DECEMBER 17 – JANUARY 2)
Application open Thursday, November 16–Wednesday, December 13, 2023 at 5 p.m.
Cost: $450
For December Break, students not living in apartment-style residence halls should plan to leave the halls within 24 hours of their last final exam and no later than Sunday, December 17 at 10 p.m. when halls officially close for the break. If you need to request a late stay for an exam or plan to stay on campus for any part of the break, you'll need to complete the December Break application in the My Housing Portal by Wednesday, December 13 at 5pm. Apartment residents who are returning for the spring will automatically retain access to their unit for the break for no additional fee and don't need to apply to stay.
Winter Session Housing 2024
Winter Session housing on campus is available to students who meet specific criteria. Read our FAQ to find out who is eligible, how to apply, and more. The priority deadline to apply is December 4 at 5 p.m.
There is no housing fee for the Winter Session for Newark campus students. Associate in Arts students taking Winter Session courses in Newark who request Winter housing will pay a $500 housing fee.
Students living in traditional-style and suite-style residence halls for Winter are required to purchase a Winter dining plan. Those who don't select a specific dining plan on their own will be registered and billed for the default plan. Students living in apartments are not required to purchase a Winter dining plan, but can opt into one if they’d like. For more information about choosing a meal plan, visit Dining Services website or the Dining Plan Request form.
Winter Session housing is only available to students who meet certain criteria which is explained below. Current apartment residents automatically retain access to their rooms during Winter while all other students must request housing by completing an application. Students who don’t meet the criteria below are not eligible to live on campus during Winter Session.
I currently live in an on-campus apartment.
As a student living in the University Courtyard Apartments or Executive Apartments for the Fall and Spring, you don't need to fill out the Winter Session housing application and will automatically retain access to your residence hall during the Winter at no additional cost. Note that if you are graduating, withdrawing or spending the Spring semester abroad, you will need to fully move out of your room by 10 p.m. on Sunday, December 17 and are not eligible to stay for Winter Session.
I currently live in the residence halls and am taking a Winter Session course.
As a student living in a traditional or suite-style residence hall for fall semester who has enrolled in at least one in-person or online Winter Session course on the Newark campus, you can request to live on campus by completing the Winter housing application in the My Housing portal by the priority deadline. We will review, verify and approve requests on a rolling basis.
I currently live in the residence halls but am not taking a Winter Session course.
As a student living in a traditional or suite-style residence hall for fall semester who is not enrolled in a Winter Session course, you can request to live on campus if:
- You have a University-related reason (such as University employment, research, sport, etc.) Your program supervisor will need to verify your participation as part of the application process.
- You are an international student who needs to stay on campus during the Winter Session.
- You are requesting continuous housing due to home insecurity. We know that not everyone has a home they can go to as they may be transitioning between spaces, do not have a secure space to stay, may not have a safe home life or other reason.
Students in any of these three cases must submit a Winter housing application in the My Housing portal by the priority deadline. We will review, verify and approve requests on a rolling basis.
I’m an Associate in Arts student taking an in-person class in Newark for Winter Session.
As an Associate in Arts student taking an in-person Newark campus class during Winter Session, you can request to live on campus for Winter Session only by completing the application in the My Housing portal by the priority deadline. We'll notify you via email as soon as possible if we are able to house you. Housing and dining fees apply as indicated in the "fee" section above.
I’m a new applicant for Spring semester housing and also need Winter Session housing.
Newly admitted first year and transfer students for the Spring, or returning students not currently living on campus, who have applied for Spring semester on-campus housing can request to move in to the residence halls for Winter Session if they are registered for Winter Session classes or are involved in a university sponsored activity during the session. You’ll need to complete a Winter housing application in the My Housing Portal by the priority deadline for consideration. We will notify you via email if we are able to house you for Winter Session or if you must wait until the spring semester.
The Winter Session housing application will open in the My Housing portal on October 24, 2023 with a priority deadline of December 4, 2023 at 5 p.m. Applications submitted after the priority deadline may result in delayed processing and communication from our office.
As a reminder, students already living in an on-campus apartment for the year don’t need to complete an application and will automatically retain access to their apartment. All other students who want to request housing during Winter Session must complete an application.
You can cancel your Winter Session application and/or assignment in the Application Status Section of the My Housing Portal prior to the start of the session. If you've been charged for a dining plan, you can change or cancel your dining plan through Dining Services starting in mid-November.
Residence hall check-in for Winter Session is scheduled for Tuesday, January 2, 2024 from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Students can arrive at any time during this window. More details about Winter Session Move-In will be shared closer to that time.
Students leaving on-campus housing after Winter Session must check out of the residence halls by 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 3, 2024. Students staying on campus in the same room for the Spring don’t need to check out.
Students should plan to arrive or vacate in accordance with the posted dates and times. If you have extenuating circumstances and need to request to check in or out of the halls at a time other than those listed here, you should contact the Residence Hall Coordinator for your building in advance to make the request. A fee may apply if alternate arrangements are approved.
Students enrolled in Winter Session classes pay a health fee and are free to fully make use of Student Health Services. Students not enrolled in Winter Session may visit Student Health Services and pay a fee-for-service. Learn more about the fees and charges here.
The following students should complete the Spring Semester housing application:
- Newly admitted first-year, freshman transfer and transfer students joining the Newark campus for the first time this Spring who plan to live on campus
- World Scholar first-year students admitted in Fall 2023 who are currently abroad and will be returning to campus in the Spring
Current undergraduate students NOT already living on campus who wish to move on campus for the Spring
- Associate in Arts students transitioning to the Newark campus for the first time this Spring who want to live on campus
Students who already have active, guaranteed housing contracts for the academic year and have been living on campus for fall will automatically be reassigned to spring housing and do not need to apply.
All newly admitted spring first-year students, transfer students admitted as a freshman, and class of 2027 World Scholars returning from study abroad are required to live on campus in the spring and should complete the Spring Semester housing application in the My Housing portal.
Freshman transfer students are typically identified by the Office of Admissions as incoming transfers being admitted with 18 or fewer credits from another postsecondary institution and have graduated from high school within the last year.
First-year students can request an exemption to live off-campus if they meet certain criteria to include: living with a parent or legal guardian within 30 miles from campus, are married, have a child, are at least 21 years of age by the first day of classes, or have been admitted as a Freshman Transfer. The full exemption policy and required forms can be found in the First Year Exemption Request process in the housing portal. If you would like to request a housing exemption, be sure to complete the First-Year Exemption Request form in the My Housing portal by January 12, 2024 instead of a housing application.
Failure for first-year students to complete either a housing application or an exemption request may result in either still being assigned and charged for housing or alternatively not being guaranteed or assigned a space on campus.
Spring housing is only guaranteed through the spring application for those students required to live on campus (spring admit first year and freshman transfer students and class of 2027 World Scholar students returning from study abroad). These students become bound to the contract three business days after completing a valid application.
For all other students, including transfer students not admitted as a freshman, housing is not guaranteed and will be offered to applicants via email pending space availability. These students become bound to the contract three business days after being notified of a housing guarantee. While we expect to be able to offer housing to most applicants, we highly recommend applying by the priority deadline for the best consideration.
The Spring Semester housing application will open in the Apply for Housing section of the My Housing portal in early-November with a deadline of December 13, 2023 at 5pm for priority consideration. The application will remain open through the start of the spring semester space permitting, but applications submitted after the priority deadline may result in delayed processing and communication from our office. For newly admitted students, the application should become available in the portal after making the admissions deposit.
Vacancies are limited for spring semester housing. Students will have the option to indicate room type interests and request a roommate within the application, but these are not guaranteed. Completely open rooms for roommates in the spring are limited, but we will accommodate as many requests as we can space permitting.
Students interested in living in one of our specific In-Hall Communities should email us at reslife-housing@udel.edu at the point of application to indicate interest, though final placements will be space pending.
First-year students are housed in traditional or suite-style buildings while upper division students are housed in traditional, suite and apartment-style buildings. Traditional halls have rooms along the corridor with communal bathrooms and are mainly located on East and Central campus. Suite-style halls typically feature two bedrooms connected by a bathroom and are mainly located on Laird (North) campus. Our buildings are primarily co-ed by room, meaning that while students of the same gender share a room/suite, the floors are mixed gender. You can learn more about our buildings on the Explore Our Halls page.
Students with a dietary or medical, psychological or physical circumstance that requires housing accommodations must submit documentation to the appropriate office by the priority application deadline. Documentation received late may result in an assignment that does not match your needs. Additional details about this process can be found within the housing application, or you can reach out to either the Office of Disability Support Services or Dining Services for more information.
Students who apply by the priority deadline and get guaranteed spring housing will be assigned by our staff and provided assignment information via UD email during the last week of January. Assignments are finalized this late so that we can verify as many spaces as possible to work through specific student requests. Keep in mind that location, room type and roommate requests are not guaranteed, and placement will depend on available space.
Students who apply for spring housing can cancel their applications within the Application Status section of the My Housing Portal before becoming bound to the contract and will only be charged a $200 cancellation fee. After becoming bound to the contract, students can complete a Request for Release from the contract. Release is not guaranteed and may come with additional financial penalties if approved. Students required to live on campus will receive follow up from our office in the event of a cancellation request.
Residence Life & Housing is part of the Division of Student Life, which advances equity and inclusion, deepens student learning and drives holistic development through education, experiences and communities.