How to Apply for Housing

Roommate matching for returning students will open on November 18. To participate in early room selection and to have a better chance at obtaining their preferred suite style, students are encouraged to have enough students in their group to fill the entire room/suite/apartment. These groups must be fully matched and have must have enough students to fill the room/suite/apartment to select a room early.

Roommate matching can be completed through the housing and dining portal. When working to roommate match, students will only be able to match with students who have already completed the housing application. Returning students will not see any new/incoming students in Roommate Matching. If a specific student is not showing in the roommate matching search results, it is advised that students connect with one another to discuss the status of their housing applications.

For help with the roommate matching process, check out Residence Life and Housing FAQs.  If an answer is not available in the FAQs, inquiries should be directed to a student’s campus housing office.

Note: Students applying to live at Vulcan Village will need to contact Vulcan Village directly for assistance with roommate matching.

Room selection will occur in different parts: The Room Retention phase and Phases 1-3 of room selection. For help with the room selection process, check out Residence Life and Housing FAQs.  If an answer is not available in the FAQs, inquiries should be directed to a student’s campus housing office.

Note: Students applying to live at Vulcan Village will need to contact Vulcan Village directly for assistance with roommate matching.

Students are encouraged to reach out to their campus Residence Life and Housing Office IMMEDIATELY if they need assistance. Once the next phases of room selection begin, it becomes less likely for issues to be resolved. Students should follow all directions and meet established deadlines.

REMINDER: November 18:  Housing Application & Roommate Matching open

PART 1: Retaining with no new suitemates - November 20 – November 27

Part 1 of Room Retention opens at 9:00am on November 20 and is for students who are retaining their space and NOT pulling in NEW suitemates.

• Tip 1: Room Retention is only available to students who are in their 2^nd year or more in campus housing AND who do not live in either Highlands 1 or 2 (2024-2025). These buildings are reserved for First Year students.
• Tip 2: Only the student themselves can retain their space.  If multiple students plan to retain spaces in a suite they occupy in Fall 2024, they will EACH need to do the retention process. Even if a group is fully matched, they must still retain their own spaces.
• Tip 3: Students who plan to retain for Fall 2024 AND pull in a friend(s) not assigned to their space for Fall 2024 should wait till December 3rd at 9:00am (Part 2 of Retention). This process is to ensure everyone who should have the opportunity to retain gets the chance to do so.

PART 2: Retaining with new suitemates - December 3 – 10

Part 2 of Room Retention opens at 9:00am on December 3 and will occur for students who ARE PULLING IN NEW ROOMMATES who do not currently live in the suite. The option to pull in roommates, even matched ones, will not be turned on until December 3 at 9 a.m.

• Tip 1: This is the part of the Retention phase where those who retained their spaces can pull in matched suitemates.
• Tip 2: Students who wish to retain, even if they are not pulling in matched roommates, can still retain if their room is still available.

‍CLEAN UP: Room Retention Clean Up - December 11 – December 20

Clean up of any Room Retention issues

• Tip 1: Students should check their housing portal to ensure their assignment information is correct and to make sure everyone who is supposed to be in their suite is listed.
• Tip 2: Students should contact the Residence Life and Housing team no later than December 20 if they see an issue with their assignment information. This will give the team time to rectify any issues. If an issue is presented after December 20 there is no guarantee that The Residence Life and Housing Office will be able to fix it since the first phase of open room selection will begin soon.

Students are encouraged to reach out to their campus Residence Life and Housing Office IMMEDIATELY if they need assistance. Once the next phases of room selection begin, it becomes less likely for issues to be resolved. Students should follow all directions and meet established deadlines.

REMINDERS: January 15 is the deadline to participate in Phase 1. Emails will be sent to those eligible to participate in Part 1 of Phase 1 on January 16.

PART 1: Room Selection opens for those who can “fill a suite” - January 21 – January 26

Room selection for Phase 1 opens at 9:00 a.m. for students who submitted their housing application by January 15 AND who have a completely matched group with enough members to fill every space within a suite.

It is possible, but not guaranteed, that there will be partially filled suites (left over from the Room Retention phase) available during Part 1 of the Room Selection Process. This means that smaller student groups that didn’t have enough people to fill an entire suite can still try to see if anything is available for their group. Students should not be concerned if they do not see something available prior to January 26 as restrictions to fill the suite/apartment will be lifted on January 29.

• Tip 1: Students who want a specific suite style should make sure they have enough roommates to fill the suite. This gives students the best opportunity to obtain their preferred suite style(s).
• Tip 2: This year students will have the ability to make self-selected room changes for a couple weeks following each phase of room selection.

REMINDERS: On January 27 emails will be sent to students in Phase 1 who have not selected a room. These emails will contain a new selection date/time for the second part of Phase 1

PART 2: Room Selection opens to the remaining students in Phase 1 - January 29 – February 9

Room selection for students who could not participate in Part 1 of Phase 1 opens at 9:00 a.m. without restriction to fill the room/suite/apartment.

ROOM CHANGES: Phase 1 - Self Selected Room Changes - February 12 – March 2

Students will have the ability to change rooms on their own in their Housing and Dining portal.

• Tip 1: The online room change option does not allow students to pull roommates with them. Each resident must go in separately to change their room, so students will need to plan with their anticipated roommate to change their rooms together.
• Tip 2: Students who are changing rooms and have roommates who also want to change with them should make sure the room they are selecting has multiple openings.
• Tip 3: For roommates to have a better chance of selecting the same room, (and being sure nobody else takes an empty bed before them) it is advised students log in at the same time to pick the open spaces together (Residence Life and Housing cannot hold beds while students wait for a friend to pick later)

REMINDERS: March 18 is the deadline to participate in Phase 2. Emails will be sent to those eligible to participate in Part 1 of Phase 2 on March 20.

PART 1: Room Selection opens for those who can “fill a suite” - March 24 – 30  

Room selection for Phase 2 opens at 9:00 a.m. for students who submitted their housing application by March 18 AND who have a completely matched group with enough members to fill every space within a suite.

It is possible, but not guaranteed, that there will be partially filled suites (left over from previous phases) available. This means that smaller student groups that didn’t have enough people to fill an entire suite can still try to see if anything is available for their group. Students should not be concerned if they do not see something available prior to March 30 as restrictions to fill the suite/apartment will be lifted on April 7.

• Tip 1: Students who want a specific suite style should make sure they have enough roommates to fill the suite. This gives students the best opportunity to obtain their preferred suite style(s).

REMINDERS: On April 3 emails will be sent to students in Phase 2 who have not selected a room. These emails will contain a new selection date/time for the second part of Phase 2.

PART 2: Room Selection opens to the remaining students in Phase 2 - Apil 7 – 20

Room selection for students who could not participate in Part 1 of Phase 2 opens at 9:00 a.m. without restriction to fill the room/suite/apartment.

ROOM CHANGES: Phase 2 - Self Selected Room Changes - April 14 – 27

Students will have the ability to change rooms on their own in their Housing and Dining portal.

• Tip 1: The online room change option does not allow students to pull roommates with them. Each resident must go in separately to change their room, so students will need to plan with their anticipated roommate to change their rooms together.
• Tip 2: Students who are changing rooms and have roommates who also want to change with them should make sure the room they are selecting has multiple openings.
• Tip 3: For roommates to have a better chance of selecting the same room, (and being sure nobody else takes an empty bed before them) it is advised students log in at the same time to pick the open spaces together (Residence Life and Housing cannot hold beds while students wait for a friend to pick later).

REMINDERS: May 13 is the deadline to participate in Phase 3. Emails will be sent to those eligible to participate in Part 1 of Phase 3 on May 15.

PART 1: Room Selection opens for those who can “fill a suite” - May 19 – 25

Room selection for Phase 3 opens at 9:00 a.m. for students who submitted their housing application by May 13 AND who have a completely matched group with enough members to fill every space within a suite.

It is possible, but not guaranteed, that there will be partially filled suites (left over from the previous phases) available during Part 2 of the Room Selection Process. This means that smaller student groups that didn’t have enough people to fill an entire suite can still try to see if anything is available for their group. Students should not be concerned if they do not see something available prior to May 25 as restrictions to fill the suite/apartment will be lifted on June 2.

• Tip 1: Students who want a specific suite style should make sure they have enough roommates to fill the suite. This gives students the best opportunity to obtain their preferred suite style(s).

REMINDERS: On May 29 emails will be sent to students in Phase 3 who have not selected a room. These emails will contain a new selection date/time for the second part of Phase 3.

PART 2: Room Selection opens to the remaining students in Phase 3 - June 2 – 15

Room selection for students who could not participate in Part 1 of Phase 3 opens at 9:00 a.m. without restriction to fill the room/suite/apartment 

ROOM CHANGES: Phase 3 - Self Selected Room Changes - June 15 – July 13

Students will have the ability to change rooms on their own in their Housing and Dining portal

• Tip 1: The online room change option does not allow students to pull roommates with them. Each resident must go in separately to change their room, so students will need to plan with their anticipated roommate to change their rooms together
• Tip 2: Students who are changing rooms and have roommates who also want to change with them should make sure the room they are selecting has multiple openings
• Tip 3: For roommates to have a better chance of selecting the same room, (and being sure nobody else takes an empty bed before them) it is advised students log in at the same time to pick the open spaces together (Residence Life and Housing cannot hold beds while students wait for a friend to pick later)

REMINDERS: Starting June 16, room selection will be available a few times a week instead of each business day. This means it could take 24-48 business hours from the time a housing application is complete for the applicant to be able to participate in room selection.

July 13 is the cutoff date for ALL room changes. There will be no more room changes after this date. This includes self-made room changes, Waitlist requests, etc.

July 13 is also the cutoff date for open room selection.

Starting July 14, all housing will be assigned manually. Students are encouraged to reach out to their campus Residence Life and Housing Office IMMEDIATELY if they need assistance.

Roommate matching for new/incoming students will open on January 21. To participate in early room selection and to have a better chance at obtaining their preferred suite style, students are encouraged to have enough students in their group to fill the entire room/suite/apartment. These groups must be fully matched and have enough students to fill the room/suite/apartment to select a room early.

Roommate matching can be completed through the housing and dining portal. When working to roommate match, students will only be able to match with students who have already completed the housing application. New/incoming students will not see any returning students (those who have attended one or more semesters at PennWest) in Roommate Matching. If a specific student is not showing in the roommate matching search results, it is advised that students connect with one another to discuss the status of their housing applications.

For help with the roommate matching process, check out Residence Life and Housing FAQs. If an answer is not available in the FAQs, inquiries should be directed to a student’s campus housing office.

Note: Students applying to live at Vulcan Village will need to contact Vulcan Village directly for assistance with roommate matching.

Room selection will occur in two phases, Phase 1 and Phase 2. For help with the room selection process, check out Residence Life and Housing FAQs. If an answer is not available in the FAQs, inquiries should be directed to a student’s campus housing office.

Note: Students applying to live at Vulcan Village will need to contact Vulcan Village directly for assistance with roommate matching.

Students are encouraged to reach out to their campus Residence Life and Housing Office IMMEDIATELY if they need assistance. Once the next phases of room selection begin, it becomes less likely for issues to be resolved. Students should follow all directions and meet established deadlines.

REMINDERS: March 18 is the deadline to participate in Phase 1. Emails will be sent to those eligible to participate in Part 1 of Phase 1 on March 20.

PART 1: Room Selection opens for those who can “fill a suite” – March 24 – March 30

Room selection for Phase 1 opens at 3:00 p.m. for students who submitted their housing application by March 18 AND who have a completely matched group with enough members to fill every space within a suite.

It is possible, but not guaranteed, that there will be partially filled suites (left over from the Room Retention phase) available during Part 1 of the Room Selection Process. This means that smaller student groups that didn’t have enough people to fill an entire suite can still try to see if anything is available for their group. Students should not be concerned if they do not see something available prior to March 30 as restrictions to fill the suite/apartment will be lifted on April 7.

• Tip 1: Students who want a specific suite style should make sure they have enough roommates to fill the suite. This gives students the best opportunity to obtain their preferred suite style(s).
• Tip 2: This year students will have the ability to make self-selected room changes for a couple weeks following each phase of room selection.

REMINDERS: On April 3 emails will be sent to students in Phase 1 who have not selected a room. These emails will contain a new selection date/time for the second part of Phase 1.

PART 2: Room Selection opens to the remaining students in Phase 1 – April 7 – April 20

Room selection for students who could not participate in Part 1 of Phase 1 opens at 9:00 a.m. without restriction to fill the room/suite/apartment.

ROOM CHANGES: Phase 1 - Self Selected Room Changes – April 14 – April 27

Students will have the ability to change rooms on their own in their Housing and Dining portal.

• Tip 1: The online room change option does not allow students to pull roommates with them. Each resident must go in separately to change their room, so students will need to plan with their anticipated roommate to change their rooms together.
• Tip 2: Students who are changing rooms and have roommates who also want to change with them should make sure the room they are selecting has multiple openings.
• Tip 3: For roommates to have a better chance of selecting the same room, (and being sure nobody else takes an empty bed before them) it is advised students log in at the same time to pick the open spaces together (Residence Life and Housing cannot hold beds while students wait for a friend to pick later)

REMINDERS: May 13 is the deadline to participate in Phase 2. Emails will be sent to those eligible to participate in Part 1 of Phase 2 on May 15.

PART 1: Room Selection opens for those who can “fill a suite” – May 19 – 25

Room selection for Phase 2 opens at 3:00 p.m. for students who submitted their housing application by May 13 AND who have a completely matched group with enough members to fill every space within a suite.

It is possible, but not guaranteed, that there will be partially filled suites (left over from previous phases) available. This means that smaller student groups that didn’t have enough people to fill an entire suite can still try to see if anything is available for their group. Students should not be concerned if they do not see something available prior to May 25 as restrictions to fill the suite/apartment will be lifted on June 2.

• Tip 1: Students who want a specific suite style should make sure they have enough roommates to fill the suite. This gives students the best opportunity to obtain their preferred suite style(s).

REMINDERS: On May 29 emails will be sent to students in Phase 2 who have not selected a room. These emails will contain a new selection date/time for the second part of Phase 2.

PART 2: Room Selection opens to the remaining students in Phase 2 – June 2 – June 15

Room selection for students who could not participate in Part 1 of Phase 2 opens at 3:00 p.m. without restriction to fill the room/suite/apartment.

ROOM CHANGES: Phase 2 - Self Selected Room Changes – June 16 – July 13

Students will have the ability to change rooms on their own in their Housing and Dining portal

• Tip 1: The online room change option does not allow students to pull roommates with them. Each resident must go in separately to change their room, so students will need to plan with their anticipated roommate to change their rooms together.
• Tip 2: Students who are changing rooms and have roommates who also want to change with them should make sure the room they are selecting has multiple openings.
• Tip 3: For roommates to have a better chance of selecting the same room, (and being sure nobody else takes an empty bed before them) it is advised students log in at the same time to pick the open spaces together (Residence Life and Housing cannot hold beds while students wait for a friend to pick later).

REMINDERS: Starting June 16, room selection will be available a few times a week instead of each business day. This means it could take 24-48 business hours from the time a housing application is complete for the applicant to be able to participate in room selection.

July 13 is the cutoff date for ALL room changes. There will be no more room changes after this date. This includes self-made room changes, Waitlist requests, etc.

July 13 is also the cutoff date for open room selection.

Starting July 14, all housing will be assigned manually. Students are encouraged to reach out to their campus Residence Life and Housing Office IMMEDIATELY if they need assistance.

Have you fully set up your PennWest account with two-factor authentication?

• Students must set up their myPennWest account (using their PennWest credentials) before they can access their student portal.

Did you recently change phones?

• Students encountering trouble setting up their two-factor authentication on a new device should contact their campus technology help desk for assistance.

Have you paid your admissions deposit?

• Students who have not paid their tuition deposit will not be able to access their student portal until the deposit is paid through their campus Admissions Office. Once the deposit has been paid, students should have access to their housing and dining portal within 24-48 hours from the time they paid their tuition deposit. Students unable to access their portal after 48 hours should contact their campus housing office for assistance.

Because the housing application is a legally binding contract, any student that is under 18 years old at the time of submission will need their parent/guardian to sign off on the application before it is considered complete.

An email will be sent to the email address listed for the parent/guardian as soon as the student signs the application. The email being sent to the parent/guardian will contain a unique code and a link to the agreement signed by their student. After clicking the provided link, the parent/guardian will need to input their unique code to finish signing their student’s housing application.

If the parent/guardian does not receive an email in their inbox or spam folder, they or their student should reach out to their campus’ Residence Life and Housing Office.

Did the person you want to request as a roommate complete their housing contract?

• Students cannot participate in roommate matching until they complete their housing contract, which includes paying their $100 housing application fee and having their parent/guardian sign off on their application if applicable.
  
  Students looking for a specific student will only see that individual in the roommate matching portal once that person has completed their contract and paid their fee.

If the requested roommate is under 18, did their parent/guardian sign off on the housing application?

• If the requested roommate is under 18 years old at the time they submitted their housing application, they will need their parent/guardian to sign off on the application before it is considered complete.
  
  To sign off on the contract, parents will need to follow the prompts in the email that was sent to them as soon as their student signed the application.

Did the requested roommate already pick a room?

• Once a student picks a space, their information will not populate in the roommate matching search results. Students will need to connect with one another to determine if there is/isn’t an extra spot available within the same space. Then, the student who does not currently have housing should login to their housing portal to search for the open space.
  
  Open spaces will be available to other students, so it is important for students to act fast to obtain the open space. If the desired space does not populate in the room selection search results, either someone has already chosen the space or there could be another factor affecting the search.
  
  It’s important to note that picking a room DOES NOT hold a space for anyone else.

If you are a new/incoming student, is your requested roommate an upperclassman student?

• New/incoming students requesting an upperclassman student as a roommate should contact their campus housing office for next steps.

If you are an upperclassman, is your requested roommate a new/incoming student?

• Upperclassman students requesting a new/incoming student as a roommate should contact their campus housing office for next steps.

Are you part of a mixed gender group looking to live in gender inclusive housing?

• Students who are part of a mixed gender group should contact their campus housing office for next steps.

A basic roommate matching profile builds for each student that completes the housing application. These profiles include information from answers provided to the questions on the housing application. Students wanting to add more personalized information to their profile can do so from their housing portal.

By clicking on “My Info” and then clicking on “Roommate Profile,” students can choose how much of their roommate profile is visible to other students looking for housing. If desired, students can list their preferred contact method, which may make it easier to connect with prospective suitemates.

Under the “My Profile” section, students are given space to type out whatever information they would like others to know about them. This could include areas of study, favorite activities, favorite animal, sports team, contact information, etc.

The roommate search questionnaire can connect students with similar interests. By completing all or part of the questionnaire, students can see if anyone with similar interests populates in the search results. By skipping the questionnaire and clicking the “Search” button at the bottom of the screen, a full list of everyone who has completed the housing application and has not selected a space will display.

A basic roommate matching profile is built for each student that completes the housing application. These profiles include information from answers provided to the questions on the housing application.

Students who complete the entire roommate matching questionnaire will only see search results of students who answered the questionnaire in the exact same way. This can limit search results.

Students do not have to complete the entire questionnaire to see results and may see more search results by limiting the number of questions they answer.

By skipping the questionnaire and clicking the “Search” button at the bottom of the screen, a full list of everyone who has completed the housing application and has not selected a space will display. Results may still be limited, and students may need to wait for more students to apply for housing for the number of search results to increase.

Students are encouraged to look for other roommate options if they have not received responses to their initial roommate requests.  It is possible that students have already matched with others. It is also possible that someone wants to live alone and may not respond for that reason.

Students can also forgo the roommate matching process and select a space when it is their turn, without having matched with any students. Some spaces will already have other students in them, while suites entirely open will eventually fill with other residents.

The sooner a group is matched the higher chance they have of obtaining their preferred housing styles. Groups that can completely fill a suite or apartment (Reinhard Villages, not including Vulcan Village) have better chances than partially matched groups of obtaining a preferred housing style.

Students should keep in mind that as room selection progresses, the likelihood of obtaining their preferred housing style decreases.

It is highly recommended that students look closely at all housing options and make a list of their top three to four housing preferences in case their top preference is not available when it’s time to select a space. Roommate groups should work to agree upon their top housing preferences to avoid potential conflicts.

If a preferred suite style does not populate during room selection, it means that the suite style is unavailable. It is recommended that students take time to review the search results and select what they are most comfortable with from the options available to them. Students can submit a Waitlist request for their preferred housing style via their housing portal after they select a space.

For more information about the Waitlist option, students can refer to the Waitlist Request section below.

Starting in May of 2025, there will be a room selection process for new/incoming athletes, which will allow them to find housing with one another. New/Incoming student athletes should contact their athletic coach as soon as possible to discuss prospective suitemates. Coaches may have specific roommate recommendations, or they may be able to provide the names of other teammates or athletes who are seeking roommates.

Once new/incoming student athletes know who they would like to live with, they will need to complete roommate matching via their housing portal. The sooner students submit their housing application and complete roommate matching, the better chance they have at preferred suite styles.

Additional information will be coming soon regarding the timeline for the room selection process. Students should keep an eye on their PennWest email for more updates.

Returning student athletes will participate in open room selection. Students who have preferred roommates must complete roommate matching prior to room selection. Those without preferred roommates who wish to live with teammates or other athletes should consult their athletic coach to discuss prospective suitemates. If a returning athlete has no specific roommate preference, they can skip roommate matching and choose a space during general room selection.

Room Retention is not available to students currently living in buildings reserved for First Year housing. Anyone currently residing in First Year housing will need to choose a new space for the next academic year.

First Year and Returning students who currently live in upperclassman halls, Living Learning Communities, or Themed Living Communities will be eligible to retain their spaces in those buildings.

The cut-off date for self-selection is July 13, 2025. Students who have not selected a space by the cutoff date will be manually assigned to housing. Students who apply for housing after this date will also be assigned a space.

During the second part of the room selection phase, students can choose spaces with other students already in them or they can choose an entirely open suite (if available) and wait for the other openings to fill.

Once students have a housing assignment, they will be able to see the names of the students they will be housing with on their housing portal. Students can connect with one another via email by clicking on the name(s) of those they will be housing with.

It is recommended that students wait until their preferred roommate has completed their application and everyone is matched before picking a space. Selecting a space DOES NOT hold a space for anyone. Open spaces in a room/suite will still be available for other students to select.

When looking at the Roommate section of your housing portal, does it say, “fully matched?”

• If the portal does not say “fully matched,” this indicates that the roommate matching is incomplete. Students will need to look at their group to see who is not matched and take the appropriate steps needed to connect with one another. The names of those not matched should be listed in the Roommate section of the housing portal.

Did you pick a different Living Learning Community (LLC) or Themed Housing answer on the housing application?

• There is a question regarding Living Learning Communities (LLC)/Themed Housing on the housing application. The answer selected for this question determines what housing selection process students will be placed in as there are different selection processes for students who want to live in an LLC/Themed Housing and those who participate in general room selection.
  
  Student groups will need to communicate with one another to make sure that everyone in their group provides the same answer to this question. Students who do not have the same answer will not be pulled into the same space as their roommate match.

Did one of your roommates already pick a room?

• When a student in a roommate group selects a room without the others in their group, it lowers the chances of the entire group being housed together in the same space. If the space the student selected has enough openings to accommodate the entire group, the students can work together to determine what open spaces they need to look for in the room selection process.
  
  If there are not enough openings available to accommodate the entire group, students will need to contact their campus Residence Life and Housing Office for next steps.
  
  It is important to note that a roommate picking a space DOES NOT hold a space for others in their group. Should a group encounter this sort of issue, there is no guarantee that they will get into the same suite style the roommate initially selected.

If you are a returning student, is your requested roommate a new/incoming student?

• Returning students should contact their housing office for the next steps.

If you are a new/incoming student, is your requested roommate an upperclassman student?

• New/incoming students should contact their housing office for the next steps.

Are you part of a mixed-gender group looking to live in gender-inclusive housing?

• Students who are part of a mixed gender group should contact their housing office for assistance.

New/Incoming student athletes have the option to participate in open room selection or the room selection process for New/Incoming student athletes. More information regarding the housing process specified for New/Incoming student athletes can be found below under “Room Selection: New/Incoming Athletes.”

Returning student athletes will participate in open room selection.

Athletes in search of roommates/suitemates should get in contact with their athletic coach as soon as possible to discuss perspective suitemates.

Groups will need to participate in roommate matching before room selection. More information about roommate matching can be found above under the “Roommate Matching” section.

Transfer students are permitted to live in upperclassman housing.

Students should reach out to their campus housing office if they are unable to see spaces in upperclassman housing when participating in room selection.

Room selection order is determined by the date and time a student submits their housing application. Students with housing preferences are advised to complete their housing application as soon as possible. The earlier a housing application is completed, the earlier a student will be permitted to select a room.

It is highly recommended that students look closely at all housing options and make a list of their top three to four housing preferences in case their top preference is not available when it’s time to select a space.

Single occupancy housing is the most sought-after housing option and each PennWest campus is limited in the number of single spaces available. Students who submit their housing application early have a better chance of obtaining the room style(s) they prefer.

Students can search for a single space when it is their turn in room selection. If a single room is not available when it is their turn to participate in room selection, students should select the space they prefer most from the search results. Students can submit a Waitlist request via their housing portal after they select a space.

For more information about the Waitlist option, students can refer to the Waitlist Request section below.

When a particular suite style is not showing in room selection results, it indicates that there are no available spaces in that specific style.

It is recommended that students take time to review the search results and select what they are most comfortable with from the options available to them.

Students can submit a Waitlist request for their preferred housing style via their housing portal. There are no guarantees, but should something become available, students will be emailed regarding the opportunity.

For more information about the Waitlist option, students can refer to the Waitlist Request section below.

Mixed gender housing is permitted on each PennWest campus. There are two mixed gender living options: Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) and the Themed Housing option of Gender Identity.

It is important to note that students will never be asked why they wish to live in mixed gender housing. However, students of any sexual orientation who are in a romantic relationship are discouraged from living together in a residential housing unit.

Students should contact their campus housing office as soon as possible to express their desire to live in a mixed-gender arrangement.

Gender Inclusive Housing (GIH) allows students to reside in most residential buildings on campus. There is no specific floor or wing set aside for those seeking GIH, thus no special programming is done for those who seek this living option. Groups can live anywhere, except for First Year Housing (unless the group consists of first year students).

The Gender Identity Themed Housing option is located in a specific part of a residential building with a select number of spaces set aside for students interested in this housing option. Special programming is geared towards those living within this community.

Students should contact their campus housing office as soon as possible to express their desire to live in a mixed-gender arrangement.

Students interested in mixed gender housing will need to submit both their housing application and the Gender Inclusive Housing application, which can be found under Contracts and Request Forms on their housing portal. It’s important to note that the Gender Inclusive Housing application will become available only after a student completes/submits their housing application.

Students should check their PennWest student email regularly for Gender Inclusive Housing updates.

Student groups interested in mixed gender housing should have enough people in their group to fill a space. Part of the Gender Inclusive Housing agreement is that students fill the entire suite or apartment they are assigned.  This means that students looking to live in a 4-person style space should have 4 students in their group. Residence Life and Housing does not randomly assign students to fill vacancies.

Individual students who are not part of a group, but are interested in GIH/mixed gender housing, should complete their housing application and email their campus housing office as soon as possible to discuss mixed gender housing options.  If the campus housing office is aware of groups who need additional roommates, they can help connect these students to see if they would be a good roommate match.

Students interested in mixed gender housing will need to submit both their housing application and the Gender Inclusive Housing application. Once both forms are received, students should reach out to their campus housing office for next steps.

Students interested in mixed gender housing will need to submit both their housing application and the Gender Inclusive Housing application. Once both forms are received, students should reach out to their campus housing office for next steps.

Students should check their PennWest student email regularly for Gender Inclusive Housing updates, timelines, and deadlines.

Gender Inclusive groups should include enough students to fill a space. PennWest Residence Life and Housing Offices may be able to connect students seeking mixed gender housing who do not have a full group.

Groups may be dispersed into general housing if they do not have a complete group.

Should a student in a roommate group cancel their housing for whatever reason, the remaining students in the Gender Inclusive Housing space are responsible for filling the vacancy in the suite or apartment.

If the vacancy is not filled, the remaining roommates are responsible for the cost of the vacant space, or they can request the suite or apartment be converted back to a single gender unit.

Converting the unit back to a single gender unit could mean students will be moved to other spaces in campus housing.

Starting in May of 2025, there will be a new room selection process for new/incoming athletes, which will allow them to find housing with one another. Returning athletes will participate in open room selection, not the New/Incoming student athlete room selection process.

New/Incoming student athletes should contact their athletic coach as soon as possible to discuss prospective suitemates. Coaches may have specific roommate recommendations, or they may be able to provide the names of other teammates or athletes who are seeking roommates.

Once new/incoming student athletes know who they would like to live with, they will need to complete roommate matching via their housing portal. The sooner students submit their housing application and complete roommate matching, the better chance they have of obtaining their preferred suite styles.

New/Incoming student athletes can still choose to participate in general room selection if they want.

Additional information will be coming soon regarding the timeline for the New/Incoming student athlete room selection process. Students should keep an eye on their PennWest email for more details.

There will be a Self-Selected Room Change period occurring after each room selection phase (excluding the Room Retention phase). Students will have a short window of time to change rooms on their own in their Housing and Dining portal.

Students who want to change spaces will be able to login to their housing portal during a Self-Selected Room Change period to search available spaces. They will be able to make the room change right from their portal.

The online Self-Selected Room Change option DOES NOT allow students to pull roommates with them. Each resident must change their room on their own. Students who are changing rooms and have roommates who also want to change with them should make sure the space they are selecting has multiple openings. For roommates to have a better chance of selecting the same space, it is advised students log in at the same time to pick the open spaces together.

Residence Life and Housing cannot hold beds while students wait for a friend to pick the remaining spaces in a suite later.

The Waitlist Request option allows students to be put on a “waiting list” for their preferred suite style(s) should they not be able to select one during the room selection process. The Waitlist is ordered by date and time of submission.  Students can submit a waitlist via their housing portal. It is important to note that there are no guarantees.

When completing the request, students should list the room type they desire. If the student has preferred suitemates and/or roommate matches, they should list the student names in the comments.

Students cannot submit a Waitlist Request until they have a housing assignment.

All Waitlist communications are sent to PennWest student emails, so it is recommended that students check their email frequently in case they receive a Waitlist offer. Students will have a limited amount of time to respond to and accept an offer. Those who do not respond by the deadline will forfeit their place in the Waitlist queue.

The deadline for all room changes is July 13, 2025, which means that any Waitlist request not satisfied will be closed after this date.

The Residence Life and Housing team understands that the need for room changes may present itself after July 13, 2025; however, room change requests received after the start of the semester will be put on hold for the first two weeks so staff can obtain accurate occupancy numbers.

Those with room change requests should contact their residence hall staff. Students should keep in mind that while the housing team will do its best to accommodate requests, there are no guarantees.

The number listed on a student’s portal is their current place in line on the general Waitlist (not sorted by room type request). There is no way for the housing system to filter the requests into separate queues, so the Residence Life and Housing offices utilize an internal tracking system to organize requests for each style of housing in the order in which the requests were received. The number showing on the student portal will decrease if/when Waitlist requests in front of theirs are fulfilled.

There are no guarantees that a Waitlist request will be fulfilled. Space availability is based upon the most current occupancy numbers, other pending waitlist requests, and other contributing factors. The deadline for all room changes is July 13, 2025, which means that any Waitlist Request not satisfied will be closed after this date.

Students requesting a room change during the semester will need to contact their hall staff regarding their request. Typically, room changes do not occur until after the first two weeks of the semester. While there are no guarantees, staff will do their best to accommodate these requests.

Student groups of 2 or more need only submit one request on behalf of their entire group. One student should login to their housing portal and submit the request. They should make sure to list the preferred suite style(s) and all the names of their preferred suitemates.

The deadline for all room changes is July 13, 2025, which means that any Waitlist Request not satisfied will be closed after this date.

Students requesting a room change during the semester will need to contact their hall staff regarding their request. Typically, room changes do not occur until after the first two weeks of the semester. While there are no guarantees, staff will do their best to accommodate these requests.