Don't Stress. You've Got This.
Not sure about your housing choices or what might be the best fit for you? Many students feel pressured to sign leases for next year’s housing early in the fall semester, so we want to provide information about your available options. We don’t want you to be stressed about housing!
What's New This Year? More Flexibility
For the 2025-2026 upperclass housing process, we're giving you more flexibility and greater control over your housing application.
- The housing cancellation deadline for all on-Grounds applications is now March 31.
- While the standard application will close earlier, there’s less pressure because you can continue making changes to your roommate groups after the application deadline.
- Instead of assigning one timeslot per roommate group, every on-Grounds housing applicant will receive a room selection timeslot. Any group member can select rooms for their group – so the student with the earliest timeslot can choose for all group members!
- All group sizes (not just large ones) have an opportunity to select rooms in any of the apartment-style housing areas.
- You will have control of your roommate group and can make any changes you like during the room selection process, including splitting into smaller groups.
Virtual Information Sessions
Room Selection Virtual Q&A Sessions
Our virtual housing sessions return in January, with a Q&A series designed to help you though the room selection phase of the housing application process!
Room Selection Q&A sessions will be held during this phase as follows:
Wednesday, January 8, 2-3 p.m.
Friday, January 17, 2-3 p.m.
Thursday, January 23, 2-3 p.m.
Wednesday, January 29, 2-3 p.m.
Tuesday, February 4, 2-3 p.m.
No reservation is required—simply join Assistant Director Countess Hughes on Zoom during any of the times above. We look forward to helping you select the housing that is best for your situation!
Topics Covered in Fall 2024 Virtual Housing Sessions
Were you unable to attend our Fall 2024 virtual housing information sessions?
Watch the presentation videos we shared during our Fall 2024 virtual housing information sessions (below). And feel free to email us with housing questions at housing@virginia.edu.
On-Grounds Housing Benefits
On-Grounds housing benefits include:
- Online apartment or room selection: Browse online to choose the apartment or room you want. Even after you apply for on-Grounds housing, you are not committed until you select a space and accept the agreement.
- Apply as a group or individually. See Order for Housing Application Phases, below.
- After you move in, you can use our online room change system to select a different room (as available), or to swap with another student.
- Greater flexibility: Students who study abroad for one semester or become an RA are released from the housing agreement at no charge.
- Easy finances: There’s no security deposit, furniture and utilities are included, and charges are billed through your SIS account.
- Electronic access: Your University ID card is your room key.
Learn more
Order for Housing Application Phases
Students select on-Grounds housing in phases. The order for these phases allows upperclass students living on Grounds who want to return to the same housing area to apply for their housing first.*
Next, we hope to provide rising second-years with the best opportunity to live on Grounds if they wish. The general order of housing application phases is below. If you have questions about where you may fit in the selection order, please email housing@virginia.edu.
- Current on-Grounds residents returning to the same upperclass housing area*
- Residential college and language house application and selection process
- Rising second-year students
- Rising third- and fourth-year students who live on Grounds in 2024-2025
- All students who do not yet have housing
* the same area option may be phased out after this year (under consideration for the 2026-2027 application process)