New Undergraduate Students

Congratulations and welcome to UMBC! Below, you will find information on the steps you need to complete in order to successfully apply for on campus housing. Be sure to review the information below so that you are fully prepared when you arrive at UMBC.

If you are a current UMBC student please visit our currently enrolled UMBC student page for information about housing deadlines.

First-Year Communities

Most students begin their experience living on campus in one of our residence hall communities, while students who apply to and are accepted to one of our Living-Learning Communities may be assigned to a suite-style community.

First-year students typically live in shared (double/triple) bedrooms. Single room options in our halls and suites are very limited. Single rooms are prioritized for those with approved medical accommodations and upperclass students. Newly admitted freshmen can expect to have at least 1 direct roommate and 2 indirect roommates.

Transfer Communities

Transfer students may have the option to live in our residence halls, suites, or apartments depending on their number of completed credits at the time of application/assignment and availability of space.

  • Students must have 30 completed credits to be eligible for Residential Life suites.
  • Students generally have 50 completed credits to be considered for Residential Life apartments.
  • Students must have 39 completed credits to be considered for Walker Avenue Apartments.

Specialized Programs & Housing Communities

Some UMBC programs have specific on-campus housing requirements or placement considerations that support students’ academic, co-curricular, or community-based experiences. If you are a participant in one of the following programs, your housing assignment may be determined or influenced by program expectations:

  • Varsity Athletics
  • Meyerhoff Scholars Program
  • Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) & Cyber Scholars Program
  • Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program
  • Linehan Scholars Program
  • Humanities Scholars Program
  • Honors College

Students in these programs may be required to live on campus or placed in designated residential communities aligned with their program. If you are unsure how your program participation may affect your housing options, we encourage you to connect with your program staff and Residential Life before completing the housing process.

Explore Our Communities

Housing Application Process

Housing & Meal Plan Rates

Housing Procedures

This process begins before you arrive for orientation and continues until you receive your confirmation email with your room assignment, your roommates, and their contact information as well as information about move-in day.

The application assists in the assignment, contracting, roommate matching, and room assignment or selection process. The housing application in the portal is comprised of multiple steps and stages. Each step of the application is available at different points in the year.

Apply for Housing

To access the application, students should log into the housing portal using their myUMBC username and password. Be sure to upgrade your UMBC account first before attempting to access the housing portal.

Step 1

The Interest Application & Questionnaire is the first step for all students interested in living on campus. The application assists in the assignment, roommate matching, and waitlist process, so students should make sure they complete this application honestly and accurately.

As part of the application students will be asked to:

The application will open for Fall admits on February 1 and for Spring admits on October 1.

Depending on timing, once a student has completed the initial application they will either be permitted to complete the housing contract and reservation fee payment (Step 2) or added to the housing waitlist.

Step 2

UMBC does not have a residency requirement, and as a result housing is not guaranteed for all students.  On-campus housing is only guaranteed for students who finalize their application by submitting both the housing contract and submit the reservation fee payment.

There are open contracting periods, during which students will see the Interest Application & Questionnaire, Housing Contract, and Reservation Fee Payment steps in the housing portal:

  • Academic Year Housing (Fall & Spring): February 1 to May 1, or when the first 1500 new students complete housing contracts.
  • Spring Only Housing: October 1 to December 15

If a student is unable to apply during the open contracting period they will be added to the housing waitlist and issued access to complete the housing contract and reservation fee, if and when space becomes available.

Before completing the Housing Contract and Reservation Fee, it is important to note:

  • With the exception of students who are contracting for just the Spring semester, the term of the contract is for the entire academic year, both Fall & Spring semesters.
  • Students who are under the age of 18 when they complete the contract will be instructed to have a parent/guardian proxy acknowledge the contract through the Housing Portal.
  • Students must pay a $200 housing reservation fee in order to be assigned to housing; this is not the same as the Admissions/Enrollment or Orientation Deposit.
  • The housing reservation fee is mandatory. Students with significant financial need are welcome contact Residential Life prior to their application deadline.
  • Payment must be in the form of Credit Card or ACH. Students cannot use financial aid to pay the reservation fee.
  • The reservation fee money will be applied as a credit toward your first housing bill.
  • Students that finalize a contract and change their mind or cancel their assignment will be assessed a cancellation fee.

Once the Housing Contract (License) and Reservation Fee are received, the student’s application status is considered Finalized and the student can be assigned to housing.

Step 3

Roommate formation is only available to students with a Finalized application prior to June 15.  

Students will receive specific instructions for requesting a roommate in the housing portal.

Incoming undergraduate students joining housing for the academic year can request one (1) or three (3) preferred roommates who is also an incoming undergraduate student.  Students who form a group of 3, rather than a group of 2 or 4, will only be assigned together in our triple bedroom room types as space permits.

Students who do not request a specific roommate will be assigned one by the Residential Life Staff.  Roommate assignments are made using information provided in the interest housing application.

Benefits of Forming a Group

  1. You know who you will be living with for the upcoming year.
  2. If your selection time is in conflict with your schedule, another member of your group can pick your room.

Roommate Group Requirements

  • You may form groups of 2 or 4.
  • You can only form a roommate groups with those students who have completed the same application as yourself (Walker Avenue or Residential Life).
  • Due to the different housing selection cycles, new students are not able to request current students as roommates.
  • Groups that do not meet size requirements and those with students who did not finalize their housing license will be considered incomplete, and may be split into individual groups of 1. 

How to Form a Roommate Group

Students interested in forming groups, should do so in the housing portal.

Roommate Search Function

The Roommate Module in the housing portal allows you to search profiles of students with the same sex assigned at birth and same approved application and housing license type (Walker Avenue or Residential Life). You can filter based on sleep habits, room condition, allergies, and more to find a match.

Gender Inclusive Group Formation 

In order to form a Gender Inclusive Group and find other students who want to live in Gender Inclusive Housing, you must indicate interested and commitment to Gender Inclusive Housing on your Housing Application.

an request one (1) or three (3) preferred roommates who is also an incoming undergraduate student.  Students who form a group of 3, rather than a group of 2 or 4, will only be assigned together in our triple bedroom room types as space permits.

Step 4

Room selection is only available to students with a Finalized application prior to June 20.

Students who elect not to participate in room selection will be assigned to housing by Residential Life staff. Housing Assignments are made utilizing the students housing application preferences and eligibility criteria.While we try to honor students’ preference we cannot guarantee that a student will be assigned to a specific building or room.  Within our co-ed communities, students are assigned to rooms, suites and/or apartments with roommates of the same biological sex, unless the student has expressed interest in Gender Inclusive Housing.

Newly admitted students should expect to receive their assignment and roommate information in mid-July or mid-January via their UMBC email.

Important Dates & Resources

Housing Application Available February 1
Open Contracting Period** February 1 – May 1
Living Learning Community Application Best Consideration Deadline May 1
Roommate Formation May 16 – June 15
Room Selection June 23, 2026- June 26, 2026
Room & Roommate Information Available July 15

** Applicants that complete their housing application, electronically submit the housing contract, and pay the $200 Reservation Fee payment are guaranteed on-campus housing.  The open contracting period will close on May 1 at 11:59 p.m. or when the first 1500 new students finalize their applications, whichever comes sooner.

Housing Application Available October 1
Open Contracting Period** October 1 – December 15
Room & Roommate Information Available January 15

**Applicants that complete their housing application, electronic submit the housing contract, and submit the $200 Reservation Fee payment are guaranteed on-campus housing.  The open contracting period will close on December 15 at 11:59 p.m.

Upcoming Information Sessions

The virtual sessions are welcome to students and families.

Residential Life partners with Undergraduate Admissions and will participate in following Admissions events:

Resources

Explore Our Communities

Apply on the Housing Portal

UMBC Packing List

New Student Move-In

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information about and frequently asked questions regarding the housing application, reservation fees, assignments, and waitlist can be found at https://reslife.umbc.edu/apply/.

Most newly admitted first-year students will live in our residence halls, unless they are accepted into a Living Learning Community that is housed in a suite community.

Transfer students may have the option to live in our residence halls, suites, or apartments  depending on their number of completed credits at the time of application/assignment and availability of space.

Yes.  All of our communities and most floor are co-ed.  Whereas, bedrooms, suites, and apartments are same-sex.

Student interested in living in a Gender Inclusive bedroom, suite or apartment should indicate interest on their housing application.

Student interested in living on a same-sex floor should indicate interest on their housing application.

Residents are responsible for the cleanliness of individual rooms, suite common rooms,  bathrooms and kitchens in apartments. Health and safety inspections occur twice a semester.  UMBC housekeeping staff are responsible for study lounges, residence hall lobbies, community bathrooms, laundry rooms, hallways and stairwells.  Concerns regarding housekeeping issues should be directed to Residential Life Facilities at 410-455-3948.

We encourage students to review the Packing List for a list of provided, recommended items to bring, and prohibited items.

Guests are permitted. Learn more about guest policies.

Due to camps, conferences, and summer programs we are unable to allow students to view their specific room. We encourage students to reach out to Admissions about opportunities to join a Black & Gold tour, or to view images and floor plans at https://reslife.umbc.edu/communities/

Due to the high demand for housing, we are unable to honor any room/roommate change requests prior to the start of the semester.  Please keep in mind that during the first two (2) weeks of each semester, room changes are not permitted.  Room Freezes allow Residential Life to “take attendance,” move any students out of their temporary assignments, and place students on the waitlist.