Class year and lottery numbers are used in each process to determine the order in which students select or are assigned to rooms. All students should confirm their lottery number below:
Class year and lottery numbers are key factors in housing selection.
Class year is determined by the student’s college entry year, not course credits.
Lottery numbers are randomly computer-generated.
Lottery numbers are non-transferable; they cannot be traded, sold, exchanged, or given to other students.
Students with holds may be unable to participate in the housing lottery and should consult with Student Financial Services.
The combination of class year and lottery number dictates the selection order in each housing process.
Example - A student in the class of 2026 with lottery number 870 has priority of a student in the class of 2027 with lottery number 46.
Roommates and Anchors
There are a very limited number of single rooms in upper-class housing, and students should be prepared to have a roommate. Students are responsible for finding potential roommates prior to housing selection and general lottery.
Anchor Selection and Roommate Groups:
The Anchor (sometimes known as Group Leader) is the individual within a roommate group, suite, or apartment application who assumes the responsibility of selecting housing for the entire group. Once the roommate group is set up, the Anchor/Group Leader will have the authority to assign all members to their respective beds within the room, suite, or apartment.
We strongly recommend that the Anchor/Group Leader be the individual with the highest class year and the lowest lottery number in the group.
All students are required to login to StarRez to complete their contact and ensure they are accepted into their intended roommate group.
Room Occupancy
All rooms chosen in the housing process must be occupied to full capacity. Students cannot select a double or triple occupancy room without having a roommate group matching that size space (two roommates for double, or three roommates for triple).
A student without a roommate cannot choose a double occupancy room. Double and triple rooms will not be shown or available on StarRez unless students have a confirmed roommate group.
Students who do not have a roommate prior and cannot fill a room or do not participate in any of the housing selection processes will be assigned a room by the Residence Life Staff.
Residence Life reserves the right to adjust room capacities and other restrictions as needed throughout the process. This could include changing the number of people assigned to a room.
Unless a designated single room is selected during a housing lottery process, all students should anticipate having a roommate.
StarRez Housing Software
All housing selection processes will be facilitated through the StarRez platform. StarRez is an online housing database where students will apply for housing using their Ursinus Single Sign-On credentials.
Students seeking housing can log into StarRez at any time to review their personal details and emergency/missing contact information. Any updates to this information should be made via the Student Portal which will be reflected in StarRez. Once that information is verified, students will have access to each housing selection application.
Roommate Information for StarRez:
In order to select housing on behalf of yourself and your roommates and suitemates, students must be part of a Roommate Group in StarRez.
The designated Anchor of the group (also referred to as the “Group Leader” in StarRez) should initiate the creation of the roommate group in StarRez.
We recommend the Anchor be the person in your group with the highest class year and lowest lottery number.
All other students should accept the invitation to join this roommate group. The Group Leader will generate a unique username and password, which must be shared with all group members for enrollment.
Once the roommate group is established, the Anchor/Group Leader will have the authority to assign all members to their respective beds within the room, suite, or apartment.
Time Slots:
Time slots are assigned through StarRez go in class year and lottery order.
Students will be assigned a designated time slot to select their housing assignment, which will be available to view under the Housing Application Selection page in StarRez. See below for an example:
RA Hall Meetings are happening between February 24-March 7. Your RA will reach out with more information on when and where your hall meeting is happening.
Fall Housing Information Sessions
Thursday, February 27 7:15 & 8:15 PM
Mandatory Event Housing Meeting in Olin Aud
Cluster & General Info in Musser Aud
Wednesday, April 9 12:00 p.m. in Musser Aud
Class of 2028 Lottery Info Session
Residence Life Housing Office Hours
Residence Life Housing Office Hours will begin the week of February 24.
Day of the Week
Time
Staff Member
Monday
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Leyna Gilleland
Tuesday
3:30 - 4:30 PM
Ebonish Lamar
Wednesday
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Sami Litchert
Thursday
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Naz’hae Singleton
Housing Office Hours will take place in the Student Affairs Suite in Upper Wismer.
Housing Applications for Fall 2025
Event Space Lotteries
Application Opens
Application Due
Lotteries Begin
March 7, 2025
March 18, 2025
March 19, 2025
Event Space Lotteries
All Main Street Village and Reimert event spaces will be allocated through the Event Space Lottery.
Main Street Village Event Lottery and Reimert Lottery are distinct selection processes, but both use the same application within StarRez.
Groups participating in the Event Space Lotteries must complete the Event Space Application by Tuesday, March 18, at 1:00 p.m. Application acceptance will be determined based on meeting all eligibility requirements, and groups will be notified the same day if they are accepted.
Students in accepted groups commit to residing in their Event Spaces for the 2025-2026 Academic Year. Students who participate in Event Space Lotteries will forfeit the opportunity to participate in any other Housing Selection process.
MSV Event Space Lottery will open on Friday, March 21.
The Anchor has until Saturday, March 22, at 5:00 p.m. to select rooms for their roommate group.
Once an application is accepted, the Main Street Village Event Space group assignment is final.
If a group is unable to select a room during the lottery, Residence Life staff will assign rooms during the Cluster housing process.
Reimert Suite Lottery:
Reimert Event Space Lottery will open on Wednesday, March 19.
The Anchor has until Thursday, March 20 at 5:00 p.m. to select a suite on behalf of the roommate group through StarRez.
Once accepted, the Reimert Event Space group assignment is final.
Reimert groups must consist of 8 students who will live in 4 double rooms as well as two alternates who commit to relocating to Reimert if the suite cannot remain filled.
Suites must remain fully occupied throughout the academic year; failure to do so results in ineligibility for participation in the Event Space Lottery the following year.
Full details, requirements, and procedures are outlined in the application.
If a group is unable to select a room during the lottery, Residence Life staff will assign rooms during the Cluster housing process.
Singles will not be available for selection through this process unless there is an ODA approved medical accommodation in place.
Suite & Apartment Lottery
Application Opens
Application Due
Suite/Apartment Lottery
March 7, 2025
March 18, 2025
March 21, 2025
The Suite & Apartment Lottery is ideal for students who are specifically interested in residing in a suite in New, North, or Richter Hall, or living in an apartment at 201 9th Avenue. Students will apply as a group for either a suite or an apartment, depending on the number of students in their roommate group.
Suite & Apartment Lottery Applications are due by Tuesday, March 18, at 1:00 p.m.
Application acceptance will be determined based on anchor lottery number and number of suites available. Groups will be notified the same day if they are accepted. If a group is not accepted, they will be placed together during the Cluster Housing process by Residence Life staff.
Students in accepted groups commit to residing in their Suites/Apartments the 2025-2026 Academic Year. Students who participate in the Suite/Apartment Lotteries will forfeit the opportunity to participate in any other Housing Selection process.
The chart below shows the number and type of suites or apartments available in each building, including the breakdown of bedrooms in each:
Location Name
Groups of 2 (2 single rooms)
Groups of 4 (2 single rooms, 1 double room)
Groups of 5 (1 single room, 2 double rooms)
New Hall
0
0
4 (104, 204, 304, 404)
North Hall
0
4 (037, 137, 237, 337)
0
Richter Hall
0
3 (105, 205, 305)
1 (002)
201 9th Ave Apartments
1 (apartment 2)
2 (apartment 3 & apartment 4)
0
Cluster Housing
Application Opens
Application Due
Assignments Sent Out
March 7, 2025
March 18, 2025
March 24, 2025
This popular option is best for students looking to live in close proximity, where who you live near is more important than location or specific building.
Eligible groups of 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 students can apply.
Only groups with Anchors with approved medical accommodations for a single are eligible to apply for cluster groups of 3, 5, and 7.
Applications with requests for more than one single room will not be accepted.
Space for groups of 7 and 8 is extremely limited.
Groups of 8 will be placed in Reimert if there are still open suites after the Reimert lottery.
Applications cannot request room configurations outside the provided options.
Cluster Applications must include:
Clearly state who will be roommates with whom within the group.
Clarification of who is living in a single room (if applicable).
While preferences for communities and houses are considered, they are not guaranteed. It is recommended that applicants be willing to live in a wide range of communities and houses to increase their chance of acceptance.
Accepted cluster groups will be manually assigned rooms by the Office of Residence Life staff based on class year, lottery number, and housing availability. Placement is not guaranteed, and cluster applicants not accepted or with limited preferences on where they would live may be released back into the general housing lottery. Applications are due Tuesday, March 18 at 1p.m.
Clusters of 3: One double room and one single room.
Anchor must have an approved single room accommodation.
Clusters of 4: Two double rooms.
Clusters of 5: Two double rooms and one single room.
Anchor must have an approved single room accommodation.
Clusters of 6: Three double rooms.
Clusters of 7: Three double rooms and one single room.
Anchor must have an approved single room accommodation.
Limited space available.
Clusters of 8: One Reimert suite of four double rooms.
Limited space for this option.
The Cluster Housing Application should be completed by the entire group, with the Anchor/Group Leader submitting the final application through StarRez. Applicants are encouraged to consider a variety of communities and houses to enhance their chances of acceptance.
Applicants will receive confirmations on Monday, March 24. Students who are successfully placed in housing via the Cluster Housing process forfeit their ability to participate in any other selection processes. This process completes a student’s housing selection for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
Review the residence hall floor plans to learn more about the specific room configuration options in the Main Street Village, Reimert, Richter/North, and New Hall.
Interest/Identity Housing
Application Opens
Application Due
I&I Assignments Sent Out
March 17, 2025
March 21, 2025
March 24, 2025
Interest Housing
Interest housing provides a theme-based, vibrant community option for students to live with people who share their interests and passions. Interest communities receive funds for events related to the community theme. All Interest Housing rooms and restrooms are gender inclusive.
Interest Communities for 2025-2026 include Clubs and Intermural Sports House
Complete the Interest Housing Application Applications open on Monday, March 17 and are due Friday, March 21 at 1 p.m.
Accepted applicants will be manually assigned rooms by the Office of Residence Life staff based on class year, lottery number, and room availability in the Interest Community’s assigned house.
Interest Communities are each assigned a Main Street Village house based on the number of applicants for each unique community. Specific houses are not guaranteed and are subject to change.
Students accepted and placed through the Interest Housing Application will forfeit the opportunity to participate in any other Housing Selection process. This process completes a student’s housing selection for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
Identity Housing
Identity Housing offers students the opportunity to live in community with peers who self-identify with a unique cultural group on campus. Identity House communities receive funds for events related to the community identity. All Identity Housing rooms and restrooms are gender inclusive.
Identity Communities for 2025-2026 are Hillel House, Queer House, the Community of Diverse Excellence (CODE House), and AAPI House.
Complete the Identity Housing Application Applications open on Monday, March 17 and are due Friday, March 21 at 1 p.m.
Accepted applicants will be manually assigned rooms by the Office of Residence Life staff based on class year, lottery number, and room availability in the Identity Community’s assigned house.
Identity Communities are each assigned a Main Street Village house based on the number of applicants for each unique community. Specific houses are not guaranteed and are subject to change.
Students accepted and placed through the Identity Housing Application will forfeit the opportunity to participate in any other Housing Selection process. This process completes a student’s housing selection for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
General Lottery
DATE
LOTTERY PARTICIPANTS
Monday, April 7
Class of 2026
Thursday, April 10
Class of 2027
Wednesday, April 16
Class of 2028
General Lottery is the housing selection process during which students who have not participated in another housing selection process will choose rooms. Lottery processes will feature a mixture of available rooms that remain in upperclassmen residence halls.
Students must be able to fill a room to select a room at lottery. In other words, if you are trying to select a bed in a double (2) room, you must be in a roommate group of two (2). Students can use the Roommate Match feature on the StarRez website to help solidify a roommate pair for the academic year! Students participating in the General Lotteries should expect to have a roommate.
Before your lottery:
Tour Main Street Village to learn more about the Residential Village. If you aren’t sure what buildings you prefer or haven’t seen the houses, now is your chance! Residence Life staff will provide opportunities to see select houses and rooms during Main Street Village Tours. Houses have a variety of features, gender designations, and other amenity information which is also viewable on the Residential Village page. Please continue to check your Ursinus email for more updates on tour information.
Open rooms will be available to view on StarRez prior to selection being open.
Your lottery time grants you access to select a room. You do not lose access to selecting a room until the lottery closes, 48 hours after the last person’s timeslot. If you have an emergency situation that prevents you from accessing the lottery for the entirety of the lottery, please email Residence Life.
If you cannot attend the lottery, you can request a proxy. A proxy is another person in your roommate group who is able to select a room during your assigned lottery time, that you can change to Group Leader in StarRez. Assigning a proxy will not impact your selection time.
Students should check their StarRez portals to view their specific date and time to select a room through their lottery. For application-based processes, students must follow all timeline details and be accepted to that process in order to participate. This will also determine the date and time of students’ housing selection.
Ensure your eligibility to participate in lottery by taking care of holds on your student account now.
5th year senior housing
We welcome all 5th year seniors to participate in the Class of 2026 Lottery, or one of the other housing selection processes. We do not guarantee specific locations or room types for 5th year seniors.
Off-Campus and Commuter Status
All students are guaranteed housing for all four years of their time at Ursinus. Since Fall 2018, Ursinus adopted on-campus residency requirement, meaning students must live on-campus for all four years. Off-Campus status is for students living independently off-campus, not in the residence halls. Commuter Status is for students living at and commuting from their parent and/or legal guardian’s home.
Meet with Financial Aid to determine how a change of residency status may impact your aid package.
Understand that off-campus and commuter students are not eligible for an on-campus mailbox.
If approved for Off-Campus or Commuter status, Residence Life will receive a letter from Student Financial Services and update your account accordingly.
Students with a residency status of off-campus or commuter may not participate in housing selection.
Residential Accommodations
ODA works closely with campus partners across the college to ensure an accessible experience for all members of our community. However, we recognized that there are some incidences in which individuals need additional residential accommodations. To make such a request applicants must complete the following steps.
General Residential Accommodations:
Examples of general residential accommodations include but are not limited to wheelchair accessible rooms, air conditioning, a floor with no Emotional Support Animals (ESA), a room with no rug, first floor/elevator access, wheelchair accessible housing, and bathroom proximity needs.
All requests/ Bear Accessibility applications for general residential accommodations must be accompanied by a completed healthcare provider form.
The healthcare provider form must include the student’s diagnosis, their functional impacts, the recommended accommodation(s), and how the recommendation addresses the functional impacts.
All requests/Bear Accessibility applications for a single room must be accompanied by a completed healthcare provider form
The healthcare provider form must include the student’s diagnosis, their functional impacts, the recommended accommodation(s), and how the recommendation addresses the functional impacts.
Specifically for single room requests, healthcare providers must provide their perspective on the potential effects of isolation on disability-related impacts and information about frequency of counseling, support networks, and coping strategies. It is essential that all information provided is accurate to ensure appropriate placement.
All single room requests will be reviewed on an individual basis by the Housing Accommodations Review Committee. The committee is comprised of representatives from the Office of Disability and Accessibility, Residential Life, Institute for Student Success, and Wellness Center.
Single room requests are evaluated on a rolling basis. Individuals who are approved will be contacted via their Ursinus email account and will be assigned an immediate move-in date or will receive information about next steps.
Ursinus College makes every effort, through our holistic approach, to accommodate students’ disabilities. However, there are incidents in which we will not be able to meet housing preferences. The availability of single housing accommodation is limited and will be assigned on a case-by-case basis.
Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee singles rooms for every student who applies. We understand individual needs and encourage students to work with Residence Life and the Office of Disability and Access to manage impacts and engage in other supports.
Students are welcome to reapply at any time throughout their time at Ursinus.
Important Policies
Air Conditioners: Reimert, Richter/North Hall, New Hall, 777 Main, Cloake, Elliott, Musser, and Wicks have central air. Window units are prohibited in these halls. If you require a window unit, you must choose another housing option.
All Selections are Final: Once you select a room/suite or are administratively placed during a housing selection process, you may not participate in any other part of these processes and your assignment is final. This includes Event Space Lottery, Suite/Apartment Lottery, Interest/Identity Housing, Cluster Housing, and all other lottery processes. Students may not make changes during or after a lottery process, or during the first two weeks of a semester.
Communication of Intent: Students who have not selected a room or confirmed an intention to live on campus for the 2025-2026 Academic Year in writing by May 15. 2025 will be assigned a room with a roommate by Residence Life Staff prior to arrival in August 2025.
Consolidation: Residence Life reserves the right to reassign and/or consolidate students to address housing needs. Students in rooms with vacancies may be relocated or assigned a roommate at any time.
Floor Plans: Floor plans are available on the website by logging in with your Ursinus username and password. Students should consider room types, sizes, locations, and configurations prior to housing selection.
Gender Inclusive Housing: Gender inclusive housing means that students of any gender identity or expression may occupy the same room and use any restroom. Interest and Identity communities, Todd Hall, Zwingli Hall, Reimert Hall, Richter/North Hall, & New Hall are designated as gender inclusive for the 2025-2026 academic year. Students seeking other gender inclusive accommodations may contact Residence Life staff for assistance.
Non-Event Floors and Houses: Students who choose non-event floors/houses commit to 24-hour courtesy hours as described in the Student Handbook. These locations may not register social events.
Room Cancellation Fee: Students who choose a room during this process and later decide not to live on campus will be charged a $500 cancellation fee.
Room Occupancy Requirements: All rooms/suites selected in the housing process must be filled to full occupancy. Students should expect to have a roommate unless they select a designated single. Residence Life reserves the right to change room capacities and other restrictions throughout the process based on needs. Students who do not select a roommate prior to the end of the general lotteries and cannot fill a room will be assigned a room by Residence Life Staff.
Student Handbook Policies: All students living in residence halls must abide by Student Handbook policies.
Students Studying Abroad/Away in Fall 2025: Students who plan to study abroad or away for the Fall 2025 semester are not eligible to select housing at this time. Students returning to campus for the Spring semester will be assigned a placement by Residence Life staff prior to their arrival in January 2026.
Unauthorized Room Changes and misrepresentation during housing selection: Any student involved in an unauthorized room change or violation of housing selection processes may forfeit their lottery selection, be fined $100, or administratively relocated. A second offense may result in a $500 fine, relocation, and the inability to participate in next year’s Lottery Process. Any room change made without the written permission of Residence Life staff will be considered an unauthorized room change.
Residence Life Placements
Students that do no secure a room during housing selection or do not engage in any of the housing selection processes will be administratively placed by Residence Life Staff. The College guarantees housing for all students for all four years, a commitment Residence Life takes very seriously, and all students will have housing assignments prior to their arrival on campus for the Fall Semester. Residence Life will attempt to accommodate roommate requests, but urge students to participate in the above processes to guarantee specific living arrangements. Room assignments created by Residence Life Staff will be issued by May 23, 2025.
Individual within a roommate group, suite, or apartment application with the highest class year and the lowest lottery number.
Event Space:
All of Reimert Hall (except RA suites) and some houses on Main Street Village are designated places where students can host registered events, and these spaces do not commit to 24 hour courtesy hours.
StarRez:
StarRez is our online housing platform where students complete their housing application, confirm their Time Slot, and sign their housing contract.
Time Slot:
Your Time Slot is the time you are permitted to select a room in StarRez to secure a room for the 2025-2026 year. Time Slots are assigned based on lottery order - highest class year with lowest lottery number.
