Navigating University of Oregon Housing: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of Oregon (UO) provides a variety of housing options for students, ranging from traditional residence halls to family housing and university apartments. The My Housing portal serves as the central hub for all housing-related processes, including registration, room selection, and important announcements. This guide offers a detailed overview of the UO housing system, covering key aspects such as registration, room selection, move-in/move-out procedures, maintenance, and more.

Housing Options at the University of Oregon

The University of Oregon offers a diverse range of housing options to cater to the varied needs of its student population. These options include:

Residence Halls: Primarily for first-year students, residence halls offer a community-focused living experience with opportunities for social interaction and academic support.
Family Housing and University Apartments: Designed for students with families or those in domestic partnerships, these accommodations provide a more independent living environment.
Graduate Village: Specifically for graduate students, offering a community that prioritizes their unique academic and personal needs.

Registration for Housing

Eligibility and Access

Access to the My Housing portal is granted approximately four days after receiving an admission notification. It's recommended to explore communities, halls, room types, and meal plans during this time. You do not need to commit to the UO to register for housing.

Registration Groups and Timeline

The housing registration process is divided into groups to ensure a fair and organized selection process. Priority is based on the earliest registration date.

For First-Year Students:

Group 1: Register by February 28 (order determined by lottery)
Group 2: Register between March 1 and May 1 (order determined by lottery)
Group 3: Register on or after May 2 (order determined by lottery)

For Returning Students:

Returner Group 1: Register by January 23 (order determined by lottery)
Returner Group 2: Register between January 24 and February 20 (order determined by lottery)
Returner Group 3: Register on or after February 21 (order is first come, first served)

Key Dates:

December 1: Housing registration opens.
February 28: Last day to register for housing and be included in Group 1 room selection lottery.
May 1: Last day to register for housing and be included in Group 2 room selection lottery.
June 1: Last day to cancel housing registration and receive a 100 percent refund of the initial housing payment.
Mid-July: Room selection for all students.
July 31: Last day to file an exemption to the live-on requirement.

Registration Steps

Complete the registration form: Access the My Housing portal and fill out the required information.
Sign the contract and pay fees: A $50 registration fee and a $350 initial housing payment are required. The latter goes toward fall term room and board costs. Some students are eligible to defer the initial payment based on need.
Select a room: Choose a room based on the assigned room selection lottery group.
Update the registration form: Search for roommates and select a room at the designated time by logging in to the My Housing portal.

Deferring the Initial Housing Payment

Students who qualify and choose to waive their admission application fee and/or Advance Tuition fee may also choose to defer their initial University Housing payment. For those who qualify, an option to defer will be included in the online payment registration process. Deferrals have the same financial commitment as payments and must follow the same cancellation guidelines.

Room Selection

The room selection process is a crucial step in securing your preferred living space.

Room Selection Lottery: Your housing registration date determines which selection group you will be in to choose your room. You will be assigned a room selection time slot based on your registration group.
Open Room Selection: Returning students may choose any available room during the returning student room selection period.
Roommate Selection: Roommate browsing and requests opens in June. Students can request someone they already know, browse roommates that match with them based on their answers to the lifestyle questions in the housing registration, or browse roommates based on a specific lifestyle question.

Move-In Procedures

Early Arrivals

For those arriving before September 24, check-in will take place at the housing service center for your residence hall. Service center information is on the My Assignment tab in My Housing. For early arrivals, there are no designated unloading zones; there are university parking areas and city parking areas throughout campus. University Housing staff will provide access to your residence hall room upon arrival.

To receive one night of your early arrival fee waived, sign up to volunteer for Unpack the Quack!

Standard Move-In

For Thursday, September 24 and Friday, September 25:

Unloading Zone: Each residence hall has an unloading zone. The move-in map will be available on the My Housing account in September.
Unloading Your Vehicle: Unpack the Quack volunteers and support staff will assist a member of your family to unload your vehicle (only one allowed) in your unloading zone and take your belongings to a corral, if needed, where they are held until you check in. The driver must stay in the vehicle. Students who arrive alone will have volunteers unload their vehicle and bring belongings to the corral.
Parking: After your vehicle is unloaded, you or your driver will be directed to long-term parking. Shuttle vehicles are available to bring you back to campus and will be available to take you back to your vehicle.
Check-In: University Housing staff will check you in to your residence hall room.

Late Arrivals

If arriving on Friday, you are considered a late arrival. Complete and submit a Change in Arrival form on My Housing to prevent your assigned space from being canceled.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

Important Move-In Information

Unit assignments are based upon date of application and eligibility requirements and are at the sole discretion of the landlord.
Specific units are not guaranteed prior to check-in.
All check-ins take place at the Spencer View Service Center.
Schedule your check-in at least 24 hours before your arrival.
Complete required items within 24 hours of your check‑in appointment.

Move-Out Procedures

Generally, rental agreements for Family Housing and University Apartments, and Graduate Village contracts begin on your move-in date and end on June 30. There are some unique circumstances, including graduating during the academic year. For graduate check-out dates, please review your rental agreement or Graduate Village contract for detailed policies.

Maintenance and Cleaning

Non-Emergency Maintenance

Report non-emergency maintenance concerns, such as slow drains, resetting the fan timer, small leaks, and pests, by submitting a maintenance request form on My Housing.

Emergency Maintenance

Report emergency maintenance concerns, such as smoke detector malfunctions, large leaks, clogged toilets, and complete lack of hot water:

During Business Hours: Call 541-346-5263.
After Hours: Contact the on-call community assistant at 541-912-1435.
Life-Threatening Emergencies: Call 9-1-1 immediately.

Internet and Utilities

Family Housing and University Apartments applicants should contact all local utility providers regarding deposit costs, hook-up fees, and monthly estimates, as they can vary and may be substantial, especially in winter months. Check your community to best understand what is included and what you will be responsible for.

Documents and Forms

From time to time there may be a form we need you to submit to keep our records accurate, request a change in address, or cancel your contract. Please see a complete list of forms in this section and follow the instructions on the forms to submit to University Housing. If you need assistance completing a form we would be happy to accommodate.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

Additional Information for Specific Student Groups

First-Year Students

First-year students at the University of Oregon live in the residence halls.
First-time, full-time freshmen from the US have higher GPAs, higher retention rates, higher graduation rates, and faster graduation times when they spend their first academic year living in University Housing at the University of Oregon.
All first-time, full-time students coming to UO directly from high school who have completed their residence hall registration will have a University Housing living space.

Returning, Transfer, and International Students

Non-first-year students (which would include returning, transfer, exchange, and visiting students) starting at the UO this fall and looking to live on campus are invited to register for housing.
Spaces for non-first-time full-time students will be limited.
There will be an interest wait list if capacity is reached.
The interest wait list will be used as spaces become available, with priority based on earliest registration date.
Those who have not been offered a residence hall assignment by August 15 will be asked if they would like to remain on the list.
For non-first-year students looking to live off campus, visit the Office of the Dean of Students’ off-campus living web page to find a unit near campus.

Students with Families or Partners

Family housing and university apartments offer wonderful environments suited for students with children or students who are married or in a domestic partnership.

Graduate Students

While graduate students are welcome to live in the residence halls, our Graduate Village prioritizes graduate students.
We provide a warm, diverse, academic community where everyone can thrive.

Living on Campus: Benefits and Considerations

Living on campus offers numerous advantages:

Community and Connections: Living on campus is a great way to make friends and get involved.
Academic Success: First-year full-time students who live on campus have higher GPAs, stay in school in higher numbers, and graduate faster.
Support Services: Living on campus connects you to services that support you as you transition to college life.

Academic Residential Communities (ARCs) and Residential Communities (RCs)

Students in an RC must live in the building where the RC is located with roommates who are members of the same RC.
Students in an ARC must live in the building where the ARC is located. We encourage ARC students to room with others who are also in the ARC to strengthen their connection to their community. However, if students are unable to find a good roommate fit within the first two weeks of roommate browsing, they will then have the opportunity to search for non-ARC roommates.

tags: #university #of #oregon #housing #portal