Applications and Assignments
When new students complete their enrollment confirmation, they will note if they are residing on-campus or are exempt from the on-campus residency requirement. During the month of April and May, new students will complete an On-Campus Housing Application, details on how to complete the On-Campus Housing Application will be emailed to them.
For continuing students, materials regarding the annual room selection process are available from the Office of Residential Life in late January, early February.
Every effort is made to honor the preferences marked on the On-Campus Housing Application. However, it is not possible to guarantee that each request will be met. The following procedures will be used.
- Returning students (current residence hall students and students moving from off-campus) are given first preference to sign up for fall housing accommodations during a spring semester sign-up period.
- New students (incoming freshmen, transfers, readmits, and those continuing students who failed to apply for a room during the special sign-up period) are assigned to the remaining spaces based on the following criteria.
- The date the completed Enrollment Agreement is received.
- Roommate preference. (Requests must be mutual; roommate preference takes priority over building preference).
- Hall and/or room preferences.
The main halls that our first-year students reside in are Lankenau and Brandt. Each hall has the same room layout, however, Brandt hall has movable furniture and carpet, while Lankenau has built-in furniture and sinks in the rooms.
Transfer students are placed with their class cohort. Upper-class students generally reside in Beacon Hall, Guild/Memorial Hall, and Wehrenberg Hall. There is limited availability in the Promenade Apartments. We try our best to place residents based on preference and hall availability.
Mutual requests for specific roommates are honored when possible. Otherwise, roommates are assigned using the information supplied on the On-Campus Housing Application.
Students can request specific individuals as their roommate. To select a roommate, students log into their Housing Self-Service (via DataVU), and click on “Select Roommates” under the “Room Selection” tab. Students can then type in a specific name or search for a roommate based on living preferences. Each request then must be accepted by the other person. First-year students can only select one roommate since all first-year spaces only hold two students.
Room assignments are made without regard to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or national or ethnic origin.
Notices of room assignments are emailed to incoming students in early June for students who have priority housing, students who do not complete their application by the priority deadline will receive their housing assignment mid-July. Along with your assignment, you will receive the name, email address, and phone number of your roommate and information on check-in procedures.
Returning students will receive a confirmation of their room assignment in mid-July.
Room changes are allowed approximately two weeks after the start of each semester. To request a different room, students must complete a Room Change Request Form, available in Housing Self-Service.
Room Consolidation is a process that operates under the premise that residents paying for double occupancy are to reside in double accommodations. The process occurs in the first eight weeks of each semester (except for noncom change periods). The process provides residents in unpaid single rooms the option of (1) voluntarily accepting a roommate, (2) voluntarily moving to another double room accommodation, (3) being reassigned to a double occupancy configuration by Residential Life, or (4) signing for and accepting the additional cost of a single room, rather than consolidating.
Those students who do not comply with the process, refuse to accept a roommate, or refuse to move according to the policy are subject to disciplinary action and/or fines.
A limited number of single rooms are available. Most singles are assigned to continuing residents through our room selection process. Demand usually exceeds supply. Indicating a preference for a single room on the New Student On-Campus Housing Application does not guarantee the request will be granted. Students who are granted a single room will be sent confirmation by Residential Life; all others will be assigned double rooms and placed on a single-room waiting list.
Limited singles will be available for Freshmen. Space availability is one reason, but more importantly, we feel it is critical for new students to have roommates for support and assistance during the first-year experience. Studies have shown that students having a roommate develop better interpersonal/social and coping skills during their first year when compared to students without roommates. In addition, studies show that first-year students with roommates get better grades, are less likely to withdraw, and generally report to be more satisfied with the college experience.
If you have a Housing Special/Medical Accommodation or Access and Accommodations Resource Center Accommodation (AARC), contact our office as soon as possible for further instructions regarding your accommodation.
AARC forms are available here.
The University has a six-semester residency requirement. Once a student has lived on campus for six-semesters or more, they are considered eligible to be given an exemption from the University’s housing requirement. Certain off-campus academic programs (such as study abroad) would count toward this six-semester requirement.
Exceptions are:
- A student who has completed six (6) semesters of residency in campus housing.
- A student who lives exclusively in the permanent or primary residence of a parent or legal guardian within 25 miles of the Valparaiso University campus.
- A student who is or will be 22-years of age by September 1 of the applicable academic year.
- A student that is married.
- A student that is a parent of a minor child with whom they will live.
- A student that is a veteran of active duty with the United States Armed Forces.
- A student is an active member of a Valparaiso University fraternity and living in recognized Fraternity housing.
- Those having received an exemption through Residential Life.
For the fall semester, the residence halls open at 8 am on the Saturday before classes start for all NEW Valparaiso University students. Upon arrival, you will need to check-in at your residence hall’s front desk.
Returning Valpo students may check into their residence hall beginning at 9am on the Sunday before classes and students may continue to check in until 10 pm. If for any reason a student will be checking in later than the evening before the first day of classes, they should contact Residential Life to make arrangements for a late check-in.
Students arriving for the spring semester may move-in beginning at noon CDT on the Sunday before classes begin.
Break housing will be offered to international students and other residents who meet certain criteria. Break housing is typically provided in Wehrenberg and Alumni Halls (subject to change). All other residences close for vacation periods and academic breaks. This includes Thanksgiving break, semester break, and the spring term recess. Students who anticipate a need for housing over break periods may wish to pursue an assignment in the aforementioned areas. Students must meet certain eligibility criteria in order to stay on campus over vacation periods and must apply for housing prior to each break.
The university Housing Agreement is for one academic year. The University has a six-semester residency requirement. Once a student has lived on campus for six-semesters or more, they are considered eligible to be given an exemption from the University’s housing requirement. Certain off-campus academic programs (such as study abroad) would count toward this six-semester requirement.
Exceptions are:
- A student who has completed six (6) semesters of residency in campus housing.
- A student who lives exclusively in the permanent or primary residence of a parent or legal guardian within 20 miles of the Valparaiso University campus.
- A student who is or will be 22-years of age by September 1 of the applicable academic year.
- A student that is married.
- A student that is a parent of a minor child with whom they will live.
- A student that is a veteran of active duty with the United States Armed Forces.
- A student that is an active member of a Valparaiso University fraternity and living in recognized Fraternity housing.
- Those having received an exemption through Residential Life.