Is residence hall housing guaranteed for students who enter the University in the spring semester?
No guarantee is made. However, typically most interested students can be given room assignments by the start of classes in late January. Interested students should request residence hall housing as soon as possible; new students may submit their housing requests separately from their enrollment confirmations.
All residence hall spaces are filled during the fall semester. As rooms open up for spring semester they are filled, as follows:
- 1st - New Freshman students for spring semester, whether participating in the fall semester's Freshmen Connection or not;
- 2nd - enrolled students who had been wait-listed for residence hall housing throughout the fall semester; and
- 3rd - all other applicants, including individuals enrolling as New Transfer students for spring semester.
The first written guarantees of housing for spring semester are provided to New Freshman students who were the earliest to request residence hall housing. When a written guarantee of housing cannot immediately be provided, housing applicants, including some such New Freshman students, have their names placed on a waiting list for spring semester housing. These students are provided regular housing status updates. This process of providing updates and confirming additional students as housing spaces open up through other students' move-outs continues into December and January and until about the third week of classes in February.
What are some housing options for students who enroll in Freshmen Connection?
Students who confirm their enrollment for spring semester also may consider enrolling in an optional academic experience, Freshmen Connection, during the preceding fall semester. Students enrolling in Freshmen Connection are eligible for spring housing in the residence halls, with the same priority, procedures and deadlines described above; these students are not eligible for residence hall housing during fall semester, when all such spaces are filled. View the Freshmen Connection web site to read more.
During the fall semester, students in Freshmen Connection may live at home, with friends or family in the University area, or with other students in rental housing near the campus. Several public transportation options are available, including the University's Shuttle-UM system, Metrobus and Metrorail, and local bus systems. Information about these resources, as well as information about purchasing University of Maryland parking permits, is available from the University's Department of Transportation Services.
Students in Freshmen Connection who need student housing near the campus should utilize resources of the University's Off-Campus Housing Services office. Staff in this office support students in making informed decisions about their living experience.
How would I go about searching for rental housing close to campus
The staff of the University's Off-Campus Housing Services office is available to assist you in this process. You can get personal assistance by visiting the office, 1110 Stamp Student Union, Monday-Friday 10am to 5pm or by visiting the Off-Campus Housing Services website. Resources for your use include OCH101, an online searchable database of housing vacancies; Roommate Finder, another searchable database where you can create your own profile and search for others with similar housing needs and interests; The Roommate Guide; campus and public transportation maps and schedules; and numerous informational materials.
Freshmen Connection students who lease at off-campus properties for their first year will be guaranteed residence hall assignments for their second year. Students will need to submit a new housing agreement and a copy of their 12-month lease in March. Details, including deadline information, will be emailed to Freshmen Connection students in early March.
Can I live in University residence halls next spring?
As a New Freshman student, you are eligible for and will have the highest priority for, but are not guaranteed, residence hall housing beginning in the Spring semester. You should request Spring residence hall housing as soon as possible; this should be done online through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. New Freshman students for Spring, including Freshmen Connection students, have the highest priority for openings that become available through move-outs by some Fall residence hall students. Because the precise number of these openings cannot be determined by the Department of Resident Life until December and January, you should expect to have your name initially placed on a waiting list for Spring housing.
What if I move into residence halls in the spring from an off-campus apartment? Will I be able to break my lease?
Although some shorter-term leases are available, most apartment communities and landlords offer 12-month leases. If you want to move out of your rental unit prior to the end of your lease agreement, you are still responsible for the term of the lease. Most students in this situation work with their landlord or property management company to try to find another student to take over their lease. Before signing your lease, check it to make sure you understand any restrictions or requirements related to early termination of the lease and know when to seek necessary permission from the landlord or management company. A lease is a binding legal document. It is very important that you thoroughly read and understand the terms of your lease before signing it.
What legal obligations do students accept by asking for residence hall housing?
The University's housing and meals agreement is legally binding upon its receipt by the Department of Resident Life. No returning residence hall student should submit the housing and meals agreement without being prepared to accept and pay for housing and meal services or without having read its terms and conditions. Submitting the housing and meals agreement does not guarantee that a residence hall assignment can be made by the start of classes in any given semester.