Returning Student Room Selection
Residence LifeReturning Student Room Selection 2025-2026
Room Selection is performed every spring – this year it will take place in February-April. The Room Selection process is for our current returning students. New students joining in Fall 2025 will complete a separate process over the summer. Please read each step to make sure you understand the 2025-2026 process.
*Current commuters and remote students are welcome and eligible for Returning Student Room Selection. Commuters and remote students must follow all steps and meet all deadlines listed. Refer to Step 5, Lottery Numbers, for more information.
To participate in the housing selection process, you must have a confirmed roommate match.
- If you have a matched roommate: You can participate in the room/suite selection process during your designated time.
- If you do not have a matched roommate: You will not be able to choose a room during selection. Instead, Residence Life will assign you to an open double room between Friday, April 18th, and Tuesday, April 22nd.
Finding a Roommate After Housing Selection:
If you find a roommate and confirm the match before April 18th, contact Residence Life. Once matched, you will have the opportunity to select a space after the priority selection period has ended.
Click here for the Housing Portal
Step 1: Eligibility Requirements
In order to be eligible to participate in the Room Selection, you must complete all requirements:
- Clear all holds with Student Accounts!
- Students are considered ‘cleared’ if there are no holds on their Student Account. All holds need to be addressed no later than June 1st, 2025.
- If you have any questions about your account, please contact Student Accounts directly at SFS@nichols.edu or 508-213-2288.
- Students must be registered for a full academic course load (minimum 12 credits)!
- Students must be registered with a full academic course load (12+ credits) for the Fall 2025 semester by June 1st, 2025 at 4 PM.
- If a student is not registered for classes, they will be removed from their housing assignment, with no guarantee that their original chosen assignment will be available once they are registered for Fall 2025 classes.
Current Commuters
Any Commuter student interested in living on campus for the 2025-2026 academic Year will need to complete Change of Status paperwork on their MyHub no later than April 2nd, 2025 at 4 PM. Current Commuters must follow all steps and meet all deadlines to be eligible to participate in Room Selection.
3+1 | 4+1 | Graduate Students | Graduate Assistants
3+1 and 4+1 Students will be included with the Class of 2026.
Graduate Students (not including 3+1/4+1) who are interested in housing for 2025-2026, please apply for housing no later than April 2nd, 2024 at 4 PM. We have limited spaces reserved for Graduate Students for 2025-2026. Graduate Assistant students have a separate housing process.
If a graduate student is a Nichols College graduate ASSISTANT, they are unable to live in the same living space as our current undergraduate students. We have VERY LIMITED graduate ASSISTANT housing available. If a graduate ASSISTANT is interested in living on campus, please have the student email reslife@nichols.edu. Graduate ASSISTANTS have a separate housing process
Step 2: Housing Application
The online Housing Application tells the Residence Life Office who is in your roommate group and notes your wish to enter the Room Selection / Lottery Process. You (and your group) are responsible for showing up to Room Selection / Lottery timeframe.
This online application will be available from the Nichols College Portal beginning on February 3rd, 2025 and must be completed by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025. Use the step by step guide located below.
Access the Housing Portal → here
Please note that we will use the following process to determine your final Group Number:
Year Of Graduation (YOG):
The Registrar’s Office makes the official determination of your Year Of Graduation. If you are unsure of your Year Of Graduation, please check with the Registrar’s Office.
Determining your Range for Lottery Number:
Residence Life staff will then use your YOG to determine your range for your INDIVIDUAL Random Lottery Number. This allows for students in different years to live together but maintain seniority based on individual YOG.
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- Students with the YOG of 2026 will receive an individual lottery number between 100-999
- Students with the YOG of 2027 will receive an individual lottery number between 1000-1999
- Students with the YOG of 2028 will receive an individual lottery number starting at 2000
Your GROUP lottery number is the average of everyone’s individual lottery number within your matched roommate group. Your group lottery number is the order you will choose your room.
- EXAMPLE: Senior student A receives an individual lottery number of 150. Junior student B receives an individual lottery number of 1200. These 2 students wish to live together, and fully-match via the online system. Their new GROUP lottery number is 675 (150 +1200/2)
- EXAMPLE: Sophomore student A receives an individual lottery number of 2100. They have not matched with any roommates, so they are considered a “group of 1” – their GROUP lottery number is 2100.
Study Abroad / Internship Students
Any student that is currently on an internship or studying abroad is welcome to participate in the Housing Lottery and is treated as a Resident student if their last semester they were a Resident, (example: resident in Fall 2025, currently studying aboard for Spring 2026).
Please note that students who are studying abroad or attending a non-local internship for Fall 2025 are not guaranteed to be placed in the same location they chose during room selection when they return to campus housing in Spring 2026. Students planning on studying abroad or attending a non-local internship can work with Res Life before leaving to help coordinate an exchange with a student departing the following semester if available.
Step 3: Choosing a Roommate
Choosing a Roommate(s) or Signing Up as a Group of 1
Below you will find the directions for logging into the Housing Portal and our step by step guide to filling out your Housing Application.
- First, find roommates!
Make sure that your roommates have met all the eligibility requirements to sign up for room selection (see step 1). Anyone not meeting the requirements is NOT able to sign up for a room. If your Housing Application form lists them as a member of your room/group, that will definitely have an effect on your ability to get the room of your choice.
- ALL roommates must fill out the Housing Application by April 2nd, 2025 11:59pm (HARD DEADLINE)
Follow the step by step guide that can be found here. Once you decide on your roommates you will request them through the Online Housing Portal. To request a roommate they must have already filled out the Housing Application or you will not see them and will not be able to request them. If you can’t find them, contact them and ask them to fill out the Housing Application. The Housing Application will be available beginning on February 3rd, 2025, and must be completed no later than, 11:59 PM on April 2nd, 2025.
- Next, match your roommates!
You must match your roommates by April 2nd, 2025 at 11:59 PM. Your roommate group must be fully matched. Follow the step by step guide (available here) or at the Residence Life Office. Failure to have a fully matched group of roommates will result in you not receiving the roommates of your choice.
- Where would you like to live?
All of our buildings have are unique and not everyone will get their first choice during Room Selection. Keep this in mind and have a back-up plan. See Step 5 – Finding a Room for all options of residence halls.
- At the Room Selection timeframe, to reserve a suite or room of more than two, you must have the appropriate number of people to fill that unit.
Example: A roommate group going into a quad suite in Kuppenheimer Hall must have four people in the group. You must fill the entire space. This means three students would not be eligible to reserve a quad (four person room) in Kuppenheimer Hall. A single student (Group of 1) would be allowed to pick a traditional double room, and the next single student (Group of 1) would be placed with together.
- What if you don’t have enough people to fill your desired space?
If you do you not have enough people to fill your desired space for housing, use The Housing Portal advanced find to seek out roommates using your personal preferences. Try not to pick too many preferences, remember no one will be a perfect match! Remember all roommates must be fully matched on The Online Housing Portal by April 2nd, 2025 at 11:59 PM.
Special Circumstances
Please note anyone who is in a specific room based on medical accommodations must complete the Housing Accommodation Request Form to receive those accommodations EACH year. This form can be found here. These requests should be completed and given to the Office of Student Life in Fels 301 prior to Wednesday, March 19th, 2025.
Step 4: Lottery Numbers
The Residence Life Office will assign a Random Individual Lottery Number to each person. Random Lottery Numbers are assigned using the Housing Software Program based on your Year Of Graduation (YOG). We will post the results of the Random Lottery Number assignment on the Housing Portal. The Random Individual Lottery Number that is allocated to you is averaged with your roommate group to make your GROUP Lottery Number. The GROUP Lottery Number is the order that roommate groups choose their room.
- Rising Grads – Random Individual Lottery Number will begin with 1
- Rising Seniors – Random Individual Lottery Number will begin with 100
- Rising Juniors – Random Individual Lottery Number will begin with 300
- Rising Sophomores – Random Individual Lottery Number will begin with 550
Your GROUP lottery number is the average of everyone’s individual lottery number within your matched roommate group. Your GROUP lottery number is the order you will choose your room.
- EXAMPLE: Senior student A receives an individual lottery number of 150. Junior student B receives an individual lottery number of 1200. These 2 students wish to live together, and fully-match via the online system. Their new GROUP lottery number is 675 (150 +1200/2)
- EXAMPLE: Sophomore student A receives an individual lottery number of 2100. They have not matched with any roommates, so they are considered a “group of 1” – their GROUP lottery number is 2100.
Step 5 – Finding A Room
Residence Hall Options
Budleigh Hall
Budleigh Hall will house upper-class students. Each floor will be co-ed by room. There is a men’s and women’s restroom on each floor, the exception is the basement, where there is only a gender inclusive restroom. Students selecting this hall may determine the gender(s) in the room. Budleigh Hall does not have air-conditioning.
Copper Beech One – Apartments:
Copper Beech Apartments are a mixture of four and six person apartments, each apartment has a full kitchen. The four person apartments are 2 double rooms and the six person apartments are 2 doubles and 2 singles. Students selecting these halls may determine the gender(s) in each room/suite.
Copper Beech Two – Apartments:
Copper Beech Apartments are a mixture of four and six person apartments, each apartment has a full kitchen. The four person apartments are 2 double rooms and the six person apartments are 2 doubles and 2 singles. Students selecting these halls may determine the gender(s) in each room/suite.
Center Hall:
Center Hall is reserved for male students. The building mainly consists of double rooms and two quads.
North Hall:
North Hall is reserved for female students. The building consists of all double rooms.
Olsen Hall:
Olsen Hall is upper-year students. The first floor will have a men’s restroom. The second floor will have the building’s only women’s restroom. The third floor will have a men’s restroom. Students selecting this hall may determine the gender(s) in the room.
*A student signing up for this hall must note that they may need to travel up or down a flight of stairs to use the restroom of their gender.*
Kuppenheimer Hall:
All suites are quads (2 double rooms). There is a community kitchen on the 2nd floor of the building. Students selecting this hall may determine the gender(s) in each room/suite. Kuppenheimer Hall does not have air-conditioning.
Remillard Hall:
With exception of the two handicap accessible rooms which are quads, every suite in Remillard will have six residents. Students selecting this hall may determine the gender(s) in each room/suite.
Gender Inclusive Spaces
Any students regardless of gender identity, may choose to reside together. Students may live together in any multiple occupancy bedroom in Copper Beech Apartments, Remillard, Olsen, Budleigh, Kuppenheimer, Shamie or Winston Hall. North Hall is an all female residence hall. Center Hall is an all male residence hall.
Gender Inclusive spaces are available on first come, first serve basis depending on what spaces are still available during your assigned room selection time frame.
Click here to view the Gender Inclusive Housing Policy
Single Rooms
We have very few singles available and receiving a single is given priority to students with approved medical accommodations. Students who select a single room will be assessed the additional single room rate, if applicable. For additional information see the Tuition & Fees section of the Nichols College website.
Step 6 – Room Selection Timeframes
Room Selection Timeframes
- Room Selection timeframes will be held Monday, April 14th – Friday, April 18th via the MyHousing Portal between 9am-4pm
- Your group will be emailed your Room Selection time and date.
- You are NOT to leave class for your room selection timeframe. Only one member of your pair/group needs to pick a room/suite on the MyHousing Portal.
Room Selection Process
Students will select rooms in order of their Group Lottery Number. The students Group with the lowest Group Lottery Number will go first.
Reshuffling Process
Reshuffling happens when your Group is called and the type of room you wanted is no longer available. If your Group remains intact, you may divide and pick a new space immediately. If you would like to add another person to your group, your new Group Priority will be re-considered, noting that seniority plays a role.
Choosing a Meal Plan
When you sign up for Housing for 2025-2026 you will also designate which Meal Plan you prefer for the academic year. You are able to change your Meal Plan option through the Residence Life Office up until the end of the add/drop period at the beginning of each semester. All residents are required to have a meal plan. If a meal plan is not chosen during Room Selection timeframes, then the default Platinum Plan will be assigned.
There are currently three Meal Plan Options:
- Option 1: PLATINUM Meal Plan (19 meals per week/$50 Bison Bucks/$50 Dining Dollars)
- Required for First-Year students
- Option 2: GOLD Meal Plan (10 meals per week/$100 Bison Bucks/$125 Dining Dollars)
- Option 3: SILVER Meal Plan (80 meals per semester/$250 Bison Bucks/$100 Dining Dollars)
- Option 3/Silver Plan is only available to residents of the Copper Beech Apartments.
Nichols College reserves the right to alter/change meal plan offerings.
Important Dates: Returning Students
Returning Student Housing Application/Roommate Matching Opens
Priority Housing ADA Accommodation Paperwork Due
Priority Housing Applications & Roommate Pairing Deadline
Returning Student Housing Lottery Selection Week