Apply for Housing

Ready to make Ball State your new nest? Living in our residence halls or University Apartments puts you right at the heart of campus life—close to classes, friends, and resources. We recommend students apply for housing as soon as they know they want to come to Ball State. Applying is easy—just log-in to the online housing portal to complete your housing contract and get started on a transformative living experience!

Live in the Residence Halls

Complete your housing application to live in one of our vibrant residence halls and start your on-campus journey!

Apply to live in
the Residence Halls

Live in University Apartments

Complete your application to live in Ball State's campus apartments, offering convenience, comfort, and a sense of community.

Apply to live in
University Apartments

Apply for a Residency Exemption

Planning on commuting? Complete your application for an exemption from the residency requirement.

Apply for a
Residency Exemption

VISIT THE HOUSING PORTAL

Housing Assignments

At Ball State, students are assigned rooms in our residence halls. Learn more about the process and what to expect.

Learn More

Additional Information

Applying for On-Campus Housing

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS  & Transfers

If you are a first-year or transfer student planning to start at Ball State in 2025, please indicate your intention to live on campus in your admissions application and confirm your enrollment with the Office of Admissions. Once you've completed these steps, you will receive further information via mail and your Ball State Outlook account on how to proceed with your housing application.

Important Dates

  • Tuesday, October 9, 2024 - Housing Applications open for Spring '25.
  • Wednesday, November 6, 2024 - Housing Applications Open for the 25-26 Academic Year.
  • March 25, 2025: Signature Experience students are selected.
  • April 2, 2025: Incoming students can begin searching/verifying a roommate on the housing portal.
  • April 4, 2025: Admitted Student Day! This is the only time all of our residence halls will be open "open house style" to explore.
  • July 11, 2025: Deadline to confirm a roommate and/or change your Fall meal plan.
  • Late July 2025: Housing assignments will be emailed to all students! Keep an eye out for an email from hrlassign@bsu.edu.
  • August 13, 2025: First day for Move-In!

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Students will need to log-in to the housing portal with their BSU ID and password.  
    • Students receive their BSU ID and password once confirmed to the University. They can access this information on their Cardinal Landing Portal. If unsure where to access this information, please contact the Office of Admissions.
    •  Students will need the Duo Mobile app set up as it will become extremely necessary to access many Ball State accounts. BSU’s IT department provides guidance on how to set up Duo Mobile.
  2. Once on the housing portal, go to the top red navigation bar and click on “Residence Halls.” 
  3. Next, go to the Academic Year (AY) 25-26 contract and click “APPLY.”
  4. The next page will officially begin the housing contract.
  5. Students will select their meal plan, agree to the terms and conditions, fill out necessary information, pay the housing deposit, and sign the contract.
  6. Once the contract is signed, hit “save and continue” the application will be considered complete!

Ideally close to the date the housing application opens for the 2025-2026 academic year. This increases the likelihood of being assigned to a room early in the placement process.

In short:

  • Completing your housing contract and paying the deposit early, particularly in November or December, shows your serious commitment to attending Ball State University.
  • It increases your chances of securing a spot in the building with your Living-Learning Community.
  • The further away from the housing application open date you apply, the further down the line you will be in the housing placement process.

Think of it like standing in line:

  • If you complete your contract and pay your deposit in November or December, you’ll be closer to the front of the line. This gives us the best chance to assign you to the residence hall with your Living-Learning Community (LLC).
  • The longer you wait, the more people will be ahead of you in line, and your room assignment will be based on remaining availability.

The housing deposit is $125 and can be paid directly online through the housing application or by mailing a check or money order to Housing and Residence Life. This deposit is required for your housing contract to be considered complete. It will be held until you leave the residence halls, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

Each student receives a unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the "Search for a Roommate" function. This PIN is specifically for locating a potential roommate and is different from your Ball State ID number.

If you have someone in mind with whom you would like to room, you both need to exchange PIN numbers. You will then enter their PIN on the "Search for a Roommate" page to find them and officially begin the verification process as your roommate.

Students cannot complete a housing contract until they are 16 years old. If a student is under the age of 18 at the time that they are signing the housing contract a page for Guardian Consent will automatically populate on the housing application for them to fill out AND for their guardian to complete as well.  

The student and parent need to complete the forms EXACT.  

Once the form is complete by BOTH student and parent - there will be an email triggered to the student’s BSU address with a copy of the contract as well as another email to the student’s BSU email address notifying them that the student’s parent has completed the proxy form.

Great job—your housing contract is complete! Here’s what’s next:

  • Roommate Selection: Starting April 2, 2025, incoming first-year students with completed housing contracts can begin submitting preferred roommate requests or search for a roommate on the housing portal.

  • Admitted Student Day: We strongly encourage you to attend Admitted Student Day on April 4, 2025. This is the only opportunity to tour all of our residence halls before the Academic Year begins. Join us for a fun day and get a sneak peek at the spaces you could soon call home!

  • Special Housing Accommodations: If you require any special housing accommodations, be sure to submit all necessary documentation to the Office of Disability Services by May 31, 2025. Submissions after this date will not receive priority consideration.

  • Housing Contract Cancellations: If your plans change and you need to cancel your housing contract, make sure to do so by May 31, 2025, to avoid any cancellation damages.

  • Roommate Request Deadline: The last day to submit roommate requests for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is Friday, July 11, 2025, by 4:00 p.m.

  • Housing Assignments: In late July, we will send housing placement details to your Ball State email address.

YES! It’s important to make the $125 housing deposit and complete your online housing application even if you haven't found a roommate yet. This allows us to confirm your intent to live on campus. Completing your application is crucial, and you can focus on roommate arrangements afterward.

Beginning April 2, 2025, incoming first-year students with completed housing contracts will have the opportunity to submit preferred roommate requests or search for a roommate through the housing portal.

Once the Office of Admissions has your enrollment confirmation, your name will be added to the list for access to the online housing application if you originally indicated on your application for admission that you want to live in a residence hall. Housing and Residence Life will send instructions and the link to use the new online application.

If you did not indicate on your application for admission that you plan to live in a residence hall, contact our office and request on-campus housing.

Yes, you can make any changes to the online housing application at any time before Friday, July 11, 2025, including updating your profile, searching for a roommate, and changing your meal plan.

Starting April 2, 2025, incoming first-year students with completed housing contracts can submit their preferred roommate requests or search for a roommate through the housing portal.

If you have someone in mind to live with, it's essential for both of you to select the dropdown option "I Will Select and Verify My Own Roommate" on the 'Roommate Profile' page of the housing application. This ensures that you can be searched for in the system, allowing you to find your intended roommate.

In the 'Search for a Roommate' section of the online housing application, you can request your roommate by entering their PIN number, which is provided on the housing portal's landing page. Be sure to enter your roommate's PIN, not your own. Additionally, check that they have selected the correct dropdown option and that there are no extra spaces at the end of the numbers, as this can occur when copying and pasting.

Once one student submits their roommate’s PIN in the search, the intended roommate should appear. To send a roommate request, click the "Request Roommate" button. An email notification will be sent to the person you wish to room with. The student receiving the request must log in to the housing portal to accept or deny the roommate request. IMPORTANT: They must also click "Save and Continue" on the page to confirm the request. The student who made the initial request will receive an email once the roommate pairing is verified.

Please note that the deadline for roommate requests for the 2025-2026 Academic Year is Friday, July 11, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. Our office strives to accommodate all roommate requests; however, any requests received after this deadline will not be honored.

Honors College students can request a non-honors student as their roommate.

Students have from April 2, 2025 until July 11, 2025 to search for and verify their preferred roommate. Roommate requests/changes received after the designated deadline will not be honored. 

You can review the contract's terms and conditions on the online housing application or on our website.

Residency requests are subject to an approval process by our office and may be denied. When filling out your residency exemption application, please provide all requested information accurately. Incomplete or inaccurate submissions can delay the review and approval process. Be sure to review the requirements for residency exemption before submitting your request.

  1. Log in to the Housing Portal: Use your Ball State credentials (username and password) to access the online housing portal.

  2. Navigate to Residency Exemption: Click on 'Residency Exemption' located in the top red navigation bar.

  3. Select Your Term: On the 'Term Selector' page, choose the term for which you are applying, then click 'Continue'.

  4. Start the Application: Click on 'Begin Exemption Application' to initiate the process.

  5. Complete the Application: Follow the prompts to fill out the application. It will be considered complete once you reach the 'Application Details' page.

It's possible that the online application website is experiencing high traffic. If you're having trouble, please log out and try again later. Note that sessions are timed for 20 minutes, so be aware that you might time out if inactive. Any information entered before the timeout should be saved.

If you continue to encounter error messages, please take a screenshot and email it, along with detailed information, to housing@bsu.edu.

If you are a current student planning on returning to live in the residence halls for the next Academic Year, take the time to learn more about Returner Sign-Up! Returner Sign-Up is the opportunity for students to choose exactly where they want to live on campus for the next Academic Year. Returner Sign-Up falls within a certain range of dates and does require several action items in order to secure a desired spot in the residence halls.
Click the button below to learn more. We hope to see you in the halls again next academic year! 

  • Housing Applications open for the 25-26 Academic Year for Returning Students on January 22, 2025.

Returner Sign-Up

International students need to follow the same application processes as all Ball State students, whether they are incoming or current students. However, there are some additional considerations for students living outside of the U.S.

Ball State offers two different types of living accommodations for students: residence halls (dormitories) and the University Apartments.

The following information provided is to help make the decision on which type of living space to request.

Let us know your intention to live in the residence halls (dormitories). As long as eligibility requirements are met, completing an online application will allow our office to save a space in the halls for you.

International students must meet our freshman residency requirement when attending Ball State.

The policy states that all students are required to live in university housing (dormitory) unless you are one of the following exceptions:

  • 21 years of age before beginning your first term
  • Have 24 or more accepted credits at Ball State after graduating from high school
  • Married
  • A custodial parent of a dependent child
  • Living with your parents in their primary residence within a 60-mile radius of campus

If you do not meet any of these requirements, you must request housing in the residence halls (dormitory).

International students who apply for the residence halls (dormitories) will automatically be eligible for double rooms.

Housing for international students is located in Studebaker East and it is open during university break periods (Thanksgiving break, semester break, and spring break). There is an additional charge to stay in our halls over the designated breaks that can be added to students' eBill. 

Overnight guests are not permitted during break periods. There is no meal service during break periods. Cooking in your room, except when using a microwave oven, is not permitted.

There may be opportunities for international students to upgrade their room at a higher price to a double as a single room, based on availability.

If you are interested in an upgraded room, contact our office.

Residence hall housing contracts are effective for the entire academic year. Contracts are also offered for the spring semester.

The contract is a legal agreement, and if you break or cancel the contract, there is a penalty.

After arriving on campus (and you have a signed contract on file), you will be issued a room and key. Guests and family members must make sleeping arrangements outside of the residence halls. There are several hotels located near campus.

A signed contract must be on file with the housing and residence life office before any student can officially move in.

Because housing/dining contracts do not begin before the start of fall/spring academic semesters, if a student moves in before the designated move-in day, there will be an extra daily charge added to their contract.

For students living in the halls (dormitories), their housing contract is for both their room and meals. Learn more detailed information about the meal plans offered prior to signing the housing contract.

Note

Bed linens are not included in room and board. Please plan to bring these items to the hall when you move in.

The cost to live in the residence halls in a double room for the academic year depends on the residence hall and meal plan selected.

There are also nightly charges for early move-in/late move-out and break periods if housing is needed.

In addition, you will pay a $125 housing deposit and a $60 per semester technology fee.

The residence halls (dormitories) are for Ball State students only. International students may request a roommate using our online application or be assigned to a roommate when they arrive. If you have a roommate request, please include this information on the online application.


Questions?

If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Email Us