Apply for Housing

Ideally close to the date the housing application opens for the 2026-2027 academic year. This increases the likelihood of being assigned to a room early in the placement process.

In short:

• Completing your housing contract 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 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.

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

• Roommate Selection: Starting April 7, 2026, 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 10, 2026. 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 15, 2026. 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, 2026, to avoid any cancellation damages.

• Roommate Request Deadline: The last day to submit roommate requests for the 2026-2027 Academic Year is Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 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 7, 2026, 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 Tuesday, June 30, 2026, including updating your profile, searching for a roommate, and changing your meal plan.

Starting April 7, 2026, 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 2026-2027 Academic Year is Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 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 7, 2026 until June 30, 2026 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.

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.