Navigating Freshman Housing at Ole Miss: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Options
For incoming freshmen at the University of Mississippi, understanding the housing requirements and options is a crucial step in preparing for college life. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the freshman housing landscape at Ole Miss, covering everything from application procedures and residency requirements to available communities and exemption possibilities.
First-Year Residency Requirement
The University of Mississippi has a first-year residency requirement. All new, incoming first-year students who have completed less than 30 credit hours post-high school must complete the student housing application or have either an approved housing appeal or application for exemption from the first year residency requirement. Students are encouraged to submit their housing application, application for exemption, or housing appeal early.
Applying for Student Housing
The Student Housing Application is available for admitted first-year students. To begin the application process, students will use their Ole Miss webID and password to access the Student Housing Portal.
Key Steps:
- Access the Student Housing Portal: Use your Ole Miss webID and password to log in.
- Electronically Sign the Housing Contract: Students will sign the housing contract using AdobeSign within the Student Housing Portal. New for 2026-2027: Students will not be able to move forward in the housing application until parents or legal guardians have signed the housing contract using AdobeSign.
- Pay the Non-Refundable Application Fee: A $100 non-refundable application fee is required for every application except the application for exemption, payable with Mastercard or Visa.
First-Year Housing Communities
The University of Mississippi offers a variety of housing options for first-year students, each with its unique atmosphere and amenities. The available communities for 2025-2026 include:
- Traditional Residence Halls: Brown Hall, Crosby Hall, Deaton Hall, Hefley Hall, Martin Hall, Stewart Hall, and Stockard Hall. These halls offer a classic residential experience with community bathrooms conveniently located on each floor or wing. Each building has a unique set of amenities.
- Contemporary Residence Halls: Burns Hall, Minor Hall, Pittman Hall, Residence Hall 1, Residence Hall 2, and Residence Hall 3. These newer halls feature in-room bathrooms as well as amenities such as community kitchens, large lounges, and spacious study rooms. Males and females live on separate wings in these buildings.
- Residential Colleges: Luckyday Residential College and Residential College South. These family-style communities include faculty fellows who live in the buildings and host events and activities for members, offering enriching experiences to undergraduate students of all classifications.
- On-Campus Apartments: Campus Walk and Northgate.
- Off-Campus Master Lease Apartments: Quarters Oxford and Flatts at South Campus.
Note: First Year Student Housing Communities for 2026-2027 will be determined soon.
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Roommate Selection
After completing the initial steps, students can participate in the Roommate Request and Confirm process. Here’s how it works:
- Roommate Request & Confirm: Participate in the Roommate Request and Confirm process.
- Linking: Students must be linked by [Date] CT for you to be linked for room selection.
- Room Selection: Once linked, one student can choose bedspaces for all students during room selection, provided there is an open room or apartment available.
Completing the Roommate Request & Confirm process is not mandatory to participate in room selection. If you opt not to have confirmed roommates, you will participate in room selection based on when you paid your housing application fee. You can have up to three confirmed roommates at one time, for a total group of four. This is to assist with the room selection process in locations that have more than two bedspaces, such as apartments.
Important Considerations:
- Open rooms and apartments do fill up quickly, so please have a back-up plan ready in case an open room or apartment is not available during room selection.
- Students will have to detach from their confirmed roommate(s) and select individual bedspaces in different rooms or apartments if no open rooms or apartments are available.
- After confirmed roommate(s) have chosen a room or apartment, room change and room swap cannot be utilized to move all roommates at once. Each roommate must room change or room swap themselves. Roommates will be detached from one another during the room change and room swap processes.
Living-Learning Communities (LCs)
To improve the room selection process for all first year Ole Miss students, Student Housing has worked with our academic partners to offer LC Day. LC day dedicated to providing students who plan on participating in one of our Learning Communities (LCs) the opportunity to select an LC designated room, pending availability, in advance of room selection access times opening.
- If you are planning to participate in a living-learning community your confirmed roommate must be a member of the same group in order for one of you to assign both of you to bedspaces within that community.
- Any living-learning community, living group, or residential college bedspace that is not filled or becomes vacant after LC Day will be filled during room selection and may be assigned to a student who is not a member of a living-learning community, living group, or residential college.
- Do not select a room if they are not a verified member of an LC as provided to Student Housing by the LC’s supervising academic department
- We ask students who are not interested in living in an LC designated bedspace to refrain from logging into the Student Housing Portal during LC Day to avoid unnecessary portal traffic.
Room Selection
Prepare for room selection by researching building and community options, including housing rates for each. Once you receive access to room selection, you will be able to choose from the rooms and apartments in the communities in which you are eligible to live.
Key Dates:
- December 1, 2025: Apply for housing
- April 10, 2026: Deadline to pay application fee to be given a room selection access time.
Important Considerations:
- As students participate in room selection, availability of buildings, rooms, and apartments changes frequently.
Move-In Information
Every student will be required to have a move-in appointment in order to complete the online check-in process and move into their assigned residence hall or apartment. Students without a move-in appointment, or students arriving prior to their move-in appointment, will not be permitted to move-in. There will be no exceptions.
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Key Dates:
- Fall 2025 Move-in is Saturday, August 16, Sunday, August 17 and Monday, August 18.
- Classes begin on Monday, August 25.
- Move-in for registered Panhellenic Sorority Recruitment participants will be Monday, August 11 (all University owned and managed residence halls and apartments), Tuesday, August 12 (all University owned and managed residence halls and apartments), and Wednesday, August 13 (remaining floors in Martin, Crosby, RH2, RH3, Minor, Pittman, and Burns)
Important Considerations:
- All move-in appointments will be pre-assigned by Student Housing based on the student’s room assignment (building and floor within the building). All other locations will have university volunteers providing assistance.
- You will need your student ID. Your student ID serves as your building and room key. If you do not have one, go to the student ID center prior to arrival to your building.
- Students will utilize online check-in to check themselves into their room or apartment. Once you have arrived on campus during your designated move-in appointment time, login to the Student Housing Portal and select Check-in from the red menu bar.
Exemptions from the Residency Requirement
New, incoming first-year students who have completed less than 30 credit hours post-high school, are required to live in Student Housing owned or managed residence halls, residential colleges, or apartments for two consecutive semesters - Fall and Spring, or Spring and Full Summer (Summer First Term and Summer Second Term) - unless they are approved for exemption from the first-year residency requirement.
Exemptions from the first year or transfer residency requirement are approved only for the following:
- Students who are 20 years of age or older prior to the start of the academic year (age will be verified via admissions data)
- Students who will live with parents or legal guardians within a driving distance of 60 miles of the Oxford campus and commute (address will be verified via admissions data)
- Students who have graduated from high school at least one full year prior to enrollment at the university and have lived in college or university-owned or managed housing for at least two full semesters (proof required: letter from college or university housing department)
- Students who are married (proof required: marriage license)
- Students with children (proof required: child’s birth certificate).
Eligible students may submit an Application for Exemption in the Student Housing Portal. There is no fee to complete the Application for Exemption. Students with an approved Application for Exemption are exempt from the first-year and transfer residency requirement.
Appeals Process:
Students who do not qualify for an exemption based on the criteria above, but feel there are extraordinary circumstances that warrant an exception, can opt to participate in the student housing appeals process.
Cancellation and Request to Vacate
Cancellation
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If you decide not to attend the University of Mississippi or decide not to live in student housing prior to the cancellation deadline, you must complete the cancellation process in the student housing portal. If you are enrolled at the university and do not cancel your application by the deadline and prior to moving in, you will be responsible for all financial and other commitments.
The university has a first year residency requirement. It is the responsibility of the student to understand the university’s first year and transfer residency requirements. If a student requests a cancellation and it is processed, and they continue to attend the University of Mississippi, housing charges will be administratively assessed to the student’s Bursar account. A processed cancellation does not indicate the student is exempt from the first year or transfer residency requirement. Students who have had a processed cancellation who then decide to attend the University of Mississippi will also be administratively assessed for housing until the first year or transfer residency requirement has been fulfilled.
Students who have moved into their rooms are not eligible for cancellation.
Deadlines:
- [Date] CT on January 1 (This deadline applies to students new to Student Housing for spring semester ONLY.)
- Deadlines for summer vary, please visit the Summer Housing Application page for those deadlines.
Request to Vacate
You must submit a request to vacate in the student housing portal if you are transferring to another university, participating in a study abroad program, participating in an exchange program or an internship program for spring semester, withdrawing from the university, or graduating prior to the end of your student housing contract.
- Transfer to another university - In order to approve the request to vacate form we require documentation from your new institution stating that you have been admitted. Your request to vacate will be approved only if documentation is provided.
- Study abroad, exchange program, or internship students - A letter from the study abroad office or the department supervising the internship on their letterhead stating that you will be participating in a program for the upcoming semester is required. We will approve the request to vacate only if documentation is provided.
- Withdrawal from the university - You must officially withdraw from the university. We will approve the request to vacate only after you have zero hours of enrollment.
- Graduating and will no longer be enrolled at Ole Miss - If you do not graduate or if you immediately begin graduate school, your housing contract will remain in effect.
If you will still be enrolled at the University of Mississippi, you must complete the student housing appeals process to request a release from your housing contract. If you chose to move to an off-campus location without going through the student housing appeals process, you will still be held to your housing contract and be responsible for your housing fees. You are not automatically released from your contract by submitting this form. Each form will be reviewed for approval. Students who cancel due to withdrawal from the university but then re-enroll during the same contract period will be held to the terms and conditions of the student housing contract.
Additional Resources and Information
Laundry Facilities:
Laundry facilities are available to all residents. Washers and dryers in our residence halls and residential colleges are managed by Contractual Services Management. Campus Walk Apartments have individual washers and dryers in each unit. Residents of Northgate Apartments have access to the laundry facility in Residence Hall 1.
- One-time washer use: $1.50 (quarters or Ole Miss Express)
- One-time dryer use: $1.50 (quarters or Ole Miss Express)
Laundry Guidelines:
- Liquid, powder, or pod detergent can be used in washers.
- Three-in-one laundry sheets cannot be used.
- Problems with laundry, including refunds and service, should be reported by calling (662) 915-7445.
- After-hours problems with laundry equipment should be reported by calling (800) 927-9274.
Making Changes to Your Housing Contract:
Contract Requests allow student to leave their current bookings/spaces or have the residency requirement lifted. This can be done through the application for exemption, cancellation, or request to vacate forms located in the Student Housing Portal. As indicated in your student housing contract, a charge of $100 per day will be assessed for an unauthorized room change and will be retroactively charged based on the date that the move took place, not the date the unauthorized room change was identified by appropriate staff members.
Privatization:
During fall and spring semesters, students in specific residence halls may be given the opportunity to request to privatize their room (buy out an empty bedspace) based on availability and occupancy needs. Privatization will not be available in apartments. Privatization will only be available in double and triple rooms. Additional charges apply. Once privatized, a room cannot be unprivatized.
Online Forms:
You can choose from the online forms and application links above. Online forms include assignments request forms (request to vacate, room change request for current residents, room privatization request for current residents, student housing appeals, and cancellation) and the lockout service request form.
Housing Accommodations:
Housing accommodation requests are handled by Student Disability Services on a first-come, first-served basis, and assignments are based on the available options at the time the accommodation is approved. Building and community types will remain unchanged unless they are no longer available. Please note, you MUST complete the housing application process, including room selection, with Student Housing at the same time you are completing the process to request housing accommodations through Student Disability Services.
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