Residence Life Housing Selection

Returning Residents

Returning Residents

Students who wish to return to housing for the upcoming academic year will be required to participate in the Room Selection Process. In order to participate, returning residents must meet the eligibility requirements listed in the Application Process section and update their housing application by the dates indicated on the room selection timeline. 

We encourage you to carefully review the Residential Living Agreement prior to selecting your room, as your electronic signature provides your consent to abide by all rules and regulations as outlined in the Agreement. Please refer to the Residence Life website for all policies and procedures related to both the selection and homesteading process. Our office will email students prior to the start of each selection process to ensure you do not miss your specific selection date.

Eligibility Requirements for Returning Residents:

  • Be a current resident and have lived on campus for eight semesters or less (commuting students may be requested as a roommate if they meet all other eligibility requirements and be pulled into a room during the homesteading process) 
  • Meet New York state immunization requirements 
  • Have no outstanding balance on your student account AND have a $300 housing deposit on file with the University.
  • Students must register as a full-time student and maintain full-time status throughout the academic year 

Submitting the Housing Application

Beginning early March, you can complete your housing application and housing preferences online. Once you complete your housing application, please check the Room Selection Important Dates, to see when you can Homestead your room(if applicable), be pulled into another resident student's room, participate in Relocated Student Room Selection, participate in Themed Living Community Selection or select a room during General Room Selection.

To complete your application, please follow the steps below:

  1. Log into my.hofstra.edu
  2. Click on "Navigation Menu" in the top left-hand corner
  3. Click on the "Student Services Menu."
  4. Click on the "Residence Life Menu."
  5. Click on "Residence Life Room Application" under the Residence Life Menu or click on “My Apps” and click on the Housing Icon.
  6. Select the term for which you are applying to reside on campus.
  7. Follow instructions to complete the housing application and select a dining plan, as it is a condition of residency for all undergraduate students.

Room Selection Process

There are four ways in which students can participate in the room selection process. Students can choose to Homestead their current room (if their room is eligible to be homesteaded), participate in the Relocated Selection (if applicable), participate in Themed Living Community Selection (if applicable) or participate in the General Selection process.

Housing Selection Process

Homesteading
Homesteading is a process by which students can reserve their current room or suite for the next year. This process also allows students to request to live with another student in their current room or suite* (being pulled into a room). To successfully Homestead your room, you MUST complete a housing application and select your current room during the advertised Homesteading period.

*If a student's space is ineligible for Homesteading due to relocation, the student can elect to participate in the Relocated Selection (see below). First-year students must select to live with another student who is eligible to Homestead their room, participate in general selection, or be administratively assigned by the Office of Residence Life.

Relocated Selection
Relocated Selection is provided to students who have been identified and informed by the Office of Residence Life that their current room or suite is not eligible for Homesteading. Eligible students may participate in Relocated Selection during the advertised Relocated Selection Process by selecting a room that is identical to the type of room the student currently resides in from a list of available spaces (e.g., if you live in a triple in a high-rise building, you must select a triple room in another high-rise building).

NOTE: Students assigned to first-year areas are not considered relocated.

Themed Living Selection (Gender Inclusive Housing and The Umoja Scholars)
Students who would like to reside in a Themed Living Community such as Gender Inclusive Housing or The Umoja Scholars, must first complete a Housing Application. Then students must email the Office of Residence Life to schedule an “in person” appointment on the designated Themed Living Community Selection process date. During the “in person” appointment, The Office of Residence Life will assign the student(s) a space in their Themed Living Community of choice for the upcoming academic year. Students who are already residing in Themed Living Communities, will have the ability to Homestead their space during Room Selection (if they were not contacted by the Office of Residence Life indicating that they could not Homestead) and DO NOT have to schedule an “in person” appointment with the Office of Residence Life.

General Selection
The General Selection process gives students the opportunity to select a room in the living area that best suits their needs and preferences. Selection is prioritized by class year. All rooms must be filled to capacity (i.e. a double room must have two occupants).

Administrative Assignment
Students who complete a housing application during the room selection period and do not select a space by the room selection deadline, will be assigned a space by the Office of Residence Life. The Office of Residence Life cannot guarantee the housing preferences a student includes on their housing application will be met, as room assignments are subject to availability. The Office of Residence Life  will notify students of their housing assignment via their Hofstra Pride email account in early June.

NOTE: Students who apply for housing after the deadline will be assigned on a space-available basis later in the summer.