Office of Residence Life

Housing Selection For Current & Returning Students

As a residential college, Oberlin College requires on-campus living for all enrolled students, except those granted approval for Study Away, OSCA Housing, Off-Campus, or Exemption status. In adherence to this policy, all students, regardless of their status, are required to complete the annual college housing registration.

Fall 2024 Housing Selection Process

The Housing Registration encompasses all college housing options and exemption statuses*. Be sure to take note of the distinct deadlines associated with each housing choice to ensure timely submission. Your attention to the specified dates is very important in preventing any oversight and ensuring a smooth application process for your preferred housing type.

Housing Registration Opens The Week Of February 12th. 
Register Here
 

*Off-Campus Note: There is a different registration process for the Off-Campus Lottery.  Click here for details. 

Off-Campus Housing Lottery

Off-campus approval does not carry over from year to year, and students must reapply yearly.

Process: Prior to the Off-Campus Lottery, the College pre-determines how many students will be released to off-campus for the next academic year. A lottery will be held for those who apply and who qualify for off-campus. Only students selected during the lottery will be approved to live off-campus. 

Eligibility: Upperclassmen who will have six or more semesters at Oberlin by the end of the Spring 24 Semester.

Off-Campus offers are contingent on the student enrolling at the Oberlin campus during the Fall 24 semester. If a student does not attend the Oberlin campus in the fall, the Off-Campus offer will be rescinded. The student will then be assigned an On-Campus room upon their return in the spring.

To review full details related to this process, visit the Off-Campus Process.

Apply Here: Off-Campus Process

Apply By: February 16, 2024

Notification: 

  • Off-Campus offers will be sent the week of February 19th.
  • Off-Campus offer confirmation due by March 10th.
  • Failure to confirm the offer will result in the Off-Campus offer being forfeited

Village Housing Lottery Process

Eligibility

Upperclassmen with four or more semesters at Oberlin by the end of the Spring 24 semester.

Single Occupancy Apartment Lottery (Apply By: February 25, 2024)

Throughout this procedure, individuals will receive a designated lottery time to access the Housing Portal and choose from the available single apartments. Given the limited quantity of single apartments, allocations are made on a first-come, first-served basis during the lottery process.

Apply By: February 25, 2024

Lottery Times Sent: February 27, 2024

Lottery Selection: February 29, 2024

Multiple Occupancy Apartment Lottery (Apply By: March 3, 2024)

Students seeking a multiple occupancy apartment must create a roommate group corresponding to the desired apartment size.  Within the designated lottery timeframe, the group can choose from available apartments that align with their group size. Any group member has the authority to make the placement selection on behalf of the entire group, but it is recommended that groups designate a representative for this task.

Should there be a lack of apartments in the preferred size during their lottery time, groups can adapt their member count, allowing them to consider apartments of different sizes until they discover a fitting option. Given the limited quantity of apartments, allocations are made on a first-come, first-served basis during the lottery process.

Apply By: March 3, 2024

Lottery Times Sent: March 5, 2024

Lottery Selection: March 7, 2024

Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA)

Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA) has four housing & dining co-ops and one dining-only co-op, which includes one dining safe space and one program hall. As a member of OSCA, you may choose from both room & board and board-only options.

Apply By: February 28, 2024

If you have any questions about co-op membership, contact the OSCA office (in the Tank apartment) 440-775-8108 or, email them at office@osca.coop.

Language, Identity, & Thematic Experiences (LITE) Process

Eligibility

Open to any student that meets the requirements of the specific community. 

Apply By: March 3, 2024

Placement letters will be sent the first week of April.  Upon receiving these letters, students holding offers are required to confirm their acceptance within a 72-hour window. It's important to note that once a placement is accepted, eligibility to partake in the General Housing Lottery will no longer apply.

If a student is approved for a LITE placement and doesn't accept the placement by the set deadline, the offer will be rescinded. 

Students not approved for LITE can select housing during the General Housing Lottery. 

Disability Accommodation Process

Eligibility

Students with disabilities may apply for housing and dining accommodations to request reasonable modifications. The College requires supporting documentation from an appropriately licensed professional that identifies the student's disability-related barriers to access and how the requested accommodation will mitigate or remove those barriers.  Complete details available here. 

Application

  • ODA Documentation- Available Now 
  • Schedule ODA Meeting- Meet with the Office for Disability and Access staff
  • Oberlin Housing Registration
  • Students with permanent approval from the Office for Disability and Access for their accommodation do not need to re-register with ODA. However, they must still complete the Housing Application. To verify if you have a multi-year approval, please review your ODA accommodation by going to Oberview and searching for AIM. Once in AIM, you will see your accommodation and approved time frame.
  • If you have questions about your accommodation status, please contact the Office for Disability and Access.

Apply By: March 4, 2024

Students applying for a disability accommodation must still complete the Housing Application. If granted accommodation, the student will receive notice from the Office for Disability and Access. Students with accommodations will be assigned housing based on their accommodations and preferences provided in the housing application.

Notification: Accommodation placements will be sent near the beginning of April.

Specialized Housing Types and Accommodations

Village Housing: Village housing is assigned through a lottery process for those upperclass students who meet the qualifications for this housing type (see Village Housing Process for details). Village House options are based on what rooms are available during a student's assigned lottery time.  

LITE Housing: Accommodation placements will be made for those who have applied and been accepted into LITE Housing. Placements will be sent near the beginning of April.

Commuter and Other Exemptions Process

Eligibility

Commuter and other exemption statuses do not carry over from year to year, and students must reapply yearly. For complete details and requirements, visit Housing Exemptions. 

  • Age Exemption: Students who are 23 years or older by January 1 of the academic year in which the exemption applies to them.
  • Commuter Exemption: Students who live with their parents or guardians and commute from their parents or guardians' primary home within a 50-mile radius of Oberlin and have a minimum of six (6) months of established residency.
    • Required Documentation: Copy of the legal guardian’s driver’s license or state-issued identification showing a matching address and a Utility bill with the guardian's name and address that is six months prior to the date of the request. 
  • Marriage Exemption: Students married by legal commitment and married to an individual who is a non-Oberlin student.
    • Required Documentation: Copy of Marriage Certificate by August 15 for upcoming fall semester requests and December 15 for upcoming spring semester requests.
  • Dependent Exemption: Students who are the primary caregiver for an underage dependent.
    • Required Documentation- Most recent year's complete income tax form listing children who were claimed as dependents by the student.
  • Part-Time Student Status: Students enrolled for five credit hours or less. The exemption will not be granted until after the add/drop period at which time eligibility will be verified.
    • Required Documentation: Copy of the Part-Time Approval Form. 

Application

  • Complete the Housing Registration and the Exemption Section 
  • Upload all required supporting documentation

Apply By: March 12, 2024

Exemption confirmations will be sent after Spring Break.  

General Housing Lottery Process (Dates Updated)

Eligibility

Current and Returning  Students

Interested students and students who didn’t receive a housing placement through an earlier housing process will be assigned a lottery time to participate in the General Housing Lottery.

Apply By: April 24, 2024

The General Housing Lottery is tentatively scheduled for April 30th and May 1st, 2024. Lottery timeslots will be emailed to applicants on April 26, 2024.  During their designated lottery time, applicants will return to this Housing Registration Portal to select their room.

Roommate Groups
If students plan to participate in the General Housing Lottery with a roommate, each roommate will be given a separate lottery time. During either of the designated times, the roommate assigned to that time can select an available room for the group. Most individuals will choose to go during the earlier of the two timeslots. Roommate groups for the General Housing Lottery must be finalized by April 24, 2024.

Guide To Roommate Groups

Forming a Roommate Group

Instructions for selecting a roommate can be found in the Guide To Roommate Groups.

Roommate Groups- Village Lottery

Students seeking a multiple occupancy apartment must create a roommate group corresponding to the desired apartment size.  Within the designated lottery timeframe, the group can choose from available apartments that align with their group size. Any group member has the authority to make the placement selection on behalf of the entire group, but it is recommended that groups designate a representative for this task.

Should there be a lack of apartments in the preferred size during their lottery time, groups can adapt their member count, allowing them to consider apartments of different sizes until they discover a fitting option. Given the limited quantity of apartments, allocations are made on a first-come, first-served basis during the lottery process. 

Roommate groups for the Village Lottery must be finalized by March 3, 2024.

Roommate Groups- General Housing Lottery
If students plan to participate in the General Housing Lottery with a roommate, each roommate will be given a separate lottery time. During either of the designated times, the roommate assigned to that time can select an available room for the group. Most individuals will choose to go during the earlier of the two timeslots. Roommate groups for the General Housing Lottery must be finalized by April 11, 2024.