Spring 2026 Housing Application Process

The Undergraduate Residential Requirement

Vanderbilt University is a residential campus, and the residential experience is understood to be an integral part of a Vanderbilt education. This commitment to residential education is clearly expressed in the University’s residential requirement:

“All unmarried undergraduate students must live in residence halls on campus during the academic year, May session, and summer sessions. Authorization to live elsewhere is granted at the discretion of the Director of Housing Assignments and Operations in special situations or when space is unavailable on campus.” (Student Handbook)

Student Renter’s Insurance Requirement

All campus residents are required to maintain adequate property and liability insurance that includes personal property insurance, personal liability insurance, and a waiver of subrogation in favor of the University, its employees, directors, agents, and assignees. Additional information is available here.

As part of the housing application, students will be redirected to sign up for renter’s insurance with GradGuard. If students prefer to use a different insurance provider, they will have the option to decline coverage with GradGuard. Once students purchase or decline coverage with GradGuard, they will be redirected back to the housing application.

First-Year Students

SPRING HOUSING APPLICATION

Newly admitted and first-year students returning from a leave of absence or fall deferral are required to submit the First-Year Student Spring Housing Application between November 1, 2025 and November 30, 2025. Currently enrolled first-year students residing on campus do NOT need to apply for spring 2026 housing.

Application Instructions:

Claim your VUnetID and set up your password. There is a delay of up to 5 business days between claiming your VUnetID and being able to log into all systems. If it does not work initially or you receive a message that says “invalid password”, please try again in 5 business days.
Log into the Housing Portal using a computer (NOT your phone).
After logging in, you will be prompted to complete multifactor authentication via Okta.
Once in the Housing Portal, click on the Applications and Forms menu and select the Mid-Year First-Year Housing Application.
After signing your housing contract, you will be redirected to sign up for renter’s insurance with GradGuard. While student’s are required to have renter’s insurance, they can utilize any insurance provider of their choice. You must proceed through the GradGuard module to be redirected back to the housing application.
Complete the brief lifestyle questionnaire.
Submit your application.
Submit a photo to Card Services in order to activate your mobile Commodore Card. You will need your mobile to access your residence hall.

Students who submit their applications by the November 30 deadline will receive their housing assignment via email no later than December 23, 2025. Late applicants may not receive their housing assignment until January 2, 2026.

Move-in dates and information are provided below.

REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

Any spring 2026 housing applicant seeking a reasonable accommodation due to a documented medical, psychological or other disability-related limitations should submit a request to Student Access (SA) via the Commodore Access Portal. Additional information can be found here. All requests for reasonable accommodation for spring 2026 housing must be submitted by November 1, 2025.

Upper-Division Students

ELIGIBILTY

All students who are not currently enrolled in fall 2025 courses at Vanderbilt and are eligible to return for the spring 2026 semester, including study abroad participants, out-of-town internship participants, and students on a leave of absence, are required to complete the Spring Housing Application. Recently admitted or reinstated students are also required to submit an application.

The following continuing students do NOT need to submit a Spring Housing Application:

Currently enrolled students residing on campus
Currently enrolled students with off-campus authorization

Students residing off campus for the fall 2025 semester who wish to return to on-campus housing for the spring 2026 semester must email Housing and Residential Experience at housing@vanderbilt.edu to be provided with access to the application if they would like to return to on-campus housing for the spring 2026 semester.

SPRING HOUSING APPLICATION

The Spring Housing Application will be available in the Housing Portal from November 1, 2025 – November 30, 2025. Please be sure to enroll in multifactor authentication via Okta prior to logging into the Housing Portal if you have not already done so.

Students can indicate building preferences and make roommate requests on the application. A maximum of three (3) roommate requests can be made, and only mutual requests will be considered. Roommate requests are not guaranteed.

Students who submit their applications by the November 30 deadline will receive their spring housing assignment via email no later than December 23, 2025. Late applicants may not receive their housing assignment until January 2, 2026.

Spaces will be assigned via seniority and random selection.

REQUESTS TO RESIDE IN A GREEK HOUSE

Students who are requesting to reside in their Greek house must submit the Spring Housing Application and contact Kristin Torrey (kristin.torrey@vanderbilt.edu), Director of Greek Life, for permission to reside in available Greek house vacancies by November 30, 2025.

REQUESTS FOR OFF-CAMPUS AUTHORIZATION

The following returning students are eligible to request off-campus authorization for the spring 2026 semester after submission of the Spring Housing Application.

Students scheduled to graduate in May 2026
Returning students who received 2024-2025 off-campus authorization and resided off campus during the spring 2025 semester

NOTE: Fall 2025 on-campus residents are not eligible to request off-campus authorization for the spring 2026 semester.

For eligible students, the Spring Off-Campus Housing Application will be available in the Housing Portal after submission of the general Spring Housing Application. The Spring Off-Campus Application will be considered prior to the general Spring Housing Application.

Please note that requests for off-campus authorization may be denied. Off-campus authorization decisions will be announced via email on or before December 5, 2025. If a student is granted off-campus authorization but would rather reside in on-campus housing, they can decline their off-campus authorization during a designated timeframe. Students who have been denied off-campus authorization will be assigned to available spaces on campus. Students seeking off-campus authorization should not make off-campus arrangements (placing a deposit, signing a lease, etc.) until they have received formal authorization to do so from the Director of Housing Assignments and Operations.

REQUESTS FOR REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

Move-In Information

All residence halls open on Friday, January 2, 2026 at 8AM CST for continuing and returning students. Opening time is not negotiable so we encourage students to plan accordingly.

New first-year and transfer students enrolling for the first time in the spring 2026 are permitted to move in on Friday, January 2 beginning at 8AM CST. Mandatory orientation programming will begin on Sunday, January 4. Additional information regarding orientation is available here.

All new campus residents are required to check in at their designated location and pick up their room key.

KEY PICKUP LOCATIONS ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 2 (FIRST-YEAR & TRANSFER ORIENTATION PARTICIPANTS ONLY):

First-Year Students: TBA
Transfer Students: TBA

KEY PICKUP LOCATIONS FROM FRIDAY, JANUARY 2 – SUNDAY, JANUARY 4:

Upper-Division Students: TBA

KEY PICKUP LOCATIONS BEGINNING MONDAY, JANUARY 5:

TBA