NEW FRESHMAN/NEW TRANSFER STUDENT TIMELINE
STUDENTS ENTERING THE FALL SEMESTER 2026
Apply online in MyEIU for housing in the Residence Halls or Greek Court. Your MyEIU Housing Checklist will give you a link to the Housing Portal. Submit the housing application and a $50 non-refundable application fee to establish a priority date for the assignment process. Once the housing application has been submitted and the non-refundable fee has been paid, your application will stay on file permanently.
You can complete the Housing Application and pay the $50 fee beginning one day after you have been admitted to EIU! All room assignments are first-come-first-serve and based on availability.
The Room and Board Contract will be available online in MyEIU beginning in mid-January for those students who have applied for housing, and must be submitted in order for the room assignment to be made. This is where you will submit your choices for residence hall, room type, meal plan, etc.
If you apply for housing after January, the room and board contract and housing preference form will be available in MyEIU once the application and $50 fee have been processed.
Your $100 Housing Down Payment can be paid right after submitting the Room and Board Contract, using the same link in MyEIU. This payment must be received by March 15 in order for you to gain access to search for and select your roommate.
Roommate matching will open on March 15, for students who have completed a Room and Board Contract and have paid the $100 Housing Down Payment. You'll use the same link in MyEIU to access this. You can search for a roommate by completing a profile about yourself and our system will show you other students that might be a great fit! You can communicate inside the system with other students and when you have decided on a roommate, you will put yourself in a Roommate Group.
If you start your housing steps after March 15, you will gain access to the Roommate section upon completion of all the above steps.
Housing Assignment Letters are mailed in late May to all students who have completed all the above steps by May 1. If you submit your application for housing or submit the Room and Board Contract after May 1, you can expect to receive your Housing Assignment Letter in July.
If you apply for housing or submit the Room and Board Contract after May 1, the cancellation deadline is August 1.
STUDENTS ENTERING THE SPRING SEMESTER 2026
Apply online in MyEIU for housing in the Residence Halls or Greek Court by submitting the housing application and a $50 non-refundable application fee to establish a priority date for the assignment process. Once the housing application has been submitted and the non-refundable fee has been paid, your application will stay on file permanently.
You can complete the Housing Application and pay the $50 fee as soon as you are admitted to EIU! All room assignments are first-come-first-serve and based on availability.
The Room and Board Contract will be available beginning in mid-October for those students who have applied for housing, and must be submitted in order for the room assignment to be made. This is where you will submit your choices for residence hall, room type, roommate, meal plan, etc. Optimal date to submit the online contract and preference form is December 1.
If you apply for housing after October, the Room and Board Contract will be available once the application and $50 fee have been processed.
Housing Assignment Letters are mailed in mid-December to all students who have submitted a Room and Board Contract. The optimal date to submit the online contract and preference form is December 1.
If you apply for housing or submit the room and board contract and preference form after December 1, you can expect to receive your assignment as soon as it is made.
The Housing Down Payment of $100 is due by the Friday before classes begin in January, regardless of financial aid status.
The deadline to cancel the room and board contract if you are not going to be a student at EIU is the Friday before classes begin in January.
Additional Information
Students requiring special accommodations should contact The Office of Accessibility and Accommodations as well as University Housing and Dining Services at your earliest convenience in order to discuss your particular needs before coming to campus.
University Housing & Dining Services at 杏吧原创is committed to serving students of all genders, gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations and makes housing and roommate assignments based upon a student's assigned sex at birth. We recognize that some students may have specific housing needs or concerns that will not be addressed by this practice. If you would like assistance identifying the best housing option for you, please contact us or the Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity. Your needs will be discussed to determine how best to match your needs with the housing options available. All information will be kept confidential to the fullest extent possible and shared with University staff only on a need-to-know basis.