Housing Application for Returning Students

Step 1

The Housing Application for Returning Students is available beginning Jan. 14 at 10 a.m. for students to make the $150 initial housing payment, request roommates, complete a profile, and select the “Renew to My Hall” option for next year. The class standings below (based on credit hour) are referencing what a student’s class standing will be at the conclusion of the spring 2026 semester.

Step 2

Mid-February, you will also receive an email with additional details on the Housing Application for Returning Students process. This email will inform you which Housing Application for Returning Students "Group" you are in – this determines when you are first able to go online in March and select a room (if you do not wish to return to your current assignment). We determine your Housing Application for Returning Students group based on a number of factors, including what your class standing will be at the end of the current academic year.

Students will be placed in a Housing Application for Returning Students group based on their class standing as of the end of the academic year. The Housing Application for Returning Students groups will select rooms with those students who will have 30-59 credit hours at the end of the academic year selecting first. The next group of students will be those that will have 1-29 credit hours at the end of the academic year. The third group of students will include those that will have 60 plus credit hours and graduate students.

A random selection system will be used to assign a time where each student within each of the Housing Application for Returning Students groups will be able to log into the Housing Application for Returning Students system in March to self-select a room for next year. Once your start time has begun, you will be able to log in and look for open rooms until April 4th.

For the 2026-2027 academic year there are changes in some residence halls with respect to student eligibility and process. Please read carefully, as some of these changes could affect you. We hope that the new building configurations will provide housing accommodations that best meet your needs.

Centennial Court B Reminder:

Students currently living in Centennial Court B will be able to select the Renew to My Hall option; however, only those students who are honors students will be able to select a different/new room in Centennial Court B. A non-honors roommate request to live with an honors student in CCB needs to be made through the Honors College office or via email to housing@kent.edu.

Olson Hall:

Athletics community – a little under half will be student athletes and/or students connected to the athletic program. Olson will continue to be open to all students.

Triple Rooms:

Triple rooms will no longer be available.

Room Consolidation:

At the conclusion of Housing Application for Returning Students process, any student in a multiple occupancy room with a vacancy may be relocated to another room in the same building to be paired with another student who signed up for Housing Application for Returning Students and does not currently have a roommate in their room.

What should I know if I want to stay in the same hall for next year?

Students interested in staying in the same hall for the upcoming academic year will have first preference to secure a room in their current hall for next year. Renew to My Hall is NOT an option for students living in the Eastway area, students living in Stopher and Johnson Halls who are not admitted to the Honors College, and students living in Lake Hall. The above areas are for new incoming students or for living-learning communities only. Otherwise, students interested in securing their current room for the upcoming academic year will be able to indicate this preference on their application until Jan. 31 at 5 p.m. at which point the option for Renew to My Hall ends.  

When selecting Renew to My Hall, students will have the option to select a new roommate. To be able to select a room together, your requested roommate needs to have fully submitted their housing application by Jan. 31 at 5 p.m.

What should I know if I want to move to a different room?

Your Housing Application for Returning Students time is based on your projected earned credit hours at the conclusion of the spring 2026 semester. Your date and time for Housing Application for Returning Students will be referenced in a Housing Application for Returning Students email that will be sent to you mid-February.

Beginning in March on your scheduled room self-selection date, once you are able to log into Housing Application for Returning Students, you have the ability to select available spaces. Through the online site, you can search for a room and/or make changes to your future assignment until the end of Housing Application for Returning Students on April 1. It is better to secure a room early and continue to look for another room if you would like to make a change. There are no waiting lists as the Housing Application for Returning Students site is live 24x7 for students to view available space instantly. Housing Application for Returning Students will end on April 1 at 5 p.m. and at that time all assignments for the fall semester will be finalized, pending the room consolidation process.

Choosing a Roommate

A roommate request isn’t confirmed until the other student has mutually requested you. To make a roommate request, you will need to provide your future roommate’s last name and Kent State University email address. Once a request is confirmed, the first roommate to select a room in March is given the option to assign the requested roommate in the new fall room with them (see Example below). You are unable to request a new incoming student to be your roommate if they have not fully submitted their application.

Choosing a Suitemate

For residence hall rooms/suites/apartments with more than two people (Centennial Court A,  Engleman, Johnson, and Stopher Halls), as long as each student in the group mutually requests each other, the first student in the group to select a room is given the option of bringing along with other students.

Example

In the example below, you see that a requested roommate appears. If you have requested a roommate and they do not appear for you as in the example, your friend has not yet mutually requested you. When selecting a room, if you check the box that reads “Include Friend’s Name”, you will be able to bring that student into the room with you when you choose your room. Keep in mind that by selecting the roommate box, only rooms and halls for which you are both eligible will appear as an option. As an example, if you are admitted to the Honors College but your requested roommate is not, no rooms in Johnson or Stopher Hall will appear for you while you have your roommate selected. Additionally, you may find that when selecting your roommate, a room that previously showed as available for you may disappear. This may be caused by the fact that there is only one vacant bed and not the necessary two in the room that is required to pair you together.

The $150 Initial Housing payment

The $150 Initial Housing Payment will secure a room for the 2026-2027 academic year. This payment is NOT a fee, nor is it a refundable security deposit. The $150 Initial Housing Payment will be credited towards your fall housing charges and will be reflected on your student account as a credit. The $150 Initial Housing Payment is due at the time of application. You will not be able to secure a specific housing assignment without first making payment, including a request of Renew to My Hall. If you decide to cancel your housing after May 1, 2026  the $150 Initial Housing Payment will be forfeited. Students eligible to reside off-campus who re-contract through Housing Application for Returning Students may cancel the application via email to University Housing on or before 5 p.m. May 1, 2026 for a refund of the $150 Initial Housing Payment.

The $40 Application Fee

All students are required to pay the $40 application fee (both new/incoming and returning students).

What happens if I miss the Housing Application for Returning Students process?

Students required to live on campus who do not go through the online Housing Application for Returning Students process and secure a room for 2026-2027, (by April 1 at 5 p.m.), are able to submit an incoming housing application for Fall 2026. 

Any student who goes through the Housing Application for Returning Students process but does not self-select a room by April 1, 2026 will be assigned a room by University Housing.

Pending occupancy projections, students currently living on campus who do not complete the housing application for returning students may be directed to a housing waitlist application. If this occurs, students on the waitlist may not be able to apply for on-campus housing until mid-to-late summer.

Halls Available for Housing Application for Returning Students:

Halls Not Available for Housing Application for Returning Students: