Fall Housing Sign-up and Renewal
Beginning July 15, the fall 2025/spring 2026 room selection process will be offline, and all room assignments will be made manually by housing staff for incoming fall students. Please proceed to step 3 and complete your contract and prepayment to start the process.
We're excited that you're interested in living on campus in the fall! The residence halls and Northern View Community apartments are great places to find your niche on campus. Life on campus is full of opportunities to get engaged.
Get Started
Will you be a new student or are you a current resident looking to renew your housing?
Currently an off-campus NIU student who would like to live in the halls? Email us and we’ll set you up to sign our housing contract and select a room.
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1
Be admitted
Apply and be admitted to NIU.
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2
Check out our residence halls
Take some time to learn about NIU's residence halls and residential communities and find the one that's a great fit for your lifestyle. You can even schedule a tour and experience the halls in person.
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3
Submit your housing contract and prepayment
Sign Contract and Make Prepayment
Sign your contract and make a $150 payment. $25 of this payment is a non-refundable processing fee and the other $125 is a prepayment for your housing.
If you don't want to do this online, you can also sign a contract by mail.
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4
Register and Attend New Student Orientation
You'll learn more about NIU, your classes and what to expect on move-in day. View orientation dates.
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5
Get a parking permit
Bringing a car to campus? Buy your parking permit at orientation.
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6
Pack your things
August
Get everything you need for your new room. See a packing list.
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7
Move in!
Week of August 20-24, 2025
Stay tuned for your specific date and time consistent with physical distancing measures.
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1
Select your room
As a current resident, you get the opportunity to select housing ahead of incoming freshmen and transfer students. Your prepayment is waived, so there's no upfront cost to sign up for housing.
Renew your current room
10 a.m. Feb. 12 to 10 a.m. Feb. 18You'll be able to secure your current room on campus for the 2025-2026 year. Select a different room on your current floor or cluster
10 a.m. Feb. 18 to 10 a.m. Feb. 24You'll be able to select a different room on your current floor or cluster for the 2025-2026 year (residency halls only). Pull in a roommate from a different floor to your room
10 a.m. Feb. 24 to 9 a.m. Feb. 25You'll be able to add a roommate from somewhere else to the room you reserved. This is done through email to housing@niu.edu or in person at the Main Housing Office in Neptune East 101. Campuswide room selection using your priority appointment. 9 a.m. Feb. 26 to 4 p.m. Feb. 27
All residential students who have not selected a room to this point, have a Priority Appointment time which is their first opportunity to select a room in a different building, floor, or Living-learning or Special Interest community. Your Priority Appointment is based on how long you have lived with us, with earlier times for upper class residents.
Sign-up offline for returning students
8 a.m. March 1 to 9 a.m. April 1Sign-up is offline for current students Sign-up open to all students
9 a.m. April 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 20Returning students must be enrolled for fall courses by the open enrollment period (April 18) and will require a $150 prepayment/application fee after May 31.
Room selection is open to all students, including current residents, freshmen and transfer students. -
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Move in
Week of August 20-24, 2025
Stay tuned for your specific date and time once the Week of Welcome has been finalized.
Learn more about what to expect on move-in day.