Undergraduate students
Please note: Those who apply for the Fall Term (September to December only) will not be included in the lottery or Returner Priority. Fall term applicants will be placed on the waitlist below full academic year applicants.
Undergraduate Lottery for Fall 2026
Although the University of Victoria has a first-year residence guarantee, we do have residence spaces available for other students (upper-year undergraduates). This number changes each year based on the number of applicants covered by the first-year guarantee, and the total available spaces in our buildings.
- The application deadline for the undergraduate lottery is May 15.
- Full-year applicants are given preference in our room assignment process. Applicants must apply for the full academic year (Winter Session: September to April) to be included in the undergraduate lottery.
- After May 15, we run the undergraduate lottery and determine each applicant's place on the undergraduate list.
- We begin offering rooms to undergraduates shortly after the application deadline. The process of offering rooms (and having students either accept or reject their offer) will go on all summer until late August.
- Eligible applicants in the undergraduate lottery may receive a room offer between May - August, depending on availability.
Undergraduate Returner Priority for Fall 2026
Residence Services anticipates offering a Returner Priority for a limited number of in-house undergraduate residents for Fall 2026. This process is under review, and more information will be available by mid-February 2026.
To qualify for the Returner Policy, applicants must be an in-room undergraduate resident during the Spring 2026 term.
A note for those applying to programs at the West Shore campus: on-campus accommodations are located on the Gordon Head campus. Before applying for residence, please consider location, distance, and commuting options between the two campuses.
How and when to apply
Before you begin your residence application, make sure you have your NetLink ID and an email address that you will use for at least the next 12 months.
You will need to pay the non-refundable $50 application fee by credit card or debit. This fee is paid online as part of the application process.
Undergraduate Lottery
Applications for the academic year open on the first Monday in February at 9:00 a.m. PST.
If you are applying as an undergraduate student, the deadline to be included in the undergraduate lottery is May 15. Applicants must apply for the full academic year (Winter Session: September to April) to be included in the undergraduate lottery.
If we receive your application on May 16 or later, you will not be included in the lottery and will be added to our waitlist.
Reminder: If your application is for the Fall Term (September to December only), you will not be included in the lottery and will be added to our waitlist.
Returner Priority
Further information about the Returner Priority for Fall 2026 will be available by mid-February 2026.
To qualify for the Returner Priority, applicants must be an in-room undergraduate resident during the Spring 2026 term.
Accommodation preferences
When you apply, you will be able to rank up to five preferences for housing type (including selecting a room type and a community).
Undergraduate students are eligible to select cluster housing, pod-style housing, dormitory rooms, and select living learning communities (LLC).
Please be advised that we try our best to accommodate room preferences whenever possible, however requests for a particular room type are not guaranteed.
Apply for a Living Learning Community
Select Living Learning Communities (LLCs) are open to undergraduate applicants in single dormitory rooms and pod-style housing.
If you are interested in a Living Learning Community you must submit a supplemental application. Applicants will be selected based on the quality of their answers, including examples of:
- experience and genuine interest in the theme
- ability to actively contribute to the theme and their community
Living Learning Community applications are reviewed and ranked by the LLC committee based on the quality of answers to the supplemental question. Room offers to the Living Leaning Communities are based on these rankings. Applicants who are not accepted into a Living Learning Community are still eligible for a room through the standard residence admissions process, as long as they have submitted an application and qualify to live in residence.
We look forward to reading your application and welcoming you to one of our fantastic communities!
Can I request a roommate?
After I apply
- Once we run the undergraduate lottery, we'll send you an email indicating your lottery number and we will give you an estimate of whether or not you may receive an offer. Please note our assignment process is dynamic and room offers go out from May until the end of August, as availability allows.
- If you receive your room offer in March, April, May or June, you have 4 days to accept the offer by paying the $500.00 non-refundable acceptance fee, the $250 security deposit, and agreeing to the Residence Contract terms.
- If you receive your room offer in July or August, you have 48 hours to accept your offer by paying the $500.00 non-refundable acceptance fee, the $250 security deposit, and agreeing to the Residence Contract terms.
- If you receive a room offer and do not accept within the given timeline, the offer will be cancelled.
- Students who receive a room offer, will receive one offer only.
Cancellations
- If you wish to cancel your residence application, and you haven't received a room offer, you may do so through the Housing Portal. On the Application Status page, look for the "Cancel Application" option. Please note that the $50 application fee is non-refundable.
- If you have accepted a room offer and wish to cancel your room, you must send a written cancellation notice to Residence Admissions: resadmin@uvic.ca.
- Applications are non-transferable. Your application fee is non-refundable and may not be used towards a future application.