Welcome Home, New Beacons!
Welcome to Valparaiso University! We are happy that you will be joining us on campus!
Are you ready to start the journey to something amazing?!? Living On-campus not only means you have everything you need to be successful right at your finger tips, BUT it also fosters independence, responsibility, and resilience as you navigate academic challenges and your new home away from home. The live on-campus experience plays a key role in shaping you into a more confident, self-reliant individual, ready to take on the world. It’s not JUST about academics—it’s about preparing you for life’s next big steps!
Because we believe in preparing our students for those next big steps, Valparaiso University has a six-semester live-on residency requirement, which means all first-year, sophomore, and junior students are required to live in approved University housing (not dependent on credits received). Having eight residence halls and an apartment complex, which are home to 1,500 undergraduate students, means a variety of living options are open to you each year; leveling up as you level up!
Our Halls: More Than Just a Place to Sleep!
Residency is a key component of the mission of Valparaiso University. The residence halls are central to this effort by providing living and learning experiences that contribute to the growth and development of students while enhancing their overall education at Valpo. Residential Life provides various programs, services, and leadership opportunities which promote the student learning mission.
What halls do first-year students reside in?
Our first-year students reside in Brandt and Alumni halls. Each hall has the same room size (11.5’ x 13’).
Brandt has moveable furniture, carpet floors, and no sinks. Alumni Hall has built-in furniture, tile floors, and sinks. In both halls, beds are Twin XL. Both halls have lounges on each floor, community bathrooms, a kitchen on a lower floor, and laundry in the building.
What halls do transfer students reside in?
Transfer students live with their class cohort. Upper-class students generally reside in Beacon Hall, Guild-Memorial Hall, or Wehrenberg Hall. There is limited availability in our Promenade Apartments. We try our best to place residents based on preference and hall availability. However, there is more limited availability in our upper-class residence halls for our transfer students as they are assigned after our returning students have selected their housing.
See a full building/room amenities list as well as floor/room layouts by clicking below:
New Student On-Campus Housing Confirmation- Step 1
After being accepted to ValpoU, the next step to ensure you are ready to live on campus will be to complete your New Student On-Campus Housing Confirmation (this is our on-campus housing application)!
In your New Student On-Campus Housing Confirmation, students are asked to provide emergency contact information, list their preferences and then give us their housing/building preferences. This application can be found in the Housing Self-Service Portal in your DataVU. Click on the button below to see our step by step guide!
Room Accommodations- Step 2 (if needed)
If your student is in need of a medical accommodation (AC in their room, a private bathroom, non-carpeted floors, assignment near a bathroom, etc.) for their assignment, they will need to be sure to indicate YES in their New Student On-Campus Housing Confirmation AND THEN contact the Access and Accommodations Resource Center (AARC) as soon as possible.
The Student must submit a Medical/Special Accommodation Request, which includes documentation from a medical professional. Accommodations can only be approved and determined by the Access and Accommodations Resource Center (AARC), NOT by the Res Life Office. A letter from a medical provider or conversations with other university personnel do NOT guarantee approval.
If you have an official approval for a residential accommodation through Valparaiso University’s Access and Accommodations Resource Center Accommodation (AARC), the AARC will contact our office with further instructions regarding your accommodation. Our assignment team will then place the student in a room that meets their accommodation needs. The student will be sent an email once this is completed so they are able to view their new assignment in the Housing Self-Service Portal in their DataVU. Please Note: Not all halls can accommodate specific accommodation needs so the student’s assignment may/will change.
PLEASE ALSO NOTE: Your medical/special accommodation accommodates you and not your requested roommate. We will do our best to accommodate you with a requested roommate, however, we have limited spaces with AC, private bathrooms, etc., and need to accommodate students with a need prior to preferred roommate pairings.
Any accommodations submitted after July 18th, 2025 (or December 12th, 2025 for Spring semester) may not be honored due to room availability.
Roommates- Step 3
Once your On-Campus Housing Confirmation is complete, if interested, you can search for a roommate based on name, valpo email or living preferences. We encourage students to use the ZeeMee social app to search for roommates and then confirm them in your Housing Confirmation as well. Please note that if you do not request a roommate, you will be paired with an individual using the information on your On-Campus Housing Confirmation.
Students will only be able to search for and request a roommate after that person has also completed the New Student On-Campus Housing Confirmation. By completing the On-Campus Housing Confirmation, you create a profile with your housing preference information allowing you to be searched by other students. If you cannot find your desired roommate, then they need to complete the On-Campus Housing Confirmation.
Mutual requests for specific roommates are honored when possible. Otherwise, roommates are paired using the information supplied in your On-Campus Housing Confirmation. Please use the step-by-step guide below to help you through this process:
You will only be able to find the Select A Roommate option in your DataVU after you completed the New Student Housing Confirmation.
- To find your desired roommate log into your Housing Self-Service. Under the Room Selection tab, select Select Roommates, you will then be able to search your roommate based on their name. When you find your roommate, you will request them, which will send them an email notification (similar to a Facebook friend request). Your roommate will need to log into their Housing Self-Service to confirm you as their roommate. All students must be mutually matched to be assigned to a space with one another.
First-year students can only select one roommate since all first-year spaces only hold two students.
When being placed, both living preferences (listed in the housing confirmation you completed) of both roommates will be considered. The first preference that will be considered will be that of the student who completed their application first (earliest). If there is no availability in that preference, the confirmed roommates preference will then be considered. If there is no availability in that preference, both students will be placed where space is available.
If you do not have a roommate in mind you can…
- Search for one based on living and personal preferences provided in your On-Campus Housing Application.
- Search for one on the ZeeMee social app for college and then request them in Housing Self-Service.
If you don’t find someone, students without matched roommates are paired using the information supplied on your On-Campus Housing Application.
Assignments Overview
All new (first time ValpoU) students will be placed in a double occupancy room. Room assignment information will be sent to a student’s Valpo email account according to the important dates outlined below. Along with your assignment, you will receive the name and contact information of your roommate(s) and information on move-in & check-in procedures. Room assignments will also be available through the student’s Housing Self-Service (accessible through DataVU).
Important Tips
- If you have a roommate in mind, please be sure to mutually match with them by the listed deadlines (below) so we can guarantee placement with one another. Please ensure you and your desired roommate have provided the same housing preferences to ensure that you are assigned to your desired hall.
- Assignments for students who do not have priority housing will be made based on the deposit date, with earlier dates receiving preference.
Depending on the time of the year that you are applying to ValpoU and when you complete the above two steps in our on-campus housing process, there will be limited single rooms available. This type of room may not be an option for all transfer students.
Once you live on campus with us, we will go through a priority room selection process (January-March) with current students and you will have the option to pick a single room for next year during this time.
Important Dates
Priority New Student Housing Assignment Dates– Fall Semester Only
Students will have access to our New Student Housing Confirmation form beginning in May, to secure their roommate and housing assignment before attending FOCUS orientation in June. They are guaranteed their first choice residence hall between Brandt Hall and Alumni Hall if they deposit early AND attend an Admitted Student Day (while room availability exists).
Once a student completes these items (deposit, attend admitted student day, housing confirmation), they will receive their assignment according to the timeline below:
| Date | Fall Semester |
|---|---|
| Thursday, May 1st | New Student Housing Confirmation with Roommate Search Feature Opens (via DataVU) |
| Friday, May 30 | Medical Accommodations DUE for all Priority Students New Student Housing Confirmation & Roommate Requests DUE (allowing Residential Life to make assignments) |
| Week of Monday, June 2 | Priority Assignment Notifications Sent to Valpo Student Email Account (check DataVU/Housing Self-Service portal for all roommate information) |
| Monday, June 9 | FOCUS Session 1 Starts |
If the student deposits early but does NOT attend an admitted student day, they will be put into the General New Student Confirmation timeline (outlined in the section below).
General New/Transfer Student Assignment Dates– Fall & Spring Semesters
Students who complete their housing application after May 30th are guaranteed a space in housing, but may not receive their first choice residence hall (between Brandt Hall and Alumni Hall). The Housing Confirmation form will be available to you 48 hours after you deposit via the DataVU portal.
Once a student completes these items (deposit, housing confirmation), they will receive their assignment according to the timeline below:
| Date | Fall Semester |
|---|---|
| Thursday, May 1st | New Student Housing Confirmation with Roommate Search Feature Remains Open (via DataVU) |
| Friday, July 4 | New Student Housing Confirmation & Roommate Requests DUE for second round of assignments (allowing Residential Life to make assignments) |
| Week of Monday, July 7 | Second Round of Assignment Notifications Sent to Valpo Student Email Account (check DataVU/Housing Self-Service portal for all roommate information) |
| Friday, August 1st | New Student Housing Confirmation & Roommate Requests DUE for Third round of assignments (allowing Residential Life to make assignments) |
| Week of Monday, August 4th | Third Round of Assignment Notifications Sent to Valpo Student Email Account (check DataVU/Housing Self-Service portal for all roommate information) |
If the student completes the New Student Confirmation after August 1st, assignments will be sent on a rolling basis. The Roommate Search option will remain open until the end of September for any late university admits.
| Date | Spring Semester |
|---|---|
| Sunday, October 12th | Spring Semester Student Housing Confirmation Open (via DataVU) |
| Friday, December 5th | Spring Semester Student Housing Confirmation DUE for first round of spring assignments |
| Week of Monday, December 8th | First Round of Spring Assignment Notifications Sent to Valpo Student Email Account (check DataVU/Housing Self-Service portal for all roommate information) |
| Friday, December 19th | Last day office is open, will send Second Round of Spring Assignments Any applications received AFTER this date will be contacted in January when the university returns from winter break- NO ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE MADE OVER THE BREAK |
| Week of Monday, January 5th | Last Round of Spring Assignment Notifications Sent to Valpo Student Email Account (check DataVU/Housing Self-Service portal for all roommate information) – classes start Wednesday, January 14th, 2026 |
If the student completes the New Student Confirmation after January 5th, assignments will be sent on a rolling basis. The Roommate Search option will remain open until the end of February for any late university admits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you deposit you’ll receive your ValpoNet account information.
At first, your password will be your student ID number and you’ll need to change your password through the Account Management System at apps.valpo.edu/ams. Setup your recovery options in case you forget your password. For additional assistance, contact the IT Help Desk.
Once your ValpoNet account has been set up you will then be able to log into datavu.valpo.edu with your credentials.
If your preferences change you are able to revisit the housing application on DataVU. Preferences are not able to be adjusted after the above dates. Students who have a roommate in mind need to make sure they and their roommate have placed the same housing preferences.
If you have priority housing you will need to complete your housing application by 5pm Friday, May 31 to guarantee you are placed in your first preference hall. The housing application will close on May 31 to allow our office time to assign students with priority housing. We cannot guarantee priority housing placements for students who do not complete their housing application by Friday, May 31.
Students who wish to live with students who complete the housing application after May 31 will need to be reassigned, and should reach out to our office at reslife@valpo.edu to notify us of your housing situation. We will do our best to accommodate your request. Due to inventory availability, we cannot guarantee your priority housing hall assignment will be available.
Students who lose roommates due to reassignment, will be consolidated with another student on the floor they were assigned.
Students who are enrolled in priority housing will be assigned prior to FOCUS. If a student finds a desired roommate at FOCUS, after being assigned a roommate, they should reach out to our office at reslife@valpo.edu to notify us of your housing situation. Due to inventory availability, we cannot guarantee your priority housing hall assignment will be available.
Students who lose roommates due to reassignment, will be consolidated with another student on the floor they were assigned.
All room changes must be completed by Friday, July 12, 2024.
Students who live exclusively in the permanent or primary residence of a parent or legal guardian within 25 miles of the Valparaiso University campus are eligible to adjust their housing status to commuter prior to Friday, June 21. We ask students to complete this process so we can appropriately notify Financial Aid as your cost of attendance will decrease, and may impact your aid.
Step 1: Complete a Housing Exemption Request
The Housing Exemption Request application available on your DATAVU>Housing Self-Service.
Step 2: Complete the Commuter Student Agreement
Complete the Commuting Student Agreement Form. Once complete, email the Commuter Student Agreement Form, a copy of your parent’s current utility bill, and a copy of their Driver’s license that has the address you will commute from, to reslife@valpo.edu. Once this paperwork is complete, our office will process your commuter form.
If you wish to change to residential status we encourage you to speak with Financial Aid prior to making this decision. Changing your residential status will likely increase your cost of attendance and we would like to make sure your aid is adjusted accordingly. Once confirmed we will work with you individually to get you assigned on-campus. Please email us to discuss the process of living on-campus.