Office of Residence Life

Housing Selection - Incoming First-Year Students

As a four-year residential college, Oberlin College requires all enrolled students to live on campus unless they receive approval for Study Away, OSCA Housing, or an Exemption status. To comply with this policy, all students — regardless of their housing status — must complete the annual college housing registration.

Housing Selection Process

Oberlin College offers a variety of housing options to meet your individual needs. We encourage you to explore the details of each housing option on our website to find the perfect fit for you.

Once you have identified your preferred housing options, you can begin the registration process. During registration, you will have the opportunity to indicate your building preferences, which will assist us in placing you if you choose not to participate in the Housing Lottery. Additionally, if you are interested in joining one of our LLC Communities, you can apply during the registration process.

After selecting your housing preferences, the next step will be to indicate your roommate preferences. Since most First-Year rooms are designed for two students, you will have the chance to find a roommate who shares similar preferences during the housing registration process. If you already have a specific person in mind with whom you'd like to live, you can search for them by their name or email address. For detailed guidance on selecting a roommate, please refer to the Roommate Guide provided on our website.

We are committed to ensuring that your living experience at Oberlin College is enriching and fulfilling. Should you have any questions or require assistance at any stage of the housing registration process, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you every step of the way.

We look forward to welcoming you to your new home at Oberlin College.

Incoming First-Year Housing Registration: Opens April 1, 2025

Housing Registration Link

 

Disability Accommodation Requests

Eligibility

Students with disabilities may apply for housing and dining accommodations to request reasonable modifications. The College requires supporting documentation from an appropriately licensed professional that identifies the student's disability-related barriers to access and how the requested accommodation will mitigate or remove those barriers.  Complete Details Available Here 

Application Process

Apply By: May 2, 2025

Students applying for a disability accommodation must still complete the Housing Registration. If granted an accommodation, you will receive notice from the Office of Disability and Access. Students with accommodations will be assigned housing based on their accommodations and preferences provided in the Housing Registration.

Accommodation housing assignments will be sent via email in June. 

Commuter and Other Exemptions Requests

Eligibility

Commuter and other exemption statuses do not carry over from year to year, and students must reapply yearly. For complete details and requirements, visit Housing Exemptions. 

  • Age Exemption- Students who are 23 years or older by January 1 of the academic year in which the exemption applies to them.
  • Commuter Exemption- Students who live with their parents or guardians and commute from their parents or guardians' primary home within a 50 mile radius of Oberlin and have a minimum of six (6) months established residency
    • Required Documentation-Copy of the parent/legal guardian’s driver’s license or state-issued identification, showing a matching address and a Utility bill with the guardian's name and address that is six months prior to the date of the request. 
  • Marriage Exemption- Students married by legal commitment and married to an individual who is a non-Oberlin student.
    • Required Documentation- Copy of Marriage Certificate by August 15 for upcoming fall semester requests and December 15 for upcoming spring semester requests.
  • Dependent Exemption- Students who are the primary caregiver for an underage dependent.
    • Required Documentation- Most recent year's complete income tax form listing children who were claimed as dependents by the student.
  • Part-Time Student Status-Students enrolled for five credit hours or less. The exemption will not be granted until after the add/drop period at which time eligibility will be verified.
    • Required Documentation-Copy of the Part-Time Approval Form. 

Application

Complete the Housing Registration and the Exemption section of the registration.  

Upload all required supporting documentation

Apply By: May 2nd, 2025

Living Learning Communities (LLC)

Eligibility

Open to any student that meets the requirements of the specific community. For more information about these communities, visit the links listed below. 

Apply By: May 2, 2025

To apply, complete the Housing Registration and then select the LLC community that you are interested in. Once a community has been selected, the community application questions will appear in the Housing Registration. 

If approved, placement confirmation will be sent in May.  The student will be removed from the First-Year Lottery if placed in a community. 

If a first-year student isn't approved for a LLC placement, they will be eligible to select housing through the First-Year Housing Lottery in June. If an incoming transfer student isn't approved for a LLC placement, they will be in accordance with their housing preferences into traditional housing over the summer.

First-Year Housing Lottery Process

Eligibility

First-Year students who didn’t receive a housing placement through an earlier housing process(Accommodation, Exemption, LLC) will be assigned a lottery time to participate in the virtual First-Year Housing Selection/ Lottery. Lottery times are randomly assigned to individuals who have applied by the deadline. 

During the Lottery, students will log into the Housing Registration and select their room from available First-Year housing options. 

Roommate Groups

Given that most First-Year rooms accommodate two students, you'll have the opportunity to select a roommate who aligns with your preferences as you navigate the housing registration process. If you already have someone specific in mind, you can easily find them by searching their name or email address. It's important to note that the requested roommate must then accept the roommate request in their housing registration. Once the request has been approved, both individuals will be placed in a roommate group together.

Important Dates

  • Register Here: Housing Registration
  • Apply By: June 8, 2025
  • Roommate Groups Formed By: June 8, 2025
  • Lottery Times Sent: June 10, 2025
  • Lottery Selection: June 12 & 13, 2025

Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA)

Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA) has four housing & dining co-ops and one dining-only co-op, which includes one dining safe space and one program hall. As a member of OSCA, you may choose from both room & board and board-only options

To apply, visit the OSCA Website. 

If you have any questions about co-op membership, contact the OSCA office (in the Tank apartment) 440-775-8108 or, email them at office@osca.coop.

Oberlin Student Cooperative Association is an independent student-run housing option that is not part of Oberlin College Housing.