Office of Residence Life
Housing Selection For Current & Returning Students
As a residential college, Oberlin College requires on-campus living for all enrolled students, except those granted approval for Study Away, OSCA Housing, Off-Campus, or Exemption status. In adherence to this policy, all students, regardless of their status, are required to complete the annual college housing registration.
Fall 2025 Housing Selection Process
The Housing Registration encompasses all college housing options and exemption statuses*. Be sure to take note of the distinct deadlines associated with each housing choice to ensure timely submission. Your attention to the specified dates is very important in preventing any oversight and ensuring a smooth application process for your preferred housing type.
Off-Campus Status Registration: Opens February 4, 2025
On-Campus Housing Registration: Opens February 17, 2025
Off-Campus Status Lottery
Off-Campus Status releases a student from the requirement to live in College Housing. To obtain this status, students must apply and be selected through the Off-Campus Lottery. If approved, they are responsible for securing their own housing in the local community
Approval for Off-Campus Status does not carry over from year to year; students must reapply annually.
Off-Campus Status does not include Village Housing, OSCA Housing, or Exemptions. Each of these housing options has a separate application process.
Process: Prior to the Off-Campus Lottery, the College pre-determines how many students will be released to off-campus for the next academic year. A lottery will be held for those who apply and who qualify for off-campus. Only students selected during the lottery will be approved to live off-campus.
Apply Here: Off-Campus Process
Off-Campus Information: Off-Campus Policy
Important Dates:
- Application Opens: Monday, February 4, 2025
- Application Deadline: Friday, February 21, 2025
- Lottery Result Notification: Monday, February 24, 2025
- Confirmation & Orientation Deadline: Friday, March 7, 2025
Eligibility:
- Students who will have completed six or more semesters at Oberlin by the end of the Spring 2025 semester.
- Off-Campus status does not carry over from year to year. Students must re-apply yearly and be selected through the Off-Campus Lottery.
- Off-Campus offers are contingent on enrollment at Oberlin’s campus for Fall 2025. If a student does not attend in the fall, their Off-Campus offer will be rescinded for the 2025/2026 Academic Year.
Confirmation Details:
- Off-Campus Status is contingent on the completion of the Off-Campus Confirmation & Orientation by the set deadline.
- Once a student confirms their Off-Campus status, they are no longer eligible to participate in the on-campus housing selection process. However, if a student who has already accepted the Off-Campus status is unable to secure off-campus housing, they may request to rejoin the on-campus housing selection process. In doing so, their Off-Campus offer will be canceled and cannot be reinstated. To request a change from Off-Campus to On-Campus housing, students must email the Residence Life Office at reslife@oberlin.edu.
Village Lottery Participation:
- Students approved for Off-Campus status on February 24 may wait until March 7 to confirm their acceptance. This allows them the option to participate in the Village Lotteries. If a student or their group selects a Village housing assignment during the lottery, their Off-Campus offer will be canceled and cannot be reinstated.
- Important: If a student selects housing during the Village Lottery, they will no longer be eligible for Off-Campus status for the 2025-2026 Academic Year.
Students approved for Off-Campus status who do not select Village Housing or complete the Off-Campus Confirmation & Orientation by March 7, 2025, will forfeit their Off-Campus offer.
Village Housing Lottery Process
Eligibility
Students with four or more semesters at Oberlin by the end of the Spring 25 semester.
Village Housing Details and Policies
Single Occupancy Apartment Lottery
Throughout this procedure, individuals will receive a designated lottery time to access the Housing Portal and choose from the available single apartments. Given the limited quantity of single apartments, allocations are made on a first-come, first-served basis during the lottery process.
Important Dates
- Registration Opens: February 17, 2025
- Register Here: Housing Registration
- Apply By: February 23, 2025
- Lottery Times Sent: February 26, 2025
- Lottery Selection: February 28, 2025
Multiple Occupancy Apartment Lottery
Students seeking a multiple-occupancy apartment must form a roommate group that matches their desired room size. Each group member will receive the same lottery time, determined by averaging their individual times. During the assigned lottery time, the group can select from available apartments that accommodate their size. Any group member may finalize the selection, though it is recommended that groups designate a representative for this task.
If no apartment of the preferred size is available during their lottery time, groups may adjust their member count to explore alternative apartment sizes until they find a suitable option.
Village Multi-Occupancy Apartment Types:
- Apartment 2-Person - Apartment with two separate bedrooms
- Shared Apartment 2 Person - Apartment with one bedroom for two residents
- Apartment 3-Person - Apartment with three separate bedrooms
- Shared Apartment 3 Person - Apartment with two bedrooms for three residents
- Apartment 4-Person - Apartment with four bedrooms
Important Dates
- Registration Opens: February 14, 2025
- Register Here: Housing Registration
- Apply By: March 1, 2025
- Roommate Groups Formed By: March 3, 2025
- Lottery Times Sent: March 4, 2025
- Lottery Selection: March 6, 2025
Woodland Hall Lottery
Oberlin College's newest residential facility. The building consists of four floors and 402 beds, which are configured primarily as four-person suites. Each suite features private bedrooms for each resident as well as a shared bathroom, kitchenette, and dining area.
Roommate Groups
Students seeking a Woodland four-person suite should form a four-person roommate group. Each group member will receive the same lottery time, determined by averaging their individual times. During the assigned lottery time, the group can select from the available suites. Any group member may finalize the selection, though it is recommended that groups designate a representative for this task.
Important Dates
- Registration Opens: February 17, 2025
- Register Here: Housing Registration
- Apply By: March 9, 2025
- Roommate Groups Formed By: March 10, 2025
- Lottery Times Sent: March 11, 2025
- Woodland Lottery: March 13, 2025
Living Learning Communities (LLCs)
Formerly known as LITE Communities
Eligibility: Open to any student who meets the requirements of the specific community.
Community Information:
Placement letters will be sent in April. Upon receiving these letters, students holding offers are required to confirm their acceptance. It's important to note that eligibility to partake in the Traditional Housing Lottery will no longer apply once a placement is accepted.
If a student is approved for an LLC placement and doesn't accept the placement by the set deadline, the offer will be rescinded.
Students not approved for an LLC can select housing during the Traditional Housing Lottery.
Important Dates
- Registration Opens: February 17, 2025
- Register Here: Housing Registration
- Apply By: March 16, 2025
- Placements Sent: Week of April 7, 2025
- Confirmation Due: April 13, 2025
Disability Accommodation Process
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
- ODA Documentation- Available Now
- Schedule ODA Meeting- Meet with the Office for Disability and Access staff
- Oberlin Housing Registration
- Students with permanent approval from the Office for Disability and Access for their accommodation do not need to re-register with ODA. However, they must still complete the Housing Application. To verify if you have a multi-year approval, please review your ODA accommodation by going to Oberview and searching for AIM. Once in AIM, you will see your accommodation and approved time frame.
- If you have questions about your accommodation status, please contact the Office for Disability and Access.
tudents applying for a disability accommodation must still complete the Housing Application. If granted accommodation, the student will receive notice from the Office for Disability and Access. Students with accommodations will be assigned housing based on their accommodations and preferences provided in the housing application.
Important Dates
- Housing Registration Opens: February 17, 2025
- Register Here: Housing Registration
- Apply By: March 16, 2025
- Placements Sent: Week of April 7, 2025
- Confirmation Due: April 13, 2025
LLC Housing Note: Accommodation placements will be made for those who have applied and been accepted into LLC Housing.
Commuter and Other Exemptions Process
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 of established residency.
- Required Documentation: Copy of the 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.
Important Dates
- Registration Opens: February 17, 2025
- Register Here: Housing Registration
- Apply By: March 16, 2025
- Submit Documentation By: March 16, 2025
- Confirmations Sent: Week of April 7, 2025
Traditional Housing Lottery
Located across campus, the halls range from smaller, more intimate environments that accommodate approximately 80 residents, to halls that house roughly 250 residents. Each hall includes students from multiple class years.
Single Room Lottery
Throughout this process, individuals will receive a designated lottery time to access the Housing Portal and choose from the available single rooms. Given the limited quantity of single rooms, allocations are made on a first-come, first-served basis during the lottery process.
Important Dates
- Registration Opens: February 17, 2025
- Register Here: Housing Registration
- Apply By: April 18, 2025
- Lottery Times Sent: April 22, 2025
- Lottery Selection: April 24, 2025
Multiple Occupancy Room Lottery
(Doubles, Divided Doubles, Triples, and Quads)
Students seeking a multiple-occupancy room should form a roommate group that matches their desired room size. Each group member will receive the same lottery time, determined by averaging their individual times. During the assigned lottery time, the group can select from available rooms that accommodate their size. Any group member may finalize the selection, though it is recommended that groups designate a representative for this task.
If no rooms of the preferred size are available during their lottery time, groups may adjust their member count to explore alternative room sizes until they find a suitable option.
Important Dates
- Registration Opens: February 17, 2025
- Register Here: Housing Registration
- Apply By: April 27, 2025
- Roommate Groups Formed By: April 28, 2025
- Lottery Times Sent: April 29, 2025
- Lottery Selection: May 1, 2025
Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA)
OSCA is a student-owned and student-operated nonprofit corporation that provides at-cost housing and dining services. As an independent nonprofit organization, OSCA is entirely separate from Oberlin College, but all OSCA member-owners are Oberlin College students.
Oberlin Student Cooperative Association (OSCA) has housing & dining co-ops. As a member of OSCA, you may choose from both room & board and board-only options.
Once a student is selected to live in OSCA, they will no longer be eligible to participate in the on-campus housing selection process.
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.