We can’t wait to have you as a resident on campus! The process for applying for housing is simple, but there are a few differences depending on if you are a new or returning student. A full list of our rates and contract terms can be found here.

Apply Now Rates and Terms

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS  & Transfers

If you’re a First-Year or transfer student who plans to begin at Ball State in the fall, indicate on your application for admissions that you plan to live on campus, and confirm your enrollment (to the Office of Admissions). You will receive information via mail and email (to your Ball State Outlook account) on how to request a space in our residence hall system.

  • Housing Applications open for Spring '24 on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. 
  • Housing Applications open for 24-25 Academic Year for First-Year Students on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

Self-Selection

The time when students begin to choose where they will live on campus is called Self-Selection. During this, students are eligible to choose their own bed space in the residence hall with the Living-Learning Community that correlates with the major they've declared through the University.

Learn about Self-Selection

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Go the housing website (www.bsu.edu/campuslife/housing/apply-for-housing) and navigate to the button that says, “visit the housing portal.”  
  2. Students will need to log-in to the housing portal with their BSU ID and password.  
    • Students receive their BSU ID and password once confirmed to the University. They can access this information on their Cardinal Landing Portal. If unsure where to access this information, please contact the Office of Admissions.  
    • Students will need the Duo Mobile app set up as it will become extremely necessary to access many Ball State accounts. BSU’s IT department provides guidance on how to set up Duo Mobile.
  3. Once on the housing portal, go to the top red navigation bar and click on “Residence Halls.”  
  4. Next, go to the Academic Year (AY) 24-25 contract and click “APPLY.” 
  5. The next page will officially begin the housing contract. 
  6. Students will select their meal plan, agree to the terms and conditions, fill out necessary information, pay the housing deposit, and sign the contract.
  7. Once the contract is signed, hit “save and continue” the application will be considered complete!

Once complete and at the stopping point, there won’t be any “action items” until March 13, 2024, when students can begin to search for and request a roommate on the housing portal.

Once the Office of Admissions has your enrollment confirmation, your name will be added to the list for access to the online housing application if you originally indicated on your application for admission that you want to live in a residence hall.

Housing and Residence Life will send instructions and the link to use the new online application.

If you did not indicate on your application for admission that you plan to live in a residence hall, contact our office and request on-campus housing.

The personal identification number (PIN) is given to each student for use with the “Search for a Roommate” function. The number is unique to you and is assigned only for the purpose of looking for a potential roommate.

Please do not confuse this number with the Ball State ID number that was or will be assigned to you.

Students are encouraged to apply for on-campus housing as early as they possibly can. Essentially, the earlier someone commits to attending the University, completes their housing contract, and pays their housing deposit, means that they are committed and serious about attending Ball State University. Thus, securing an earlier assigned timeslot to select their space on-campus. Housing Applications for the 24-25 Academic Year opened for submissions on Wednesday, November 29, 2024.

Please complete all the steps in the online housing application, make the $125 housing deposit, and submit the online contract by the deadline.

By not submitting the contract in its entirety (all questions completed, housing deposit paid, and contract signed) this indicates to our office that you are not interested in living on-campus in the residence halls, thus forfeiting your space to another confirmed student.

The deposit for housing is $125. You may make the deposit online or by mailing a check or money order in this amount to Housing and Residence Life.

The housing deposit must be paid for us to hold a space for you.

We will hold this deposit until you leave the residence halls, according to the terms and conditions of the contract.

Yes, you can make any changes to the online housing application at any time before Friday, July 19, 2024, including updating your profile, searching for a roommate, and changing your meal plan.

Absolutely go ahead and make the $125 housing deposit and complete your online housing application. That way, we'll know your plans to live on campus.

Starting March 13, 2024, incoming first-year students with completed Housing Contracts can begin to submit their preferred roommate requests or search for a roommate on the Housing Portal. We highly encourage students to find a roommate prior to selecting their bedspace.

Please keep in mind that it is important for students to discuss their housing options (based on the hall with their LLC), and come to a mutual decision on where they will live. Friday, July 19, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. is the last day that students can make any roommate requests for the 24-25 Academic Year. Our office does our best to accommodate roommate requests, however, any requests that come in after the deadline will not be honored.

Starting March 13, 2024, incoming first-year students with completed Housing Contracts can begin to submit their preferred roommate requests or search for a roommate on the Housing Portal. We highly encourage students to find a roommate prior to selecting their bedspace.

Please keep in mind that it is important for students to discuss their housing options (based on the hall with their LLC), and come to a mutual decision on where they will live. 

In the Search for a Roommate section of the online housing application, request each other by entering your potential roommate's first name and PIN.

You both will need to check the box that indicates you wish to be included in the roommate search. That is how the platform will be able to search for your intended roommate's name/PIN.

From there, one person will need to request the other as a roommate. Once that's been done, the other student will receive a notification on their housing profile (and BSU email) showing that a new message has been received regarding a roommate request. The student receiving the request will need to log-in to the online housing portal and accept (or deny) the roommate request and hit save and continue on the page. The student who made the initial request will then receive an email once the roommate pairing has been verified.

Friday, July 19, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. is the last day that students can make any roommate requests for the 24-25 Academic Year. Our office does our best to accommodate roommate requests, however, any requests that come in after the deadline will not be honored.

As of the 2023-2024 Academic Year, Honors College students can request a non-honors student as their roommate.

Due to the increased number of students returning to the residence halls and the anticipated size of the First-Year class, roommate requests and roommate changes received after the designated deadline cannot be honored.

Students had from March 13, 2024 until July 19, 2024 to search for and verify a roommate.

Email messages from potential roommates and the Office of Housing and Residence Life are available at your Ball State email address, accessible through my.bsu.edu.

To log-in, you'll use the username and password that Ball State sent you during the admissions (credentials) process.

If you forget your username or password, contact the BSU IT Help Desk or call 765-285-1517 for assistance.

There are also messages within the Room Sign-up Web that can be viewed on our website.

You can review the contract's terms and conditions on the online housing application or on our website.

  1. Visit bsu.edu/housing/apply to start your application. Click on 'Apply for a Residency Exemption' link.
  2. Log in to the online portal with your Ball State credentials (username and password).
  3. Select 'Residency Exemption' in the top red navigation bar on the page.
  4. When the 'Term Selector' page appears, select the term you are applying for, then 'Continue'.
  5. Select 'Begin Exemption Application' in the Residency Exemption application.
  6. Follow the continuing steps until the application is submitted and complete. (Your application is complete once you reach the 'Application Details' page.

It's common that the online application website may be experiencing unusually high traffic at that time. Please log out and try again later. Sessions are timed for 20 minutes, so please be aware that it is possible for you to time out. Information you have completed before timing out should be saved.

Starting March 13, 2024, incoming first-year students with completed Housing Contracts can begin to submit their preferred roommate requests or search for a roommate on the Housing Portal. We highly encourage students to find a roommate prior to selecting their bedspace.

Please keep in mind that it is important for students to discuss their housing options (based on the hall with their LLC), and come to a mutual decision on where they will live. Friday, July 19, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. is the last day that students can make any roommate requests for the 24-25 Academic Year. Our office does our best to accommodate roommate requests, however, any requests that come in after the deadline will not be honored.

Students cannot complete a housing contract until they are 16 years old. If a student is under the age of 18 at the time that they are signing the housing contract a page for Guardian Consent will automatically populate on the housing application for them to fill out AND for their guardian to complete as well.  

The student and parent need to complete the forms EXACT.  

Once the form is complete by BOTH student and parent - there will be an email triggered to the student’s BSU address with a copy of the contract as well as another email to the student’s BSU email address notifying them that the student’s parent has completed the proxy form.

If you are a current student planning on returning to live in the residence halls for the next Academic Year, take the time to learn more about Returner Sign-Up! Returner Sign-Up is the opportunity for students to choose exactly where they want to live on campus for the next Academic Year. Returner Sign-Up falls within a certain range of dates and does require several action items in order to secure a desired spot in the residence halls.
Click the button below to learn more. We hope to see you in the halls again next academic year! 

  • Housing Applications open for the 24-25 Academic Year for Returning Students on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.

Returner Sign-Up

International students need to follow the same application processes as all Ball State students, whether they are incoming or current students. However, there are some additional considerations for students living outside of the U.S.

Ball State offers two different types of living accommodations for students: residence halls (dormitories) and the University Apartments.

The following information provided is to help make the decision on which type of living space to request.

Let us know your intention to live in the residence halls (dormitories). As long as eligibility requirements are met, completing an online application will allow our office to save a space in the halls for you.

International students must meet our freshman residency requirement when attending Ball State.

The policy states that all students are required to live in university housing (dormitory) unless you are one of the following exceptions:

  • 21 years of age before beginning your first term
  • Have 24 or more accepted credits at Ball State after graduating from high school
  • Married
  • A custodial parent of a dependent child
  • Living with your parents in their primary residence within a 60-mile radius of campus

If you do not meet any of these requirements, you must request housing in the residence halls (dormitory).

International students who apply for the residence halls (dormitories) will automatically be eligible for double rooms.

Housing for international students is located in Studebaker East and it is open during university break periods (Thanksgiving break, semester break, and spring break). There is an additional charge to stay in our halls over the designated breaks that can be added to students' eBill. 

Overnight guests are not permitted during break periods. There is no meal service during break periods. Cooking in your room, except when using a microwave oven, is not permitted.

There may be opportunities for international students to upgrade their room at a higher price to a double as a single room, based on availability.

If you are interested in an upgraded room, contact our office.

Residence hall housing contracts are effective for the entire academic year. Contracts are also offered for the spring semester.

The contract is a legal agreement, and if you break or cancel the contract, there is a penalty.

After arriving on campus (and you have a signed contract on file), you will be issued a room and key. Guests and family members must make sleeping arrangements outside of the residence halls. There are several hotels located near campus.

A signed contract must be on file with the housing and residence life office before any student can officially move in.

Because housing/dining contracts do not begin before the start of fall/spring academic semesters, if a student moves in before the designated move-in day, there will be an extra daily charge added to their contract.

For students living in the halls (dormitories), their housing contract is for both their room and meals. Learn more detailed information about the meal plans offered prior to signing the housing contract.

Note

Bed linens are not included in room and board. Please plan to bring these items to the hall when you move in.

The cost to live in the residence halls in a double room for the academic year depends on the residence hall and meal plan selected.

There are also nightly charges for early move-in/late move-out and break periods if housing is needed.

In addition, you will pay a $125 housing deposit and a $60 per semester technology fee.

The residence halls (dormitories) are for Ball State students only. International students may request a roommate using our online application or be assigned to a roommate when they arrive. If you have a roommate request, please include this information on the online application.

Questions?

If you have additional questions about the room sign-up process, send us an email.

Email Us