Breadcrumb
First-Year Students
To help students settle into campus life, all first-year students who graduate from a high school outside of Humboldt’s local admission area (Humboldt and Del Norte counties) will be required to live in university housing for their first two years, and will be required to have a meal plan.
As a First Year student you will have the opportunity to live in one of our Place Based Learning Communities. Housing assignments are based on major, allowing students to live with peers who share similar academic interests in the Canyon or Hill residence halls.
of first-year students who live on campus return as sophomores.
Higher average GPA
Nearly half of surveyed students say living on campus improved there academic performance.
When to Apply
The 2027-2028 Academic Year Housing application opens on February 2 at 11AM. At that time you will be able to complete most of your application, except for the final agreement page.
The application will fully open for First-Year students on February 16 at 3PM, allowing you to complete your submission.
Housing is assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, determined by the date and time your completed application is submitted.
Some first-year, first-time students will be automatically exempt from this requirement or may need to submit an exemption. Please see Housing Exemptions for more Information.
Select Your Roommate
Roommate Finder for new students opens March 2. It lets you search for potential roommates based on shared interests and living habits. You can message students to get to know them, and if you both agree, you can confirm each other as preferred roommates. The person who sends the initial request becomes the group leader. If one or both of you receive a room selection time, the leader will enter Room Selection and choose a room for both of you at the best time you both received. After you’re assigned to a room, each of you can only cancel your own individual reservation.
Gender Inclusive Housing
Gender inclusive Rooms
Each housing community offers a limited number of gender-inclusive rooms for students who identify as transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, gender fluid, or another non-cisgender identity. These rooms are not assigned by gender and are available to students who request this option on their housing application.
Place-Based Learning Communities
First year students will be assigned to a Place-Based Learning Community based on major, allowing you to form connections within your field of study while engaging with Cal Poly Humboldt and the wider community. From day one, you’ll build a strong sense of belonging and a meaningful connection to the area.
How to Apply for On-Campus Housing
Follow these six steps to complete your housing application at Cal Poly Humboldt.
1. Review Important Dates and Deadlines
Before starting your application, make sure you:
- Confirm your enrollment at Cal Poly Humboldt to access the Housing Application.
- Review the 2027–2028 Important Dates for New Students.
- Explore your housing options.
- Are prepared to pay the $100 Housing Application Fee.
- Know how to access the Housing Application.
2. Explore Your Housing Options
Take some time to research your options before completing your application.
Housing Options
Explore the residence halls and room types through online tours and photos. Consider the community environment, bathroom privacy, and meal plan requirements.
You'll be asked to rank your top housing preferences in your application.
Meal Plans and Costs
- Review meal plan options. Meal plans are required in all residential areas.
- Compare housing and meal plan costs.
- Review important housing dates.
Housing Agreements and Policies
Review the following documents before applying:
- 2026–2027 Housing & Residence Life Housing and Dining Agreement
- 2026–2027 Second-Year Housing Addendum
- Cancellation and Vacate Policies
Accessibility Accommodations and Service Animals
If you need housing accommodations related to a disability, contact the Campus Disability Resource Center as soon as possible. Visit Student Accommodations for more information.
If you have a service animal, you must register it with Housing. Email housing@humboldt.edu for assistance.
3. Choose Your Housing Preferences
Log in to the Housing Application to complete the following:
- Select your meal plan.
- Rank your housing preferences.
- Select optional Living-Learning Community housing areas.
- Complete your roommate profile.
- Review all documents in the Required Reading section.
Optional Renters Insurance
You may purchase renters insurance from any provider. You can also sign up for coverage through GradGuard directly in the Housing Application.
4. Pay the $100 Housing Application Fee
Pay the $100 nonrefundable Housing Application Fee as part of your application.
This payment will be applied toward your housing charges, which are posted to student accounts in July.
5. Submit Your Application
Before submitting:
- Carefully review and sign the Housing and Dining License Agreement.
- Answer all required application questions.
- Formally submit your online Housing Application.
Important: The Housing and Dining License Agreement is legally binding. Be sure you understand the terms and conditions before signing and submitting your application.
6. Check Your Email Regularly
Watch your email for important housing updates, including your room assignment confirmation or waitlist notification.
Be sure to read all communications from Housing & Residence Life carefully.
Questions? Contact the Housing Office.
707-826-3451
Cal Poly Humboldt polytechnic is excited to expand opportunities for our current students to continue living on campus and enhance the student experience for all.
All first-year students who graduate from a high school outside of Humboldt’s local admission area (Humboldt and Del Norte counties) will be required to live on campus for two years. Housing will also be available for transfer and continuing students. Current, continuing students will not be required to live on campus. Also, all students, including current students, who live in campus housing will be required to have a meal plan. Exemptions will apply for current residents who want to live in College Creek or Campus Apartments.
For first-year students, providing sufficient campus housing reduces the anxiety associated with finding housing when moving to a rural, small-town area, while providing an on-ramp to student success that helps students to remain engaged with their campus community.
First- and second-year student residents are proven to academically outperform their peers who live off campus. Research shows that the average GPA is 11% higher for residential students and 13% higher for students living in learning communities.
Cal Poly Humboldt’s Place Based Learning Communities are already a model for new student engagement, and this new housing guarantee will ensure the housing space necessary to support expanding the communities.
Housing will have an exemption process for students based on criteria such as:
- Age 21 or older by a date prior to the academic year
- Currently active or military veterans
- Married, domestic partner, or have legally dependent children
- Independent student status for at least a number of years prior to the academic year as defined by FAFSA
- Medical or disability circumstances that cannot be accommodated
- Student who lives at a permanent address in proximity to the campus with a relative or guardian
- Students who are studying abroad
Cal Poly Humboldt joins several other CSUs with established live-on requirements for student success:
We know from a survey by the National Survey of Student Engagement that:
- 92% of first-year students who live on campus return as sophomores as opposed to 90% of students who live off campus.
- 2.2% more sophomores who live on campus return for their third year than those who live independently of their families off campus.
- 2.2% more students who reside in living-learning communities return than other on-campus students. The difference is 4.7 percentage points for male students.
Recently, ACUHO-I shared this video about the benefits of living on campus at this year’s Housing conference. Highlights include:
- 48% of surveyed students say living on campus improved their academic performance.
- 44% say living on campus helped them access resources to support their academic success.
- First- and second-year students who live on campus are more likely to return for the following year.
- Campus living forges connections.
- Almost half of students living on campus say it increases their sense of belonging.
- 58% of students say they feel accepted by their hall neighbors.
- 57% say it helps them live cooperatively.
- Living on campus broadens student’s perspectives.
- 80% of first-year students living on campus felt free of harassment and discrimination where they live.
- 55% say campus living helps them meet people.
- More than 52% say they benefit from interactions with residents who are different from them.
- And 47% believe it enhanced their ability to resolve conflicts.
FAQs
First and second-year students are required to live on-campus AND have a meal plan.
Living on-campus gives students a stronger start to attending a university for the first time. It makes the move from high school to college smoother by connecting them with friends, support, and the full campus experience from day one. Research shows that students who live on campus in their first years earn higher grades, stay enrolled at higher rates, and are more likely to graduate on time. Living on-campus help students feel at home, stay engaged, and succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
- Easy: No credit checks, security deposits or cosigner required, all utilities, garbage, high speed wi-fi, and an in-room streaming movie service are included.
- Convenient: Easy access to professors, dining, student activities and events, plus cultural, academic, and health/wellbeing resources.
- Community: Make friends and meet students of diverse backgrounds/experiences/perspectives, feel you’re part of something bigger.
- Support system: Resident Advisors (RAs), Professional staff (RLCs) and other first-year students who are going through the same process/transition and help each other navigate college
- Fun!: As a residential campus, we offer the quintessential “college experience.”
Yes. Students that start attending Cal Poly Humboldt in the Spring, will count that spring semester as their first year living on-campus, even if it's just for the spring semester.
No. Students that graduate high school from Humboldt and Del Norte counties are not required to live in on-campus housing, but they are welcome to do so.
Yes! Some students will be automatically exempt from the housing requirement due to their circumstances. Other students will need to submit an exemption request based on their circumstances.
- Students that have medical or disability circumstances that prevents them from living in university housing
- Students that have extenuating financial circumstances that prevents them from living in university housing
- Students who are taking all online classes
- Students who are studying abroad or have an internship
- Student who live at a permanent address in proximity to the campus with a relative or guardian
- Local students that graduated high school from Humboldt or Del Norte county
- Students that are 21 or older by August 1st of their first year attending
- Currently active or military veterans
- Students that are married, have a domestic partner, or have legally dependent children
Students can submit an exemption by submitting the Exemption Request Form in their myHousing.humboldt.edu portal under Forms. Supporting documentation for the exemption is required.
The exemption request deadline is July 1st for the Academic Year, and December 1st for new Spring students.
No. Once a student submits an exemption for their first year, if it’s approved, it will carry over to the 2nd year.