First-Year Students

Housing Registration for 2026-2027

Be part of the Cowboy family!  

This housing registration timeline applies to the following populations: 

• First-year students  
• First-year students applying for Living Learning Programs (LLPs)  
• Registration begins February 1 at 8 a.m. To register, log in to the OSU Housing Portal using your O-Key credentials. 

Note: The dates and details listed below may change. Unless otherwise specified, all activities close at 11:59 p.m.

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What you need to know 

• Priority Deadlines 
  • Housing Registration 
    • OSU Housing Portal opens February 1 at 8 a.m. and closes on September 30 at 5 p.m. 
  • Living Learning Programs (LLPs) 
    • Priority consideration begins October 1 and ends February 1. 
    • Visit LLPs: Dates and Deadlines to learn more about LLP housing registration. 
    • Explore the Living Learning Programs and live with students who have similar interests. 
  •  Roommate Matching and Preferences 
    • April 1 at 5 p.m. is the deadline for students to change their ranked housing-style preferences or create roommate groups. 
    • Afterward, students who complete registration will be placed as singles. They will be able to use the room swap and waitlist options to change their assignments. 
• Freshman Residency Requirement 
  • First-year students under 21, unmarried and without dependents, are required to live in university housing. Students who do not meet the requirement must be granted a housing exemption or pay the Freshman Noncompliance Fee, which is equivalent to two semesters of housing rates. For 2025-2026, the freshman noncompliance fee is $2,767 for the fall semester plus $2,767 for the spring semester for a total of $5,534. 
  • Last day to submit a Housing Exemption Request through the OSU Housing Portal is September 3. 
• Room Assignments 
  • Rooms Guaranteed 
    • First-year students are guaranteed housing. 
    • The Occupancy Team works diligently to provide housing to all students who complete their registration. 
  • Auto-Allocation 
    • Students will begin receiving room assignments by email the week of April 19. 
    • Room assignments are prioritized by roommate pairs, followed by housing preferences. 
  • Ready-to-Be-Assigned List 
    • Students who did not receive a room assignment the week of April 19 will be placed on this list. Afterward, room assignments will be sent every two weeks through August 1. 
• Canceling Your Housing Registration 
  • To cancel your 2026-2027 OSU admissions application, you must contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at admissions@okstate.edu or 405-744-5358. 
  • The Occupancy Team will cancel your housing registration automatically once your OSU application is canceled. 

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Timeline for 2026-2027

• (Oct. 1 to Feb. 1) Priority consideration for Living Learning Programs (LLPs) 
  • Priority consideration ends February 1 
  • To apply, submit your LLP application  via the Oklahoma State Application Portal. 
  • To register for housing, the OSU Housing Portal opens February 1.  
  • Details are at  LLPs: Dates and Deadlines.  
• (Dec. 1) OSU enrollment deposit opens. Find out how it affects your housing assignment. 
  • Admitted, first-year students must submit the $300 enrollment deposit to register for housing. Housing registration opens February 1. 
  • Room assignments are based on the date and time you submitted your enrollment deposit and your housing preferences. 
• (Dec. 1 to Sept. 2) Housing Exemption Request opens 
  • Housing Exemption Request opens February 1 at 8 a.m. and closes September 2 at 5 p.m. 
  • The request form is available in the OSU Housing Portal. To access it, first-year students must have a completed housing registration. 
  • Reminder: First-year students who are under 21, unmarried, and without dependents are required to live in university housing. Students who do not meet this requirement must either be granted an exemption or pay the Freshman Noncompliance Fee (equal to the cost of two semesters of housing). For 2025-2026, the freshman noncompliance fee is $2,767 for the fall semester plus $2,767 for the spring semester for a total of $5,534. 
• (Feb. 1 at 8 a.m.) Housing registration opens.
  • To register, log in to the OSU Housing Portal using your O-Key credentials.
  • You will rank your housing-style preferences (traditional, suites, deluxe suites and apartments) and submit roommate pairs. 
  • Visit the Hall Finder to learn about housing styles, hall amenities and rates. 
  • For transfer students, there is a $50  nonrefundable  housing  registration fee, which must be paid as part of the registration process.   
    
• (March 16) Match Day for Living Learning Programs 
  • On March 16, everyone who applied will find out if they have been “matched” with an LLP.  Notifications are sent by email. Room assignments are sent later. 
• (April 1 at 5 pm) Last day to change or update housing-style preferences.  
  • To update your information, log in to the OSU Housing Portal using your O-Key credentials. 
• (Week of April 19) Room assignment notifications begin  
  • Look for an email with your room assignment in your okstate.edu email. This is the first round of housing assignments. Assignments will continue every two weeks until August 1. 

  • Room assignments are based on the date and time you submitted your enrollment deposit and completed your housing registration. 
• (June 1 at 10 a.m. to July 15)  Room swap and waitlist options  
  • If you have a room assignment but would like to live somewhere else, log into OSU Housing Portal  and update your information. 
  • If your request has not been made by July 15, you will keep your current room assignment. (Note: Room change form opens after Labor Day.) 
  • Learn more about the room swap and waitlist options in the Step-by-Step Instructions 
    • Room Swap: Two students agree to swap rooms (not available for LLP residents). 
    • Waitlist: Request a room in a different housing style ( apartment, suite, deluxe suite and traditional. ) Assignments are made on a first-come, first-served basis (managed by the Occupancy Team). 
• (TBA) Last day for fraternity students to submit their bid forms to receive their $150 housing deposit refund. 
  • After this date, students will not receive their housing deposit. 
  • No action is required by you at the Iba Office. 
  • Visit Financial Responsibility for more information about fines, fees, charges and refunds. 
  • Learn more about transferring between OSU Housing and Greek Life. 
• (July 15) Last day to cancel without a late cancellation fee. 
  How to cancel: 

  • If you need to cancel your 2026-2027 OSU admissions application, you must contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at admissions@okstate.edu or 405-744-5358. Housing will cancel your housing automatically once your application is canceled. 
  • Visit Financial Responsibility for more information about fees and charges. 
• (July 15) Room swap and waitlist functions close. 
  • Because there are no available spaces that match your request to change rooms, you will keep your current room assignment.
• (July 15) Last day to submit Housing Exemption Request and required documents without fees. 
  • Students who do not meet the Freshman Residency Requirement must be granted a housing exemption or pay the Freshman Noncompliance Fee, which is equivalent to two semesters of housing rates.  
• (Aug. 1) Deadline to register for housing and be guaranteed a room 
  • August 1 is the last day for first-year students to register for housing and still be guaranteed a room for Fall 2026 before the first day of class. 
• (Aug. 1) Last day to request a housing exemption and be notified of its status before classes begin.  
  • Students who do not meet the Freshman Residency Requirement must be granted a housing exemption or pay the Freshman Noncompliance Fee, which is equivalent to two semesters of housing rates.  
• (TBA ) Move-In Days
  •  Dates are subject to change. 
    •  TBA
  • Move-In Overview is a great resource for all you need to know for your move-in needs. 
  • Visit Financial Responsibility for fines, fees and charges concerning check-in. 
• (Sept. 3) Last day to request a housing exemption  
  • Students who do not meet the Freshman Residency Requirement must be granted a housing exemption or pay the Freshman Noncompliance Fee, which is equivalent to two semesters of housing rates.  
• (Sept. 30) Registration closes 
  • If you need housing after this date, contact the Occupancy Team at  reslife@okstate.edu or 405-744-5592. 

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 » Housing Accommodations

If you need housing accommodations based on disability or health-related issues or need to register emotional support animals (ESAs), visit Student Accessibility Services or call phone (voice/TTY) at 405-744-7116.

 

» Fines and Fees 

Visit Financial Responsibility for more information about fines, fees, charges and refunds.  

 

» About Registration 

If you would like a walk-through of the housing registration portal, follow this link for step-by-step instructions.