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.
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.
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.
When to Apply
The 2026-2027 Academic Year Housing application opens on February 3 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 17 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.
Select Your Roommate
Roommate Finder for new students opens March 1. 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
With our Place-Based Learning Communities, first-year students jump into a vibrant network of like-minded peers before classes even begin. You’ll be assigned to a Place-Based Learning Community based on your 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.
Click here to learn more about our Place-Based Learning Communities!
1 REVIEW DEADLINES
Make sure you:
- Have confirmed your enrollment to Cal Poly Humboldt so you can access the Housing Application.
- Know important dates for New Students.
- Select your housing options.
- Pay the $100 Housing Application Fee.
- Formally submit your application.
2 DO YOUR HOMEWORK
Think about details—will help you make big decisions.
Research housing options: Take an online tour of the residence halls, including photos of each room type in each area; consider community type, bathroom privacy, and meal plan requirements. The application will ask you to rank your first four preferences for room types and areas.
Review meal plans: Meal plans are required in all living areas.
Review important dates.
Compare housing and meal plan costs.
Review the Housing & Residence Life and Dining License Agreement and Terms
Understand cancellation and vacate policies.
Please note: If you need an accommodation, based on a disability, please contact the Campus Disability Resource Center as soon as possible. For more information go to https://www.humboldt.edu/cdrc/students/student-accommodations.
If you have a service animal, you will need to register it with Housing. Please email housing@humboldt.edu for more information.
3 CHOOSE YOUR OPTIONS
Fill out the application in your myhousing.humboldt.edu.
- Select a meal plan
- Rank your housing preferences
- Select optional living-learning community housing areas
- Fill out your roommate profile
- Need rental insurance? Although you can get any insurance coverage if you choose to, you can sign up in the Housing Application with GradGuard.
- Review all documents in the Required Reading Section.
4 PAY $100 HOUSING APPLICATION FEE
- Pay the $100 nonrefundable Housing Application Fee. The $100 will be applied to the Housing charges that post to accounts in July.
5 SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
- Read and sign the license agreement
- Formally submit your online application
6 CHECK YOUR EMAIL OFTEN
Confirmation of your room assignment or your wait list notification will be heading you way!
If you have any questions please contact the Housing Office at 707.826.3451 or housing@humboldt.edu.
Make sure to carefully read all the information and answer all of the questions in your Application. You will be entering into a legally binding agreement and therefore it's crucial for you to understand every aspect of the agreement.
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.
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.