How to apply for housing

Congratulations on your decision to attend NAU!  We are excited that you are considering campus housing. One-two days after accepting your offer of NAU admission, you will be able to apply for housing.

Log into the housing portal using your NAU user ID and password. Then follow the step-by-step directions to complete your application. You will be responsible for a $100 non-refundable housing application fee after completing your application.

Note: If you try to log in to apply and receive a Login Error message, your enrollment deposit is still being processed, and access to the application should be available by the next day.

• Spring 2021: Opening soon
• 2021-2022 Academic Year: Opening in spring 2021

Priority enrollment (PE) is how new incoming NAU students are enrolled in classes prior to attending Orientation. By submitting a PE profile, your academic advisor will know your major, interests, transfer credits, and scheduling restrictions in order to enroll you in your first term of classes. This information will also be used to determine your Residential College.

As a freshman, you’ll live in a Residential College aligned with your academic college at NAU. Living with others who share similar majors or career interests provides engaging opportunities to establish valuable connections and friendships. Residential Colleges feature programs, amenities and academic resources geared toward your college:

• Residential staff focused on supporting your social and academic transition to college
• Faculty connections, in-hall tutoring and college-based study groups
• Activities and events tailored to your major and career interests
• Access to 24/7 computer labs and study areas

You will have the opportunity to search for roommates and select your room in your Residential College. (2021-2022 Residential College locations will be available spring 2021)

View image here    View ADA Version

Further details are available on the Residential Colleges page.

• 2020-2021 Academic Year – Closed
• Spring 2021 – Opening soon
• 2021-2022 Academic Year – Opening spring 2021

In your housing application, you will complete a roommate questionnaire to assist with roommate matching. You also have the option to add a personal bio to help others get to know your personality, interests, hobbies and what you are hoping for in your roommate experience.

Roommate search

After completing priority enrollment, you will have the option to search, request and accept specific roommate requests (based on space availability), or to accept a non-specific roommate in your Residential College. Your roommate questionnaire is used to determine and display potential best-matched roommates. There are three ways to search for and request roommates:

• Browse Overall Best-Matched Roommates – you can see others whose responses to the roommate questionnaire were similar to yours and are not currently part of a group
• Browse Best-Matched Roommates Based on Specific Questions – you can browse the profiles of others who answered a roommate questionnaire question a certain way and are not currently part of a group
• Search and Request a Specific Roommate – you can find a specific person by their NAU UserID (abc123) or Web Name (42587)

View roommate profiles to see their academic college and personal bios to help  you find compatible roommates in your Residential College. Roommate requests must be accepted prior to room selection in order to pull them in with you. Using the roommate search tool is optional. If you do not request/accept a roommate prior to room selection, another student in your Residential College will select or be placed in the other space(s) in your room.

Roommate groups

The online housing application allows students to create groups of potential roommates. When you initiate a roommate request, a group is automatically created.

For more details on the roommate search and request processes, tips for a successful roommate experience and additional resources, visit our Roommate Success Guide.

• 2020-2021 Academic Year – Currently active
• Spring 2021 –  Available in late fall 2020
• 2021-2022 Academic Year – Available spring 2021

You will be asked to electronically sign that you have read, understand and agree to the terms and conditions of the housing contract. The housing contract is binding for the entire academic year, both fall and spring semesters. Students are legally responsible for the financial fulfillment of this contractual agreement.

Note: Students who are under 18 at the time of application must have a parent or legal guardian also electronically agree to the terms and conditions of the contract.


• 2020-2021 Academic Year – Assignments where space is available
• Spring 2021 – Room selection/assignment information will be available in late fall 2020
• 2021-2022 Academic Year – Room selection will occur spring 2021

You have the opportunity to select your room in the specific residence halls associated with your Residential College. Room selection is based on the dates you complete your housing application and priority enrollment.

• Complete Priority Enrollment to be eligible for room selection in your Residential College.
• Room selection will occur on a rolling basis for each Residential College. Specific room selection times will be based on your date of housing application and priority enrollment.
• You will be notified of your designated room selection start time through NAU email at least a week prior to your start time.
• At (or after) your designated time, you can log back into the housing portal to select your room from any space available at that time in your Residential College.
• Note if you change your major after selecting a room: 
  • if your new major is in the same Residential College, your selected room will not change
  • if your new major is in a different Residential College that is also located in your selected residence hall, your room will not change
  • if your new major is in a different Residential College that is not located in your selected residence hall, your initial room will be cancelled and you will be provided a room selection time to choose a room in your new Residential College during the next designated room selection period for that college.
• Honors College:
  • once admitted to the Honors College, you will be provided a room selection time to choose your room in the Honors College during the next designated room selection period (you must also have completed a housing application and priority enrollment)
  • if you select a room in your Residential College prior to being accepted into the Honors College, your initial room will be will be cancelled and you will be provided a new room selection time to choose a room in the Honors College during the next designated room selection period

Room Assignments

• Students applying for housing or completing priority enrollment after June 1 will be assigned a room in mid-June through early August where space is available.

Each box on the room selection page contains a bedroom. Details in the box describe the room type, how many total beds in the room, and how many of those beds are currently available to select.  You will select Ready to Assign Beds when you are ready to assign yourself (and roommates) to beds.  Please mind the count-down clock in the upper-right as you will have limited time to assign the bed and confirm the placement of yourself (and roommates) in the space(s) you have selected.

Images are representations. Room letter designations may vary by suite/apt.

Important information for those in a roommate group: 

• If you would like to place group members in the same room with you, you must do so at the time of initial room selection.
• Finalize your roommate group prior to room selection if you want to place all roommate group members.
• If you select a space without placing a group member at the time you are selecting your room, you will not be able to later add a group member to that same room.
• If you are selecting a Semi-Suite Single in Honors College, please be sure to select both halves of the room as indicated in the graphic below.  You must pay attention to the number of available beds in the room, as everything is based on space availability.

Images are representations. Room letter designations may vary by suite/apt.

• A $175 housing rent confirmation payment (HRCP) is required to hold your space on campus.  This payment applies toward your first semester rent.
• The HRCP due by designated date. If you do not make this payment by the due date, your housing application will be cancelled.
  • 2020-2021 Academic Year – due 7 days after applying (posted to your LOUIE account by the next business day)
  • Spring 2021 – due November 15, 2020 (posted to your LOUIE account by late fall)
  • 2021-2022 Academic Year – due May 15, 2021 (posted to your LOUIE account spring 2021)
• If you apply after designated date, your HRCP will be due within seven (7) days of your application.
• Cancellations:
  • The $175 HRCP will be refunded to your account if you cancel by May 15 (November 15 for spring only).
  • The $175 HRCP is non-refundable if you cancel after May 15 (November 15 for spring only).

If you are an incoming freshman 21 or over, or will turn 21 by the beginning of the academic year, you will be assigned to an upper-division hall. Your specific hall assignment will be based on space availability.