Welcome to The Catholic University of America and on-campus living!

Living on campus is about more than a room — it is about being a part of a dynamic campus community. A Residence Life program that guides the formation of community and personal development is active in on-campus housing. Housing Services works diligently to address and meet resident needs through caring, student-focused processes. The success of these combined efforts is evidenced by the high demand for on-campus housing and the desire of students to return to on-campus living.

Freshmen benefit from living with their peers, surrounded by other students who are having the same experiences as they make the transition into the next phase of their lives. For that reason, we have set aside several buildings across campus concentrating on the needs of freshmen students. Each residence hall has several Resident Assistants (RAs) who provide hall leadership, information and activities, and serve as a resource for all students.

On-campus housing offers a variety of residence hall options ranging from the traditional (a shared double or triple room with a shared bathroom down the hall) to suites (multiple rooms sharing a bathroom) and apartments. With a variety of residential buildings available, on-campus living can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience during your entire academic career at CUA.

Where do freshmen live on the CUA campus?

Conaty, Flather, and Spellman halls typically house freshmen; they are co-ed buildings with men and women housed on different floors. In Conaty and Flather, most students live in double rooms. Spellman offers double, triple and quad rooms. Ample lounge and study facilities are available in each building, with outdoor spaces that provide attractive meeting spaces and grounds for recreational activities.

Other freshmen housing options include the Freshmen Residential College, Honors Residential Community, Special Interest Communities, as well as single gender building options for both male and female students in Centennial Village.

How do I apply for freshmen housing?

Newly admitted freshmen can apply online with Apply for Housing. Although the priority housing application date is May 15, the online application will be available until June 14. After that date students should submit the hard copy of the application to Housing Services. Once the residential enrollment deposit has been received and processed, new freshmen will be able to access the online application in MyHousing found in Cardinal Station. You can access MyHousing by logging onto Cardinal Station and using your Username and Password. Newly admitted students should have received this information in the mail. If you have misplaced your Username and Password, you can call the CUA Computer Help desk at (202) 319-4357 and they will assist you. A guide to navigating through the on-line application can be found here.

Housing Requirement for Freshmen and Sophomores

CUA strongly believes in the benefits that on-campus living has to offer to our first- and second-year students in terms of academic success, personal development and involvement within the CUA campus community. As such, CUA requires all first- and second-year undergraduate students to live in on-campus housing. In addition to new residential students, housing is only guaranteed for continuing first- and second-year students who adhere to established application timelines and procedures regarding room selection processes. For more information please refer to the university policy at Housing Requirement for Freshmen and Sophomore Students.

Planning Ahead: Housing for Continuing Junior and Senior Students

As is the case on most residential campuses, on-campus housing for junior and senior students is not automatically guaranteed. During the spring semester, a lottery is conducted where interested junior and senior students may select housing from available rooms for the next academic year. The Office of Housing Services also offers guidance and support to upperclassmen seeking off-campus residence. These options include:

1. The online Off-Campus Housing Resources Web page available on the Housing Services Web site provides listings of off-campus properties and links to local information, including apartment searches, renter's insurance, tenant's rights, being a good neighbor, etc. From the online Off-Campus Housing Resource Center students can search listings, see the location depicted on a Google map, and access the property basics, distance, and travel time to CUA. By selecting a specific listing a student will receive detailed information regarding the property, as well as access to landlord information, directions to campus, and nearby Metrorail and bus stops.

2. The Off-Campus Housing Resource Center located  in Housing Services offers pamphlets and brochures on local apartment complexes, apartment guides, housing resources, and maps, as well a computer station to search online listings.

3. Students may request to be placed on a Nonguaranteed Wait List and will be assigned to available vacancies as they occur during the summer months.

For more information please refer to the university policy on Housing for Junior and Senior Students.

Dining Plan Requirement

CUA strongly believes that students beginning their collegiate studies benefit from participation in a dining plan as they adjust to life away from home. As such, all residential freshmen and sophomores are required to enroll in CUA's dining plan program. Freshmen and sophomores may select from the Anytime Dining Plans. Any freshman or sophomore resident who does not select a dining plan will be assigned the Anytime Platinum Plan. More information on dining plans is available on the Dining Services Web site.

Roommate Requests

In order to honor roommate requests for new students, the requests must be mutual. These requests should be indicated on the Residence Hall and Dining Services Applications. Generally, mutual requests received by May 15^th will be honored. Should students determine a preferred roommate after submitting their Application, both roommates should email their request to cua-housing@cua.edu. Please note that after May 15 it will be difficult to honor late roommate requests as assignments are already in progress.

Individual Tours

Housing Services is unable to honor requests for individual tours of the residential facilities. However, students and their families are encouraged to participate on an admissions tour, view the University Living Guide in the Welcome Packet, and visit the Housing Services Web site for more information regarding the various housing options at CUA.