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The Housing Hunger Games- Navigating On-Campus Living at SEC Schools
- Allison Grandits
- 2 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Living on campus is often seen as a quintessential part of the college experience, and many parents naturally assume their student will have this option. However, at colleges in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), securing on-campus housing often requires more forethought than expected. Planning ahead and paying deposits early—sometimes even before the traditional May 1 decision deadline—is critical to ensuring your student has options.
Each school has its own set of policies, and at these popular southern universities, the competition for housing can feel like the "Hunger Games." Many parents are surprised to learn that not all colleges in the SEC guarantee on-campus housing, which can leave families scrambling to find a place to live in an unfamiliar area. Research shows that students who live on campus tend to perform better academically than those who commute, adding another layer of concern.
If your student ends up needing to live off campus, there are other factors to consider as well, such as the challenge of navigating lease agreements in college towns. Most apartments require a 12-month lease, meaning you could be paying for an apartment over the summer when it’s not in use.
To help you navigate these complexities, we've broken down the housing policies for each of the 14 SEC colleges for Fall 2025. Be sure to double-check each college's website for the latest updates and deadlines!
Auburn does not guarantee housing for first-year students, and only about 53% of freshmen live on campus.
For Fall 2026, housing applications open on November 5 and room selection timeslots will be available in March. Room selection opens on March 25 and will run through April 17.
Students must be admitted to the university before they can apply for housing and must pay a $100 non-refundable housing application fee.
LSU requires all first-year students to live on campus. However, the residential colleges are very popular and fill up quickly.
To access the housing portal, students must submit the $200 enrollment deposit and a $75 housing application fee.
For Fall 2025, the housing portal opened on December 2, and the date you submit your housing agreement determines your room assignment/selectivity. The housing priority completion date was May 2, 2025.
For Fall 2025, roommate matching began on March 13, and students needed to make their roommate group by May 11 (Residential Colleges) or May 18 (traditional housing).
Mississippi State requires all first-year students to live on campus.
After being admitted, students will need to submit a housing application as well as a $100 non-refundable fee, which opened on October 1.
The priority housing deadline is April 1, and students will be assigned a timeslot for online room selection. The time slot will be assigned based on when students apply to the University and when they submit their housing application and housing contract.
Room selection begins in May.
TAMU does not guarantee housing for first-year students. Unless you are part of the Corps of Cadets, housing is first-come, first-serve. About 56% of first-year students live on campus.
Students must be admitted to TAMU before they apply for housing, and the date of application for housing is important in the housing assignment process.
Students who complete their application on or before December 1st, and are eligible for Permanent housing, will have Priority housing. For traditional housing, students that complete their application from Dec. 2 – Jan. 26 will still have guaranteed housing, but they will be assigned based on roommate pairings and preferences listed on the housing application.
Room selection happens on a first come, first serve basis so the earlier you complete your housing application, the better your chances are of getting the dorm or room you're interested in.
Housing typically fills up in February for the Fall term and December for the Spring term.
Students must pay a $75 non-refundable fee as part of the housing application.
All University of Alabama first-year students are required to live on campus.
Students must submit the $200 non-refundable enrollment deposit before they can apply for housing, and it can take up to 24 hours for your enrollment deposit to be posted in your housing portal.
For Fall 2026, the housing application opened on October 1 and room selection participation deadline is February 2.
Students must submit a $175 semi-refundable fee as part of their housing application.
For students who applied for housing after February 1, they will be assigned a room through late July.
First-year students are required to live on campus at the University of Arkansas. However, some students may be assigned off campus apartments that the University contracts with if there’s not enough space.
For Fall 2025, housing contracts opened on October 15. On November 12, the Living Learning Communities (LLC) application opened, and all students could set up a profile for roommate matching. The LLC priority deadline was January 4, and roommate selection will began February 6.
Students must be admitted to the University before submitting their housing contract and submit a semi-refundable deposit.
UF allows students to apply for housing before they are admitted. Because housing is not guaranteed and is first-come, first-serve, students need to submit the $25 non-refundable housing application right after they submit their application.
About 78% of first-year students live on campus.
Once students have been admitted to the University, they will receive more information about their housing agreement and selecting their space, including submitting the $225 partially refundable housing deposit.
For Fall 2025, room selection appointments began in late May.
All first-year students must live on campus.
For Fall, 2026, housing registration opens on Dec. 8, 2025 and room sign up is in January.
After the commitment deadline (usually May 1), students will receive an online appointment to register for their space.
While students do not have to submit the UGA commitment deposit to apply for housing, they must pay a $35 registration fee. However, the enrollment deposit must be submitted by the enrollment deadline to receive a housing appointment.
First-year students are not guaranteed housing, so it’s encouraged to apply for housing as soon as possible. About 85% of first-year students live on campus.
Students must be admitted to the University of Kentucky before they are able to complete the housing contract. There is a $50 non-refundable housing application fee that is required to apply for housing.
For Fall 2026, Housing applications opened on September 8. The Early Action housing deadline is February 15 and for Regular Decision students, the housing deadline is June 1. First wave of room selection begins June 2 and is based on the UK Admissions Track, housing application completion date, and space availability.
If interested in the Living Learning Program, students needed to apply by February 15. Room selection for LLPs will begin March 3 through May 22.
First-year students are required to live on campus.
Students must be admitted to the University of Mississippi before they can complete the housing contract. There is a $100 non-refundable housing application fee that is required to apply for housing.
For Fall 2026, registration opened on October 15. Students who submit a housing application before October 31 will have a room selection access time randomly generated for round 1. Students who submit a housing application before April 10 will be assigned a room selection time based on when they submitted their housing application. Students who submit their housing application after April 10 with participate in general room selection.
For Fall 2026, roommate requests began on December 1 and the deadline is April 30.
First-year students are required to live on campus, and students must submit a $100 non-refundable application fee to complete the housing and dining contract.
For Fall 2026, housing contract opened on October 1. In the spring, students receive a room selection access time based on when the contract was completed.
Students can begin creating their housing profile on March 1, which will allow them to match with a potential roommate. It is recommended that you complete this before May 1 to avoid delays.
Students will receive their room selection time slot at least 7 days in advance, with students living in Honors rooms choosing their room first.
While not required, all first-year students are guaranteed on-campus housing. Students must be admitted to the University before applying for housing.
For Fall 2026, the housing contract opens on November 12. Room selection access will be determined by enrollment deposit date. The advanced housing deposit is $175.
Students have the option to request one specific roommate within the housing contract beginning November 12. The deadline to form your roommate pair is May 1.
All first-year students are required to live on campus, but those who live in Richland or Lexington counties are eligible to apply for a housing exemption.
Students must be admitted to the University and pay the $200 enrollment deposit before applying for housing. Access to the portal will be made available to students about 48 hours after submitting the enrollment deposit.
For Fall 2025, the housing application opened on January 15 and the deadline to apply was May 5. The housing application requires a $100 non-refundable application fee.
After submitting your housing application, you can begin matching with potential roommates. Room selection began in early June, and students were notified of their time slot in mid-May.
All first year students are required to live on campus during their first year, and students are able to apply for housing 2-3 days after submitting their non-refundable $250 enrollment deposit.
For Fall 2025, roommate matching began in late January and continued through May 15.
In May, students received a random room selection time slot, and room selection began in June.
Housing at UT Austin is not guaranteed and students are encouraged to apply for housing as soon as they apply to the University. Only 59% of first-year students live on campus.
The housing application requires a $50 non-refundable fee and gives you a spot on the waiting list. The sooner you submit your housing application, the higher you will be on the waiting list.
After you have been admitted to the University and pay your enrollment deposit, you will be eligible to receive a housing contract. Contracts are sent out on the 1st and the 15th of each month, beginning in March. You must submit a $300 housing prepayment fee to submit your housing contract.
Students who complete the housing contract will receive a room assignment time slot by June 1, and you can choose your room through July 31. `
Vanderbilt is the only college in the SEC that requires students to live on campus all four years. However, there are some exceptions, like if a student is married or when space is unavailable.
For Fall 2026, first year student must submit a housing application by June 1 and the application will open in April.
Students are matched with potential roommates based on their answers to a list of questions, and while students can submit roommate requests, the University cannot guarantee that those requests will be honored.
Greek housing is also available for those students who are in a fraternity or sorority, and students typically apply for that in February.
Do you have questions about college admissions? Struggling to write your college essays? Contact Allison or visit Grand Fit Educational Consulting for more information.
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