First-Year Application FAQ

First-year students are invited to apply before 11:59 p.m. (MDT) on May 1 to be guaranteed housing with Boise State. The housing lottery form opens the week of March 18.

First Year Applicants who submit their application before the May 1 deadline will be guaranteed housing with Boise State. After the May 1 deadline passes, these students will be invited to participate in roommate matching and room selection. Being among the first to apply does not guarantee a particular housing assignment.

If you apply before the May 1 deadline you will be invited to participate in Roommate Matching in May. Room selection will follow in June. Please be prepared during room selection with your top 5 housing preferences, as you select a room from the available inventory.

With the current application window, you will have time to carefully consider important details. Research your preferred on-campus living location and read your annual license agreement. Take advantage of this opportunity to make an informed decision about where you want to live during the upcoming academic year as you commit to living with Boise State Housing.

Yes, students applying after the May 1 deadline will still be able to submit housing applications. They will be invited to participate in room selection as space becomes available. It is advisable to apply during the designated application window to increase your chances of securing housing and to ensure participation in roommate matching.

Students must regularly check their Boise State email and the housing portal for updates. Students must select their room in the Housing Portal, starting in June. Should a student fail to participate in room selection, the student will not be assigned. Please contact Boise State Housing should you need additional support during room selection.

Apply before the deadline on May 1 at 11:59 p.m. (MDT). Then, stay tuned for instructions to select your room in the Housing Portal in June. You will want to login during your scheduled room selection time to have the best chances of securing housing as our inventory fills for the upcoming year.

You will be invited to select a room if space becomes available.

For First Year students who apply before the May 1 deadline, housing is guaranteed with Boise State. Keep in mind, this does not guarantee assignment in a particular community. We encourage students to enter room selection with up to 5 community preferences ranked, so you are prepared to select the best available room from the remaining inventory.

Students will apply in the Housing Portal. Make sure you are using the same login information as your My.BoiseState page. If that is not working for you, please contact the Help Desk for assistance at helpdesk@boisestate.edu or (208) 426-4357. Please do not give your login information to others and keep in mind that our university requires dual authentication to login to campus resources.

Your student ID number can be found on your Student Center, accessed through My.BoiseState.edu. It is found on that front page on the Update Personal Info Box.

• A $75 nonrefundable application fee is due when you apply for university housing
• Your application will not be processed until the application fee is received

This is possible and may be based on financial need. Please contact the Housing Business Office for more information at housingbusinessoffice@boisestate.edu.

Payments must be made via Credit or Debit card. Our office does not take payments. For more information regarding payments, please contact the Student Financial Office at sfinfo@boisestate.edu or (208) 426-1212.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Boise State is considered a public accommodation and may not discriminate against people with disabilities.  Boise State must provide equal access to all people by removal of physical barriers, provision of auxiliary aides, and “make reasonable changes in policies, practices and procedures to avoid discrimination.” – Source: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Accommodations may be request at any time through the Educational Access Center. However, students who need housing accommodations have a priority deadline of May 1 to ensure their accommodations are approved and logged prior to room selection. Following room selection, our inventory will be limited and assignments will be based on availability.

By law, students with disabilities do not have to self-disclose or register with the Educational Access Center or Housing and Residence Life. However, if you are seeking reasonable housing accommodations or adjustments, you must contact the Educational Access Center.

All housing accommodations are determined on a case-by-case basis as follows:

• Contact the Educational Access Center and follow their documentation process
• Educational Access Center will contact Housing and Residence Life with their recommendations of reasonable accommodations to be made for you
• Housing and Residence Life will notify you of your specific assignment and accommodation via your Bronco email account within two business days
• If accommodations cannot be made due to space availability, you will be notified about the delay and what to expect next.

Reasonable housing accommodations will be applicable for one academic year or lease period. You will need to request accommodations for each subsequent year or lease period.

Make your request for accommodations as soon as you apply for housing so we have the information we need to make the accommodations as early in the assignment process as possible.

The Living Learning Program includes eight communities in the residence halls that are focused on either an area of study or interest. They blend academics and daily life through classes, activities and live-in professors. You’ll get more from your Boise State experience in a Living Learning Program: more adventure, more community and more learning opportunities. Participate in retreats and activities outside of the classroom, develop strong relationships with other students and professors, and have access to additional academic resources, study groups and mentoring, right where you live. Choose any one of the communities for a built-in community of students who share common academic interest and a full-time professor living just down the hall.

Communities Open to Any Major:

• Adventure Idaho in Sawtooth Hall
• Arts-Related Community in Sawtooth Hall (new!)
• Leadership and Engagement in Taylor Hall

Major Specific Communities:

• Business and Economics in Keiser Hall
• Engineering and Innovation in Morrison Hall
• Health Professions in Keiser Hall
• To Be Declared in Taylor Hall

Yes, students are welcome to login to the Housing Portal and view currently available rooms. After your initial room selection, please note that availability will be limited. However, keep monitoring the portal through July 15 in order to view openings where cancellations may have occurred.

After completing the roommate matching process, students will be invited to select a room in the Housing Portal in June. Please note, should you fail to select a room with Boise State, an assignment will not be saved for you this upcoming Academic Year.

Roommate matching will be available from May 12 to May 23 for First-Year students.  This roommate matching tool will enable you to see, meet, and request other students who have the same preferences as you. Please frequently monitor your Boise State email and you’ll get more information regarding when and how to log in to roommate matching. Note students in the Living Learning Programs will exclusively be invited to Roommate Match with others in the LLP exclusively.

If space becomes available, and your friend is offered a room selection time, they may view available rooms in our inventory and select the option that is in closest proximity. Boise State Housing does not bump other student’s assignments to accommodate roommate requests. To avoid this, we recommend you pair with friends ahead of time during the roommate matching process.

Gender-inclusive housing is an option that you can select as a preference when you apply to live on campus.

“Gender Inclusive” housing means that you can be housed with any other student regardless of their gender identity. For example:

• If you want to live with a friend who is not the same gender as you, you can both select “Gender Inclusive” housing on your applications. The Housing department will reach out to you at a later date (via student email) to determine roommate choices.
• If you don’t have a roommate preference but would like to live with people of different genders

There are a lot of reasons why you may choose gender-inclusive housing as an option, but here are some things to remember:

• Gender-inclusive housing is offered, as space is available, in several of our suite-style residence halls including the Honors College and Sawtooth Hall, Lincoln Townhomes, University Square, and University Suites. Please contact our office if these halls don’t meet your budget but you are interested in gender-inclusive housing.
• As with all of our housing options, for the best chance of getting your housing preference, it’s essential to apply early.
• If we don’t have space for all applicants who request gender-inclusive housing, we will house people who request gender-inclusive housing according to the gender identity listed on their application
• In order to be assigned to gender-inclusive housing all students in the unit must have requested “Gender Inclusive” as a preference on the housing application

If you have questions regarding gender-inclusive housing, please contact housing@boisestate.edu or (208)447-1001 to answer your questions. If you have questions about gender identity or support for gender-related topics visit the Student Connections Center website or contact them directly.

You have two options, you can pay in full for the semester at the beginning of the billing period or you can enroll in a payment plan. The payment plan is opt-in. Here’s how to set up a payment plan. There is no fee to enroll, however, you must enroll by August 20 to have your semester fees split into 4 payments. The first payment for the Fall semester is due on August 21.

Boise State University has a variety of dining venues across campus, from Buster’s Kitchen in the Student Union Building (SUB) to convenience stores and some of your favorite restaurants like Subway, Starbucks, and Chick-fil-A. You’ll even find late-night options such as the Late Night Grill in Chaffee Hall and SouthFork Market, located in Honors College and Sawtooth Hall. First-year students who live in the residence halls are required to have a weekly meal plan. Please direct all other questions regarding the Meal Plan to Boise State Dining Services at boisestatedining@boisestate.edu.

The Residence Hall and Meal Plan Agreement is a legally binding agreement that covers the full academic year (fall and spring semesters). Students must be enrolled full-time (12 credits or more) to be eligible to continue to live on campus.

The cost of staying in the halls during winter break is waived when a student lives on campus for the full academic year. However, additional costs may apply if a student leaves on-campus housing mid-year or is no longer enrolled in enough credits to remain in housing. If you plan to leave your housing assignment before the end of the academic year, you may be liable for additional cancellation fees.

Last Updated: 01/07/2025