Have Graduate Housing-Related Questions?
We've compiled the following information to help you explain on-Grounds housing options for graduate students, as well as to ease you into your new home!
If you have any questions about leases, rent, or general housing information, please feel to call 434.924.3736, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.
We ask that residents of Graduate Housing keep up-to-date contact information on file with our office at all times. Please update your contact information in our database if needed.
General Housing Questions
Do you offer housing for graduate students?
Is there space available for me in on-Grounds housing?
Housing for graduate students is limited and there is often a wait list. We encourage you to apply and follow the deadlines for the best chance to be offered housing. On-Grounds housing is not guaranteed.
What housing options are available for graduate students on Grounds? Where can I live?
Graduate students may request to live in an apartment area or in one of the single room options on The Range or in the Faulkner Drive area. For detailed information on each area, including floorplans and photos, see our graduate students housing page. You can apply for housing at the Housing Portal.
What is the open housing roommate option?
Housing & Residence Life (HRL) welcomes students of all genders at UVA, with a goal of providing housing accommodations that are conducive to individual academic success. HRL offers an inclusive housing option, known as open housing, to students who wish to request roommates regardless of their sex or gender identity. We also offer individual assistance for students who wish to explore on-Grounds housing options that accommodate their gender identity or gender expression.
To learn more, please visit our Open Housing page.
What options are available for students with families?
Please see our Students with Families page for more information.
Are apartments already furnished?
Both furnished and unfurnished apartments are available. All apartments shared by single graduate students are already furnished.
What are the terms of the housing agreement?
Housing agreement information is available on the Graduate and Faculty/Staff Terms & Conditions page.
How much does graduate housing cost?
Rental rates are on the Housing Rates page.
How do I apply for on-Grounds housing?
The application for new residents is available on the Housing Portal beginning April 1.
A random computer-generated selection process held after the priority application deadline determines your order of assignment, if housing is available. There is no advantage to applying early as long as you meet the posted priority deadline. Anyone who applies after the priority deadline will be offered in order, based upon the application completion date. A housing offer is not guaranteed.
How is my assignment made? How are housing offers determined?
A random computer-generated selection process held after the priority application deadline determines your order of assignment, if housing is available. The assignment itself is generated based on availability of the various housing types, and your stated preferences for type, requested move-in date(s), and anticipated end date.
May I request a roommate?
If you are a single graduate student, you may share an apartment. Requests for specific roommates should be made on the “Special Requests” section of the application. To be honored, roommate requests must be mutual. While we do our best to accommodate mutual roommate requests when the move-in dates are the same, these requests are not guaranteed.
If my roommate moves out, can I choose who fills the room?
If a student moves out of an apartment, the remaining roommate(s) may contact the Assignments office at email@example.com to request that a specific student be assigned to the vacated space(s). However, we cannot guarantee that these requests can be accommodated. Housing & Residence Life will fill housing vacancies as is deemed appropriate.
I submitted an application and have not heard anything yet. When do I find out where I'll live?
We will contact you by email if space matching your application preferences becomes available. Unfortunately, we cannot predict the likelihood of a space becoming available. We make our first round of graduate student housing offers as soon as possible after the priority application deadline, and will continue to make offers on a rolling basis until all spaces are assigned. When space becomes available due to a student cancellation, we make an offer to the next applicant on the waitlist. Housing is not guaranteed.
What if I do not get the apartment or room I want?
We cannot guarantee that you will get the specific area, building, apartment, or room that you are seeking. We urge you to be flexible. Generally, we offer the only apartment and move-in date that is available. If you decline an offer to live on Grounds, you will be placed on our waitlist. Waitlisted students are offered housing in the order in which they are placed on the waitlist; therefore you may or may not be offered another space later. If you accept an on-Grounds offer for housing, you are obligated to live there through the end of your housing agreement in May.
If I do not receive a housing offer, how long do I remain on the waitlist? Do I have to apply again?
The housing application remains active for the current academic year until March 31. Applications remain on the waitlist until March 31. If an applicant wishes to be considered for housing for the following academic year, they must reapply. Applications do not roll over from year to year.
Should I sign an on-Grounds housing contract while I continue to look for off-Grounds housing?
Please do not sign a contract for on-Grounds housing unless you intend to live in on-Grounds housing. The on-Grounds housing agreement is a binding legal document and can only be cancelled within two days from the date your agreement is accepted on-line.
How can I apply to live on the Range?
Applying to live on the Range is an option on the regular graduate housing application. Applications are handled by the Range student community. For instructions, go to the Range Community's Apply page.
The Range is for single graduate students (no additional family members). The move-in date is the Friday before undergraduate move-in weekend in August, and the move-out date is the Tuesday after Final Exercises the following May. If you would also like to be considered for other graduate housing options, you may preference them on the housing application.
If I receive a housing assignment, am I guaranteed to have on-Grounds housing for my entire time at the University?
No. There is a four-year limit for living in on-Grounds housing. This limit is set so that there will be housing available for new incoming students. The time that you live on Grounds at UVA as an undergraduate does not count towards the graduate housing four-year limit.
Moving In/Out and Rent
How do I pay for housing?
Rent is due monthly, and payment must be made no later than the fifth (5) day of each month. Billing through your SIS account is the default payment option, as follows:
- SIS semester billing for residents living on the Range
- SIS monthly billing for all other graduate students
When can I move in?
Your move-in date is listed with your housing information on the Housing Portal. Residents may move in after the date listed on the housing assignment, but rent will be charged from the scheduled move-in date forward. Keys are available for pick up Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Move in generally occurs in early- and mid-July, and early- and mid-August. While other move-in dates may be requested, we may or may not be able to be accommodate these requests, pending space availability.
When do I have to move out?
Housing agreements end on May 31, unless you renew for an additional 12 months. Short-term housing extensions beyond May 31 for academic reasons may be requested by emailing firstname.lastname@example.org but are not guaranteed. Residents on the Range move out the Tuesday following Final Exercises in May.
What if I'm planning to graduate mid-year, or to end my enrollment before the end of the agreement?
The graduate student housing agreement is for those who intend to be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program through May. A student who is graduating or otherwise ends their enrollment must inform Housing & Residence Life in writing (please email email@example.com). A termination fee equivalent to one month’s rent will be charged. Please see the Early Termination section of the Graduate and Faculty/Staff Housing Terms & Conditions.
Accommodations and Service Animals
How can I receive assistance from the University if I have a disability or medical condition?
Please see our Special Housing Accommodations page for information.
What is the procedure for bringing a service animal to the University?
Please see our Service and Assistance Animals page for information.