Apply for Housing as an Incoming First-year Student

Live and take classes with other incoming first-year students who share your personal or academic interests by joining one of UAlbany's Living-Learning Communities (L-LCs). 

You can choose from more than a dozen L-LCs, which are divided into two groups: 

• Major-specific communities, which are based on students’ academic interests and intended majors 

• Special interest communities, which are based on students' personal interests 

You can apply for an L-LC when you register for Orientation in early May. In your L-LC application, please explain why you want to be a member of your chosen community.  

You must also complete the housing application. You can request a roommate; if your roommate selects the same L-LC and you are both eligible, you’ll be housed together. 

L-LCs are filled on a first come, first served basis, so we suggest you apply as soon as possible. 

You’ll be notified in June if you have been accepted into the L-LC and your academic advisor will help you plan your fall schedule of classes during Orientation. 

Please contact Student Engagement ([email protected]) with questions about the L-LCs and contact Residential Life ([email protected]) with any questions about housing and roommates.

Note: Students who apply for spring-only housing are not eligible for Living-Learning Communities, as they are a full year program.

Please indicate that you need recess housing on your housing application if you’ll need to stay on campus during UAlbany breaks — such as Thanksgiving Break, Intersession and Spring Break. 

This request is commonly made by international students, student-athletes and any student who needs to reside on campus during any of the breaks.

Incoming first-year Honors College students can choose to live on State Quad. Irving, Melville and Steinmetz Halls are all part of the Honors College program.

If you have been accepted into the Honors College and want to live in honors housing, please indicate that choice on your housing application. 

Note: Your roommate(s) and/or suitemate(s) must also be Honors College students if you choose to live in honors housing. 

Harvey House is an intentionally intersectional residential community designed to celebrate and affirm the cultural experiences of LGBTQ+ students and their allies. 

Cultural, educational and social programming helps Harvey House residents develop a strong sense of belonging and empowers them to better understand and advocate for equity, inclusion and social justice at UAlbany and beyond. Harvey House is located inside Ten Broeck Hall on Dutch Quad, which is a recess housing building.

Harvey House provides current students with the opportunity to live with other members of the LGBTQ+ community, including allies. 

You must request to live in Harvey House on the Comment page of the Housing Application.

Harvey House is named after gay rights activist Harvey Milk, who graduated from UAlbany in 1951. Milk was the first openly gay elected official in the United States when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He was shot and killed in 1978 and honored posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009. 

Please contact Assistant Director for Community Development Jameelee Ford at [email protected] with any questions regarding Harvey House. 

Since single-gender housing may not be appropriate or comfortable for all students, a limited number of gender-inclusive rooms are available in our residence halls. Apartments are also available for qualified students. 

Students who sign up for Gender-Inclusive Housing can select roommates and suitemates from across the gender spectrum. 

You must request to live in Gender-Inclusive Housing on the Comment page of the Housing Application.

Please contact Assistant Director for Community Development Jameelee Ford at [email protected] with any questions regarding Gender-Inclusive Housing.

Students who require housing accommodations must have their medical need(s) documented by Disability Access and Inclusion Student Services. Documentation must be renewed each year. 

Students with housing accommodations can live with any roommate(s) and/or suitemate(s).