“The biggest and best decision in my life was to live in residence. You get the full university experience.†– Totem Park resident
Some applicants are guaranteed a room in residence at UBC. We assign rooms to these applicants first.
- First year guarantee: prospective undergraduates who are incoming first year students
- Priority Access students
A spot in residence is not guaranteed if you do not meet the requirements, but you may still apply.
First Year guarantee
Criteria for students with Winter Session contracts starting in August/September 2025.
Criteria
You must meet all requirements.
- You are eligible to live in residence based on your age and academic credit load.
- Your application to UBC and application for Winter Session Residence was received by May 1. This may mean submitting an application prior to receiving your UBC admission decision (Prospective first year students can open a residence application when applying to UBC.)
- You must receive and accept UBC’s offer of academic admission by June 1.
- You are entering UBC directly from high school or CEGEP. For example:
- You graduated in June 2025.
- You graduated no earlier than June 2024 and you have not completed any post-secondary coursework since graduating (i.e., you took a gap year).
Priority Access
Base criteria
You must meet all requirements.
- You are eligible to live in residence based on age and academic credit load.
- For applications to Winter Session residence:
- You must submit your applications to UBC and for residence by May 1. This may mean submitting an application prior to receiving your UBC admission decision (Prospective first year students can open a residence application when applying to UBC.)
- You must receive and accept UBC’s offer of academic admission by June 1.
Additional Criteria
At least one of the following criteria, from the relevant column, must apply to you.
| Winter Session applicants | Year Round applicants |
| You are an Indigenous student who self-identified in your application to UBC. | You are an Indigenous student who self-identified in your application to UBC. |
| You are a new student and have a disability or ongoing medical condition that significantly affects your housing needs, and you have received an official recommendation from UBC’s Centre for Accessibility. Learn more. | You are a continuing student and have a disability or ongoing medical condition that significantly affects your housing needs, and you have received an ongoing priority access recommendation from UBC’s Centre for Accessibility. Learn more. |
| You are a newly-admitted transfer student or new-to-UBC graduate student. (Limited spaces available.) Learn more. | |
| You are participating in a reciprocal university student exchange program through UBC’s Go Global program. (Students who qualify will be notified directly by Go Global.) |
FAQs
How do I apply for an official recommendation from the Centre for Accessibility?
If you have a disability or ongoing medical condition that significantly affects your housing needs, you must demonstrate eligibility by providing a priority access or placement application, along with supporting documents, to UBC’s Centre for Accessibility by the applicable deadline.
Learn more about how and when to apply for priority access.
Which office determines if a student with a disability or ongoing medical condition is eligible for priority access?
In all cases, UBC’s Centre for Accessibility determines eligibility.
Are students with mobility/agility disabilities assigned to ground floor rooms?
Students with mobility or agility disabilities are typically assigned to ground floor rooms to help ensure they are not impacted by any potential elevator outages—which can and do occur from time to time. However, in your priority access application to the Centre for Accessibility, you may request to be assigned to a room or unit above the ground floor, if that is your preference.
I’m a newly-admitted transfer student or new-to-UBC graduate student. How do I apply for priority access to Winter Session housing?
There are a limited number of spaces set aside each year for newly-admitted transfer students and new-to-UBC graduate students. To receive priority access and increase your chance of receiving an offer, apply for Winter Session residence as early as possible—and no later than the deadline.
You will then automatically be considered for priority access, based on the following processes:
- Newly-admitted transfer students: UBC Undergraduate Admissions will provide us with a list of new-to-UBC transfer students.
- New-to-UBC graduate students: The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral studies will provide us with a list of new-to-UBC graduate students.
Note that students in these categories must not have not enrolled in any previous studies at UBC, including an exchange.
Additional questions
Please contact us if you have any additional questions about the first year guarantee or priority access.
Please contact the Centre for Accessibility if you have any additional questions about applying for priority access due to a disability or ongoing medical condition.