Recontracting

Application Process: All Current 2023-2024 Residents

January 16-January 30

• If you wish to live in Opus (a 12 month contract) for the upcoming academic year (May-May), log in to the Housing Portal once the application opens to submit your housing application.*
• Log in to the Housing Portal.
• Create and complete a Housing Application (select the option for “Rising Juniors and Seniors”) for the 2024-2025 year.
• After your application is complete, designate your roommates or have our office assign you to a group:  
  • If you would like to designate your own roommates, create or join a roommate group. Please follow the prompts in the Housing Portal to complete your roommate group formation. Additional information about this process is available on our website as well as in the Housing Portal. Groups must consist of two, three, or four students, and be verified, in order to receive a lottery time or to be eligible to renew an apartment. 
  • If you would like our office to assign you a roommate group and space, you will receive further information after completing your application. Please note, our office may not be able to accommodate the preferences of those who decline to create a group or participate in the lottery.
• When all members have joined the group, the group leader must verify the group. 
• Students applying to return to live on campus or living on campus for the first time will be subject to an application fee.

Renew Apartment Process: Keeping the Same Apartment 

Week of January 22

A lottery time is NOT required to renew an apartment, but you do need to complete the pre-process steps listed above.

Group leaders of a verified roommate group will be able to renew their current apartment. Please note, the group leader MUST be a current resident of the apartment being renewed. The group leader will select the room to renew, assign all group members to bedrooms, and complete the room selection.

Any apartments not renewed will be released into the lottery process. 

Please note, while the University makes every effort to allow apartments to be renewed from year-to-year, there is no guarantee that every apartment will available for renewal. Should your apartment not be available for renewal, you will receive communication from our office regarding your options, including priority selection for a different apartment.

Change Apartment Process: Switching to a Different Apartment

Week of February 6

If you’re moving from one apartment to another, you’ll participate in the lottery process. Only verified groups will receive a lottery time (emailed to each group member). 

At the assigned time, the group leader may use the Housing Portal to select a room and assign beds to all group members. All group members will be able to view available rooms, but only the group leader will be able to select a space. (You can easily reassign the group leader by visiting the “Roommate Groups” tab in the Housing Portal).

New Apartment Process: Selecting an Apartment for the First Time

Week of February 6

If you’re selecting an apartment for the first time, you’ll participate in the lottery process. Only verified groups will receive a lottery time (emailed to each group member). 

At the assigned time, the group leader may use the Housing Portal to select a room and assign beds to all group members. All group members will be able to view available rooms, but only the group leader will be able to select a space. (You can easily reassign the group leader by visiting the “Roommate Groups” tab in the Housing Portal).

Additional information will be sent to you regarding the specific steps of the process for which you are eligible. Please look for additional emails outlining dates for your process and further information.

Should you have any questions, please contact our office at living@creighton.edu. 

On campus housing in Opus is not guaranteed for upperclassman. Students are randomly assigned a lottery time to select an apartment if available. Students who do not receive an apartment are encouraged to join the Opus waitlist.

Each spring, rising sophomores will select their housing for the next academic year. To participate, students will complete a housing application and then designate roommates for the next year (students who do not join a roommate group will be assigned a room based on availability). Selection times are distributed randomly to each verified roommate group to choose from available rooms.

The application for sophomore housing will open Friday, March 1. All students need to complete an application in the Housing Portal by Monday, March 18. The Roommates tab will become available as the application is complete. Students who wish to create a roommate group must do so by Monday, March 18. Students who do not join a roommate group will be assigned to a group based on availability.

Roommate groups will be assigned a selection time to choose from available rooms. Room selection will take place the week of March 25.

Room selection times are assigned randomly and are not influenced by any factor, including GPA, scholarship program, first-year housing assignment, or application completion date.  Visit the Roommate Selection Process webpage for step-by-step instructions on creating roommate groups in the Housing Portal.

All unmarried undergraduate students from outside the immediate Omaha area, as defined by the University, are required to live in University residence halls during their first two years at the University. A request to be exempt from this requirement must be made to the Senior Director of Housing and Auxiliary Services via email at living@creighton.edu (by July 15 for requests for the upcoming fall semester, and by December 1 for the spring semester).  

Please note that a specific hall or room type is not guaranteed for sophomore students. If you have a documented disability that limits your ability to live in certain spaces, please fill out the Housing Accommodation Request Form for further evaluation. 

Do I have to pay a $50 deposit or application fee?

• Nope! That’s only required for your freshman year. No additional fee is required beyond that year. Only students returning to on campus housing or living on campus for the first time will need got pay the application fee.

Is renter’s insurance required?

• It is! The reason we require renter’s insurance now is because of the number of incidents involving damaged property caused by another student (i.e. leaving a window open in the winter leading to frozen pipes). We want to ensure your belongings are covered should an accident ever occur to you. Read more about Renter’s Insurance.

I’m planning on studying abroad in the spring/fall. Should I still fill out the application?

• Yes and no. If you’re studying abroad in the spring, we would recommend you go through the lottery process now. If you’re studying abroad in the fall, you’ll need to make the decision best for you based on your plans for the summer. If you’re hoping to live on campus for the summer, we recommend completing a housing application. Either way, we’ll cancel your housing for the duration of your study abroad trip, and you can re-enter on campus housing upon your return should vacancies exist.

Am I guaranteed housing in Opus?

• Upperclassman housing is not guaranteed but is provided via a randomized lottery system.

I didn’t get a lottery time. How come?

• This could happen for a couple reasons. Either you did not complete all steps of your housing application or you didn’t create/verify a roommate group. Only students who have completed both steps receive a lottery time. 

The specific Opus apartment size/type wasn’t available at my timeslot.

• We typically have more applicants than apartments available, so your preferred apartment size may not have been available. You can change your roommate group size to fit a remaining apartment OR you can join the waitlist.

How does the Opus waitlist work?

• Anyone who did not go through the lottery process or did not receive an apartment within the lottery, can sign up for the waitlist. Our team will go through the waitlist as vacancies open up and communicate options to you. Note, it’s more likely for a single vacancy to occur than for an entire apartment to open up. Once you sign up for the waitlist, there is nothing further you need to do. We will start contacting individuals mid-February as vacancies occur.

I live in a sophomore hall and am moving into Opus. When can I move in?

• Current residents are entitled to their Opus space through the Sunday after graduation. New Opus residents will be able to move in from the following Monday-Wednesday based on when apartments become available. Staff will contact you when your apartment is ready to move into!

I live in a sophomore hall and am moving into Opus. Where can I stay until my apartment is ready?

• You will either be able to stay in your current housing assignment or will be moved into a temporary space until your Opus apartment is ready. Either way, Creighton will provide a place for you to stay until you can move into your new Opus home. If you’re unable to move into your Opus apartment at the designated time, you will not be able to remain in your spring housing assignment beyond that time.

Can I move into my Opus apartment early?

• You are not able to move into Opus early, as current residents are still utilizing their spaces. If you are unable to move into Opus during the allotted time, you may need to utilize a storage unit for your belongings until a time you can move in.

Do I have to pay a $50 deposit or application fee?

• Nope! That’s only required for your freshman year. No additional fee is required beyond that year.  Only students returning to on campus housing or living on campus for the first time will need to pay the application fee.

Is renter’s insurance required?

• It is! The reason we require renter’s insurance now is because of the number of incidents involving damaged property caused by another student (i.e. leaving a window open in the winter leading to frozen pipes). We want to ensure your belongings are covered should an accident ever occur to you. Read more about Renter’s Insurance.

I’m planning on studying abroad in the spring/fall. Should I still fill out the application?

• Yes and no. If you’re studying abroad in the spring, you will need to go through the lottery process now. If you’re studying abroad in the fall, you can opt out of the housing lottery now, and complete the housing application in the fall prior to your return in the spring. If you are unsure of your study abroad plans, we recommend going through the housing lottery process now. Either way, we’ll cancel your housing for the duration of your study abroad trip, and you can re-enter on campus housing upon your return. 

I didn’t get a lottery time. How come?

• This could happen for a couple reasons. Either you did not complete all steps of your housing application or you didn’t create/verify a roommate group. Only students who have completed both steps receive a lottery time. We will work with you upon the conclusion of the lottery to place you into a room assignment.  

Am I guaranteed housing in my preferred hall?

• Lottery time are computer generated and randomly assigned. You will be able to select a room at your designated lottery time. We cannot guarantee a specific room or building will be available at your lottery time. 

My preferred apartment size/type wasn’t available at my timeslot.

• Room sizes vary, so your preferred apartment size may not have been available. You can change your roommate group size to fit a remaining apartment OR if you don’t select a space, we will place you in an available vacancy upon the conclusion of the housing lottery. 

How do I request a housing accommodation?

• All housing accommodation requests go through the Student Accessibility Services office. You can find more information about this process here. 

Does my housing accommodation guarantee me a specific hall?

• Most housing accommodations can be met through a variety of on-campus housing options. The Housing office will inform you of those options so you can better prepare for the housing lottery. 

Does my housing accommodation guarantee me to live with my preferred roommates?

• During the lottery you’ll be able to select a housing assignment from spaces that remain available. Your preferred apartment size may not be available at your designated time. You can change your roommate group size to fit a remaining apartment OR if you don’t select a space, we will place you in an available vacancy upon the conclusion of the housing lottery.