Frequently Asked Questions

During the self-selection timeframe, if you know someone who is coming to the University and you want to room together, please look for a whole empty room in your desired location on your MyHousing portal room selection before the self-selection process ends. Housing assigns students to rooms after self-selection is over.

All payments are made at the cashiers office or on-line. This includes deposits, prepayments, parking tickets, library fees, tuition, room and board charges, damages, apartment rent, etc. The Cashier's Office does accept credit card payments. Housing and Residence Life cannot take payment of any kind at their office locations. The telephone number is (509) 963-2224.

You may change your meal plan during the add/drop period for each quarter by going to MyHousing.

After June 1, students are not always assigned into the residence halls they requested because the halls are full. When the requested residence halls are full, an assignment is made into another residence hall based on available space and the best room and program match we can make.

Expanded or temporary housing is temporary. As soon as space is available in the residence halls, a permanent residence hall room assignment will be made.

Room transfer day is the third Thursday of each quarter and requests are made through your MyHousing via your MyCWU account, between 7AM and 2PM. Any transfers after that day require a completed room transfer request form which is done by meeting with your current Residence Hall Coordinator . Transfers are made based upon space availability.

All packages and large envelopes are delivered to the Residence Life Office between Barto and Beck Halls. Packages can be picked up at the Residence Life Office Package Window, Monday through Friday, from 3 PM to 8 PM. Make sure your first and last name, residence hall and room number are clearly indicated so the Package Office can contact you.

Please send an email to our office stating that you wish to cancel your contract. In the Terms and Conditions of the Housing and Residence Life Contract section 15 D, there is a schedule for application fee cancellation and refund of the $200 deposit. Our email address is housing@cwu.edu. Remember freshmen are required to live on campus. If you are a freshman and want to live off campus, you must request an exception to live off campus. Freshmen students under the age of 20 and carrying 7 credits or more are required to live on campus. This includes running start students.

You will not be required to pay extra on room and board as long as you are willing to receive another roommate.

All room assignments are frozen until transfer day. If it is after transfer day, you are required to meet with your current Residence Hall Coordinator (RHC) to complete the room transfer request.

First-year students are required to live on campus for a full academic year. Students who are officially withdrawing from CWU, married, not registered for classes, graduating, or attending a non-local CWU program are able to break their contact. All other situations will be evaluated on a case-by-case situation as students do sign an academic year living agreement. In order to break a contract, a student needs to come to the Housing Office (Button Hall) to fill out an application to cancel their housing and dining contract. All requests will be reviewed by a committee and will be considered on an individual basis. Liquidation fees for housing and dining will be assessed to your student account.

The technical fee allows you to use the computers in the on-campus computer labs, and have a username@cwu.edu e-mail account. It also allows you to use computers for classes, the computers in the library, equipment in the Educational Technology Center, and other technology centers on campus.

Your free Internet account lets you connect to the Internet from your residence hall room on your personal computer. A campus-based e-mail account lets you have your own personal CWU e-mail account that you can check from any computer lab on campus. This also allows you access to the Internet as well as some software programs like Microsoft Word on campus-based computers.

We have a Student Health and Counseling Center located on campus for students to visit when they need to see a doctor. All students pay a $72 health fee each quarter. This allows for many of the services to be without charge and others to have a minimal fee attached. This fee is usually at a much lower rate than those charged by the clinics within the Ellensburg community. The center is a fully staffed medical clinic and there is a wide range of medical and counseling services available to our students.

Welcome Week is the week prior to the beginning of classes fall quarter. Sessions and functions are scheduled to assist the student in making an easier transition to college life. Activities begin Friday evening on opening day. Sessions during the weekend are part of University 101. Attendance is required.

You will need to supply your own bed linens and towels. The beds have extra long size mattresses (36" x 80").

We are not able to show the rooms in advance. The halls are utilized in the summer by the conference program, and, as soon as they are vacant, they are closed for cleaning and preparation. The Visitation Program conducts campus tours by appointment. Viewing of a room may occur if there are any unoccupied rooms designated for tour viewing at that point in time. Please check with Central Visitation Programs at 509-963-1262 for more information and details.

Each room in the residence halls is equipped with a microwave/fridge unit; students are allowed to bring a single-serve coffee brewing system, but no other appliances are allowed. Avoid overloading outlets with too many cords, and do not use extension cords with frayed wiring or poor connections. The wiring system is NOT intended for items that place a heavy load on the system. It is recommended that a surge protector be used for desktop computers, TVs, and stereo/sound systems.

All mattresses are 36" x 80", and require extra long linens.

Yes. WiFi is available in all of our residence halls.

All the residence halls, as well as the academic buildings, are smoke free.

Quarter breaks are winter break, in December, and spring break, which is one week in March. Students are required to leave the residence during the winter break. We do have Summer Housing for those attending summer sessions. Accommodations during quarter breaks are not included in the residence hall contract. You have 24 hours after your last final to vacate your room.

You are welcome to bring your bike. The residence halls have bike racks and some residence halls also have enclosed bike storage. We do encourage that you register your bike with the Police Services.

Students may have an aquarium-bound fish in a tank no larger than 10 gallons. It is your responsibility to care for your fish.

A typical suite is approximately 360 sq. ft. There are two, three, and four bedroom suites which include the bedroom(s), common use area, restroom with shower, vanity with a sink, beds (standard single), desks, chairs, and closets. The suites are furnished.

You may have a guest stay in your room with your roommate(s) approval. However, they may stay no longer than three days and two nights in any one week, anywhere in the building. For the safety of all the residents it is the student's responsibility to inform RAs of any overnight guests.