Starrezhousing

Gradguard

Click on Academic Year Housing Application (Spring 25 and 2025-2026)

Click on Open Application for Academic Year 2025-2026

Click on Sign Housing Contract Here

Click on Save & Continue

There are many "Living-Learning Communities" (LLCs) in campus housing. In this section of the application, you can review a list of elective LLCs available to students. You can select a #1 preference and a #2 preference. The LLC program coordinators review these interest lists and make offers to students. NOTE: marking the "Interest" box will take you to a subset of pages that require you to review program expectations and agree to these expectations, if selected to the community. The steps that follow may differ from this guide, depending on your LLC interest selection.

LLC interest

This page asks applicants to review the campus handbook policies and highlights certain essential staffing and policy elements within the residence halls. You must check the boxes and sign electronically by typing your full name to proceed.

Review Housing Policies

Click on Next Page

Living on campus comes with access to your residence hall and room. This page outlines the policies surrounding usage of issued keys and cards. You must type your full name to "sign" acknowledgement of these policies.

Keys and Access

RAs inspect the room prior to your arrival and note damages. This next section asks you to acknowledge that you've been informed that room condition reports are available online in the portal for you to review after you check in.

Room Condition

The portal has it's own roommate matching system. On this page, you will create a roommate profile visible to other campus residents looking for housing. You also answer some question about yourself to help you and others find roommates that may be more compatible.

Roommate Profile

Renter's insurance is strongly recommended, but not required. In the event of a fire, flood, or other catastrophe, renter's insurance will help you replace your items. UCM offers GradGuard, but students are welcome to seek renter's insurance from any provider they prefer. You will be routed away from the application during this step to an external site.

Click on 2024 GradGuard College Renter's Insurance

Click on Continue to Next Step

You're given a quote for one year of renter's insurance. you can accept or decline.

Renter's insurance quote

in this example, we are declining coverage for the purpose of advancing this step-by-step guide. However, UCM Housing strongly recommends residents secure renter's insurance.

Decide on coverage

Complete follow-up questions from Grad Guard

Click on Continue

UCM Housing provides an overview of the services and pesticides used on campus.

Pesticides

Select your fall meal plan. There will be an opportunity to change this later in the summer, before the term begins.

Select Fall meal plan

Housing services requires students to self-identify a gender for housing. This value is shared with other residents and helps UCM match you with potential roommates. Please review this section carefully. If you have questions, please reach out to housing services using the portal chat or our phone number during business days.

Housing Gender

Click on Housing Gender

The final step is to sign the contract

Sign the contract

Click on Academic Year 2025-2026 Contract

Type your full name to sign

Congratulations! you can see on this page that your application status is "signed". At this stage, you have successfully secured campus housing with UC Merced.

AY Housing Status Page

Applying for campus housing is a two-step process. These instructions walk through the second step: signing the contract. These instructions are specifically for students aged 18 and older on the day the log in to sign the contract.