Current Residents

Students who signed an academic year  or graduate housing contract for fall 2024 already have housing for spring 2025. They do not need to reapply. Residents may return to housing on or after Sunday, January 19th at 10:00am without additional cost.

Please click here for spring 2025 room and meal plan rates, including step-by-step tutorials on the housing application process.

Change Housing or Meals for Spring 2025

**Current campus housing residents DO NOT NEED TO APPLY for the spring 2025 semester.**

Current residents who do not wish to return for spring 2025 are asked to cancel their housing contract by 8am, Dec. 5, 2024. Students can cancel their housing contracts through the Housing Portal. Please see the housing cancellation page for more details about fees and deadlines.

Current residents who wish to change their meal plan must do so by Jan. 10, 2025 through the Housing Portal.

Move-In Date and Time

Return to campus depends on your current housing status.

• Current residents with an academic year contract move back in on or after 10:00am, January 19, 2025 by scheduling an appointment on the Housing Portal. Meals on January 15th will be served out of the YWDC. Access to the Pavilion Dining Center will also be available again on Monday, January 20th. Please check the dining website for spring 2025 hours and menus.
• Students new to campus housing for spring 2025 may move in on or after 10:00am, January 16, 2025 by scheduling an appointment on the Housing Portal. Please refer to your housing assignment email for more specific move-in instructions.

Weather

All students returning to housing are encouraged to pay close attention to the weather, including closures and detours originating from weather activity. Please sign up for UC Merced alerts to get notifications of emergency conditions on campus.

• CalTrans Quick Map(road status)
• UC Merced emergency alerts
• Merced County emergency alerts

As a reminder, Monday, January 20th is a holiday for the observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Classes begin Tuesday, January 21st.

Housing Assignment

Your room assignment will be the same as the previous semester. If you wish to change your room assignment due to roommate conflict, please refer to the room change process page for more information. Please review your spring assignment on the housing portal home page to ensure it's was rolled correctly into the new term.

Please click here for housing and meal plan rates.

Residential Parking Permit

Students who currently have fall on-campus overnight parking will be given the option to purchase parking for the 2025 spring semester. Starting in November, TAPS contact students with active fall 2024 overnight parking permit permissions and offer the option to purchase overnight parking for the 2025 spring semester.

Moving In 

Where to Unload

• Half Dome, Tenaya, Cathedral: Scholars Lot
• Mariposa, Tuolumne, Valley Terraces: Scholars Lot
• Glacier Point, Granite Pass, Sentinel Rock or El Portal: Bellevue Lot

After unloading, please move your car to your designated parking area or purchase a day use permit, if you plan to keep the car in campus parking.  

Loading and Moving In/Out

Families can accompany students to campus to help with unloading. Family or friends are permitted to spend the night with students in their rooms with the advance permission of all roommates. Guests who do not comply with our policies will be asked to leave. Students are responsible for the actions of their guests at all times, including during move in.

Valley Terrace Center - Resident Services Desk Hours

The Resident Services Desk will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during move-in (January 16-19). Please direct questions to the office at (209)228-4663 or hrloa@ucmerced.edu.

CatCard

Continuing students who have lost their CatCard and need a replacement should visit https://catcard.ucmerced.edu/manage-account/replacement-CatCards and follow the instructions to replace their card.   The CatCard office is in Granite Pass 171. https://catcard.ucmerced.edu/about-us. Any new CatCard must be activated by the student after it's issued before any door access permissions will work.

Incoming First-Year and Transfer Students

Spring 2025 housing is guaranteed for all incoming first-year and transfer students who apply and sign by the priority date of January 6, 2025.

Please click here for spring 2025 room and meal plan rates, including step-by-step tutorials on the housing application process.

Application Process and Timeline

1. Prepare

   • Submit your SIR for spring 2025. You must SIR at UC Merced to be eligible to apply for student housing. Your student account in the housing portal is typically active within 48 hours.

   • Spring 2025 Housing Applications open for submission on October 1, 2024. Housing contracts must be signed by 11:59 P.M. January 6, 2025  Please submit your application through the Housing Portal, and sign the contract before that date

   • If you would like to request housing accommodations, please click here for more information. The priority deadline for housing accommodations is December 1, 2024. Accommodations can not be guaranteed for spring semester. Some accommodations, like single rooms, may not be available in spring term due to fall occupants.

   • Spring-only applicants sign the academic year 2024-2025 housing contract, but are billed for spring term only.

2. Apply for Housing
   • Go to the Housing Portal on or after October 1, 2024 to submit your application. Select "Spring-Only 2025" as the term.
   • Click here for a step-by-step guide on how to submit your application. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email.
3. Sign your contract
   • Within 3-5 business days, a housing offer and contract will be posted on your housing portal. Please check your email regularly for notifications.
   • Go to the Housing Portal to sign your contract. Click here for a step-by-step guide on signing your housing contract. (Click here for under-18 years old signing process)
   • Once you have signed your contract, you will receive a confirmation email.
   • You can sign the contract at any time after it's been offered, but you must sign by the priority date and time (11:59 p.m., January 6, 2025) to be guaranteed housing for the upcoming term. 

4. Room assignments and roommate information:

   • Assignments and roomate information will be posted on the Housing Portal starting on or after January 6, 2025. It may take some time for you to receive your housing assignment. We apologize for the wait.

Students can also choose to cancel or deny their contract through the Housing Portal. Canceling or denying a contract will stop the room and board billing.

How to sign your housing contract

Under 18 years of age signing process

Over 18 years of age signing process

Housing Assignment

Students are now being housed in all residence halls. Please visit here to view building and room layouts.

Please visit here for housing and meal plan rates. 

Your room assignment is final. However, you may change your room assignment in March if you experience roommate conflict. Please refer to Room Change Process for more information.    

Move-In Date and Time

Move-In Date and Time

• Students new to campus housing for spring 2025 may move in on or after 10:00am Jan. 16, 2025 by scheduling an appointment on the Housing Portal. Please refer to the housing assignment email for more specific move-in instructions.

The move-in appointment is to allow the University to plan for services, including meal service and other campus operations, based on the expected return to campus. Residents are welcome to return to campus on or after their contract start time.

What to Bring

UC Merced Housing and Residence Education wants to help make your transition to college as smooth and comfortable as possible. To help ensure students have what they need in their residence hall and make it feel like home, we have put together a list of what to bring and what to leave at home.

Residential Parking Permit

Any new first-year or transfer students are eligible for on-campus overnight parking by applying through the application exception process. Please click here for more details.

Before Moving in

COVID

If you were exposed to someone (meaning within 6 feet of them for more than 15 minutes or sharing a bathroom and/or kitchen with them) who tested COVID-19 positive within the last 14 days or you have been diagnosed as COVID-19 positive within the last 10 days, please stay home and contact the COVID Response Center at COVIDResponseCtr@ucmerced.edu or (209) 228-0000.  

Weather

All students returning to housing are encouraged to pay close attention to the weather, including closures and detours originating winter weather. Please sign up for UC Merced alerts to get notifications of emergency conditions on campus.

• CalTrans Quick Map(road status)
• UC Merced emergency alerts
• Merced County emergency alerts

As a reminder, Monday, January 20th is a holiday for the observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. Classes begin Tuesday, January 21st.

Moving In 

Where to Unload

• Half Dome, Tenaya, Cathedral: Scholars Lot
• Mariposa, Tuolumne, Valley Terraces: Muir Pass or Scholars Lot
• Glacier Point, Granite Pass, Sentinel Rock or El Portal: Bellevue Lot

You will first visit the CatCard office during their open hours to pick up your CatCard. You'll need this card to access your building and campus services. https://catcard.ucmerced.edu/ (directions)

After picking up your CatCard, you'll get your keys at the resident services desk at Terraces center to get your keys. (map and hours) After getting keys, you'll unload. After unloading, please move your car to long-term parking in the Bellevue Lot or depart campus.  All parking is paid parking for winter move in; parking can be purchased at the kiosks in the parking lot.

Unloading and Moving In

Families can accompany students to campus to help with unloading. Students are responsible for the actions of their guests at all times, including during move in.

If you cannot find your residence hall, the staff at Resident Services will be more than happy to help direct you.

Valley Terrace Center - Resident Services Desk Hours

The Resident Services Desk will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during move in. Please direct questions to the office at (209)228-4663 or use the Housing Contact Form.

Mailing Address

Use the following format as your mailing address:

[Your Name]
[Building] [Room]
5400 N. Lake Rd.
Merced, CA 95340

You can pick up your mail at Resident Services at the Valley Terrace Offices.

Download the complete instructions for using smart lockers via Smiota PoDS.

CatCard

Your CatCard is used to access your residence hall and to get food and services on campus. Each student will receive their CatCard when they move in.

Please click here for information on how to obtain your CatCard. We recommend that you submit a photo in advance. This will allow us to print and prepare the student’s CatCard ID before move-in day. Photos can be submitted here: https://catcard.ucmerced.edu/services/photo-selfie. If you have any problems with this service, please email CatCard@ucmerced.edu. 

At this time, the CatCard office is in Granite Pass 171. You’ll need to provide a form of picture ID to claim your CatCard. Any new CatCard must be activated by the student after it's issued before any door access permissions will work.