Apply for Housing
Whether you are new to WSU or a current student returning to the halls, the Housing & Residence Life office is happy to help you through the process.
All students living in the residence halls must be admitted to WSU or MSC Southeast and enrolled in a minimum of 12 undergraduate, or 6 graduate, credit hours per semester.
To access the housing application, you will need your StarID and password. If you need assistance with your StarID, call the Minnesota State Help Desk at 1.877.466.6728.
When Can I Start Applying?
Sign up now for Fall 2023 housing! We will begin to accept applications for Fall 2024 on Sept. 15. You must be admitted to WSU to get access to the housing application.
The sooner you complete your application, the more likely you’ll get the hall and room you prefer—especially for high-demand suite-style units in Haake and Kirkland Hall.
To access the housing application, you will need your StarID and password. If you need assistance with your Star ID, call the Minnesota State Help Desk at 1.877.466.6728.
Sign Up for 2023-2024 Academic Year
Are you starting your college career at WSU in Fall 2023? Once you are admitted to WSU, you will have access to the housing application.
New-entering freshmen live in all of our residence halls except the East Lake Apartments. East Lake is reserved for for transfer students and returner students who have 24 credits or more.
We will begin to accept applications for Fall 2023 on Sept. 15 at 8am.
These are the steps to sign up for on-campus housing:
1. Start Your Application
Access your Housing Portal through Student eServices.
- Login with your StarID and password.
- Choose “Housing & Dining” in the left hand tool bar.
- You will be prompted to re-enter your StarID and password.
Once you are logged into your Housing Portal, click on “Housing Application" to begin the application process.
2. Submit Your $250 Pre-Payment to Guarantee Your Spot
To complete the housing application, you will have to sign the Agreement for Housing & Dining and submit a $250 pre-payment.
Once this payment is received, you will be guaranteed a space in one of our residence halls.
The Agreement will be available within the application in your Housing Portal.
Applicants over the age of 18 can electronically sign their Agreement within the application. Applicants under the age of 18 will need to have a proxy (parent/guardian) sign on their behalf.
3. Roommate Request
From March 1-May 1, you will be able to login to your Housing Portal through Student eServices to access the roommate request feature within your application.
Important Notes about Roommate Requests:
- Roommate groups must be created and verified by May 1
- Students in a roommate group will receive the same time slot for room selection
- Time slots for roommate groups are based on the "average" of the two (2) student's signed Agreement dates
- A roommate group cannot have more than two (2) individuals in it
4. Choose Your Room
How do I pick my room?
We facilitate a self-selection process where students can pick their exact room during the room and meal plan selection process in May. Students who submit their signed Agreement for Housing & Dining and $250 pre-payment by May 1 will receive a time slot to pick their room.
Time slots are determined by the date those pieces of the housing application are submitted–so the earlier you apply, the earlier your room selection time slot will be and the more choices you will have.
Remember, we begin accepting housing applications on Sept. 15, so if you have a specific residence hall in mind, it will be important to get your application completed!
Room selection time slots will be sent via email in early May. When you receive your time slot, you will be able to access the room selection portion of your application on your Housing Portal.
Once your room selection time slot opens, you can filter preferences based on what hall or type of room you would like to live in. You will then be able to view open spaces meeting that criteria and from there, select your room.
Students who submit their application and payment after May 1 will be assigned a room by our office staff on or after May 24. You will be notified via email or you can view this information on your Housing Portal.
May 2023: Room & Meal Plan Selection
On May 16-17, you will be able to login to your Housing Portal to select your room and meal plan according to your assigned time-slot if you've completed your housing application by May 1.
More information and details regarding room selection will be available on your housing portal.
5. Choose Your Meal Plan
Once you select your room, you will be able to choose your meal plan.
Students who do not select a meal plan by May 23 will be assigned the Warrior Anytime plan to start the school year.
If you wish to change that over the summer, please email our office at housing@winona.edu.
Students can also lower their meal plan within the first 2 weeks of the semester. Students may increase their meal plan at any time.
Learn more about meal plan options and how the meal plan works.
Spring 2023
Are you starting at or transferring to WSU for spring semester? Once you’ve been admitted, here are the steps to sign up for on-campus housing.
1. Login to Your Housing Portal
The Spring 2023 application will open on Oct. 1. Access your Housing Portal through Student eServices.
- Login with your StarID and password.
- Choose “Housing & Dining” in the left hand tool bar.
- You will be prompted to re-enter your StarID and password.
Once you are logged into your Housing Portal, click on “Housing Application" to begin your application.
2. Getting a Room
To complete the housing application, you will have to sign the Agreement for Housing & Dining and submit a $250 pre-payment.
Only once this payment is received will we guarantee you a space in one of our residence halls.
Students with 24 or more credits are eligible to live in the East Lake Apartments in addition to any of our traditional halls. In your app, you will be able to indicate your hall and room preferences. In mid-december our staff will assign you a room and notify you via email
3. Choose Your Meal Plan
All students living in the residence halls are required to be on a meal plan. Students living at East Lake are not required to be on a meal plan, but have many meal plan options available. You will be able to select your meal plan within your application.
Students who do not select a meal plan by Jan. 1 will be assigned a Warrior Anytime Meal Plan to start the semester. You can lower your meal plan within the first two weeks of the semester and increase it at any time.
Learn more about meal plan options and how the meal plan works.
4. Moving in
Current Students: Room Sign-Up Process
If you are a current WSU student, you are welcome to live on campus again next year! Please review the process below and contact housing@winona.edu if you have any questions.
Application Process & Timeline
Current Residence Hall Students – Priority Selection
Students who are currently living in the residence halls for Fall 2022 are eligible for priority selection.
Oct. 1-31: Application Open
Complete your housing application now!
Nov. 3: Same Hall Selection
Select your current room again or select a different room within your current residence hall complex. For example:
- you live in Richards and you'd like to live in your same room again
- you'd like to live in a different room within the Quad
- you currently live in Haake and you'd like to live in Kirkland next year
Hall complexes are defined as:
- the Quad (Conway, Morey-Shepard, and Richards)
- Prentiss-Lucas
- Sheehan
- Kirkland-Haake
- East Lake – Buildings A, B, C and D
Nov. 9 & 10: All Hall Selection
Select a room in a different residence hall of where you currently live.
For example, if you currently live in Sheehan and want to live in the Quad or at East Lake, you would select a room during this time.
Groups will receive a time slot after Nov. 4 to select a room.
Current WSU Student – General Room Selection
Dec. 3 -March 1
All current WSU students (living on or off campus) are able to apply and select a room within their Housing Portal.
Students who apply after March 1 will be assigned a room by our office based on room preferences submitted within the housing application.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to apply for housing in October if I'm not sure where I want to live or who I want to live with next year?
The short answer is no. Our priority room selection process for current WSU students is simply meant to give our current students the option to take care of their housing plans for next year, if they are ready.
As a current WSU student, you have until March 1 to apply and select a room before we start the room selection process for new incoming first year students.
Once first year students have selected their rooms, the options for current students become limited, so we do encourage you to secure your housing plans as soon as you are ready.
What if I want to be an RA next year?
You can choose to go through this room selection process if you want. If you are hired as an RA for next year and signed up for a room, we will reassign you to your RA room (as designated by your Area Coordinator/Hall Director) and refund the $250 pre-payment.
What if I pick a room and later decide to cancel?
You will have until May 1 to cancel your housing for next year and get your $200 pre-payment refunded. The $50 is a non-refundable application processing fee.
If you cancel after May 1, you will forfeit the $200 pre-payment.
Login to your Housing Portal through Student eServices to access the Housing Application.
Meal Plan Selection
Meal plans for next year will not be finalized until late spring/early summer. Our Office will email you once meal plan selection is ready.
At that time, you will have access in your Housing Portal to choose your meal plan. All students living in the traditional residence halls are required to be on a meal plan.
If a meal plan is not selected, you will be assigned the Warrior Anytime Plan to begin the year.
Meal plan changes can be requested on your Housing Portal, under the "Manage my Meal Plan" option. Meal plans can only be lowered through the first 2 weeks of the semester.
Students living at the East Lake Apartments can choose to be on:
- the 10 or 14 meals-per-week plan
- a Block Plan
- no meal plan at all
Learn more about meal plan options and how the meal plan works.
Summer Housing
Summer housing is a great option for students who are taking summer classes or sticking around the area to work or just enjoy Winona in the warm weather.
Learn more about terms, rates and move in/out dates for summer housing.
Apply Now!
Students in need of summer or interim housing accommodations can apply online through their Housing Portal.
A $25 non-refundable application fee will be charged to your student account upon completion of the summer housing app.
Accessibility Accommodations
Some of our residence halls are accessible to students with physical disabilities. Be sure to notify us if you need accommodations such as wheelchair-accessible facilities or devices/alarms for a hearing impairment.
We can best assist you if we get early notification and complete information about your needs.
How to Apply for Special Accommodations
Applying for special on-campus housing accommodations based on medical need.
In compliance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, students with documented disabilities may request special housing accommodations.
Please submit a written description of your needs to the Housing & Residence Life Office.
These requests will be evaluated within the context of current housing policies, students' needs and available facilities.
Access Services is another great resource for students who may need additional support.
Emotional Support and Service Animals
- Pets (ESA and service animals are not pets) are not permitted in the residence halls, except for fish kept in an aquarium. A maximum of one, 10 gallon tank is allowed per resident.
- Service Animals are required to be kept on leash when not providing a needed service to the handler and should be unobtrusive to other individuals, and the learning, living, and working environment. It is the sole responsibility of the owner to care for and clean up after the animal.
- Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are only permitted in Housing when approved by Access Services and the Housing & Residence Life. ESAs are only permitted in the owner's room and must be crated whole the owner is not presents in the room. While being transported outside, the animal must be leashed or caged, and take a direct route to the outside from the student's room. It is the sole responsibility of the owner to care for and clean up after the animal. Other students may not. "babysit" the animals when the owner leaves.
- ESA Procedures and Agreement
- Release of Liability
- Animal Registration and Veterinary Documents
- City of Winona Pet License (for cats and dogs)
- Roommate Agreement
- Photo of your ESA
- Meet with your Hall Director
Housing for Minnesota State College Southeast Students
Are you attending Minnesota State College Southeast? You too can live in WSU residence halls as a full-time MSC Southeast students.
Each year, WSU residence halls are the home of about 20 MSC Southeast Students. It’s a convenient option for safe, high-quality housing with the benefits of a meal plan and opportunities to enjoy a sense of community.
If you are new to WSU residence halls, follow the steps for new students.
If you are currently living in a residence hall, follow the steps for current students to sign up again for next year.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Housing Office at housing@winona.edu.
Need to Change Your Application?
Visit your Housing Portal for room change requests, lofts rentals and more. Changes will not adjust your priority date for selecting your room.
If you decide not to live in the residence hall, make sure that you understand the cancellation policy.