Housing Cancellations
Housing cancellations are granted only in cases where the resident is leaving the university due for one of the following reasons:
- Leave of Absence (medical, personal, or academic)
- Withdrawing or Transferring from the university
- Studying Abroad
- Graduating (and no longer enrolled as a CMU student)
- Academic or Financial Suspension
- Exchange Students returning home after their exchange period
-
Forfeit or Deferral of Admissions (new incoming first-year students only)
Cancellations to move off-campus (or for any reason not listed above) are not granted once a Housing Contract is signed and a space is selected or confirmed.
Cancellation Policies
Notify Housing Services of your need to cancel:
Residents who need to cancel their campus housing for any of the approved reasons listed above are responsible for notifiying Housing Services via email or in person as soon as they are aware of their change in plans to begin cancellation and move-out coordinator.
Housing Cancellation Fee:
Students who are permitted to cancel for an approve reason are responsible for a housing cancellation fee. The cancellation is fee is $400 for residents released for the full academic year or at any point during the fall semester, and $200 for residents who are released for or during the spring semseter. (This administrative fee applies to all residents, regardless of reason for cancelling.)
Housing Refund Amounts:
Once a cancellation is approved, residents are eligible for a pro-rated room rate refund, based on the date of the status change from the university, or the date that the resident full vacated the space, or when the student notifies Housing Services, whichever is later, and assuming that the space is completely vacated and left in good condition. Damage charges may apply if excessive trash or belongings is left behind or if there is damage to the room space.
Failure to notify Housing Services of your need to cancel or your departure from campus housing will affect your refund amount.
Upper-Class/Returning Residents Participating in Room Selection:
Upper-class/returning residents who participate in the Room Selection process for the upcoming academic year sign their Housing Contract as part of the Room Selection application process, but are only bound to their Housing Contract and all related policies once they select or are assigned to (either by Housing Services or a member of a roommate group) a space in Housing for the upcoming academic year.
Upper-Class Waitlist Applicants:
Upper-class residents applying via the non-guaranteed Housing Waitlist are committed to their Housing Contract once they receive an offer for a space in campus housing, and sign their Housing Contract.
Incoming First-Year Students:
Incoming first-year students are required to live in campus housing for one full academic year, and will only be released from their housing contracts in the event of a forfeit or deferral of their admissions, or if they take a mid-year leave of absence or withdraw from the university.
Moving Off-Campus?:
Students who choose to move off-campus after signing their Housing Contract will not be released from their Housing Contract, and remain financially responsible for the full cost of their Academic Year Housing Contract regardless of whether or not they have ever occupied their on-campus housing space.
Spring 2027 Cancellation Requests
Students leaving the University at the end of the fall semester for an approved reason must complete a Spring 2027 Cancellation Request Form to begin the process of being released from the Spring 2027 portion of their housing contract. Housing cancellations do NOT happen automatically, even for students who are graduating, studying abroad, etc.
Students can submit the Spring Cancellation request Form to Housing Services via email (rmassign@andrew.cmu.edu) or in person at the Residence on Fifth.
Spring cancellation requests can be made starting in mid November 2026 through Tuesday, December 15th, 2026. Any current residents who will not be on campus for the spring semester — including exchange students only here for the fall semester — are required to complete the cancellation paperwork.
Students not returning for the spring semester must vacate their room by December 15th at 12 p.m. If you have an extenuating circumstance and live in an opened building for Winter Break, please email Housing Services. However, please know that there will be a $100 per night fee charged for any extension requests made by residents not returning for spring.
Please visit Leaving for Winter Break for further instructions on how to appropriately leave your own space.
If you will have a Vacancy in your Room for the Spring Semester
Any resident whose roommate is leaving university housing (due to graduation, study abroad/co-op, leave of absence or withdrawal) may pull-in a roommate of their choice provided that all of the below criteria are met:
- The resident leaving the room is approved to be released from his/his spring contract
- The selected new roommate (the pull-in) currently lives in campus housing
- And, the roommate being pulled in moves all belongings into their new assignment prior to 12 p.m. on December 15th, 2026.
Residents interested in this option should email the room assignments staff as soon as possible with their name, room, the name of the roommate leaving, their reason for leaving, and the name and assignment of the person they wish to pull in.
Requests received after, or moves that cannot be completed before 12 p.m. on December 15th, 2026, will not be granted.
What if I don't pull in a roommate of my own choosing?
Residents remaining in rooms with vacancies should expect that a new resident will be assigned over the break and will move in on January 15th, 2027. Residents are required to keep the vacant set of furniture completely free of personal belongings. Residents whose belongings are spread out throughout the room, which prohibit Housing Services from being able to assign a new roommate to the vacancy, will be held financially responsible for the full cost of the vacant space. The remaining resident(s) should also anticipate an inspection for damages to be completed over the break period.
If a resident with a vacancy in their room knows of someone coming back to housing for the Spring 2027 semester and would like to request them as a roommate, please email with the name and Andrew ID of the person that you think is returning. These requests are not guaranteed but we will evaluate each request individually and work with the students involved.