Graduate, Optometry, & Student Families

Once you accept a contract with us, great news! You do not need to apply for future housing at CLV. Six weeks into each term, you will receive an offer via email to renew your stay with us – in the same room – by accepting another 1-term contract for the upcoming term.  

Please refer to the schedule below to anticipate when you can expect to receive your renewal offer from Campus Housing. 

*See the FAQ for more answers about the renewal process. 

Please Note: We receive a high number of applications on Graduate application opening day, which can cause our system to slow down. If you experience a slow connection, please do not refresh your browser. To ensure a better experience, we recommend using Internet Explorer to complete the application. Questions? Connect with us.  

Only full-time registered UWaterloo students are eligible to live in Campus Housing. Visiting scholars can look into our faculty accomodations. .  

Residence fees for students living in graduate housing are assessed and paid per term, and follow the University’s fee schedule.  

Graduate and Optometry students are offered one-term renewable contracts. 

Graduate housing consists of 2-bedroom (CLV-North) and 4-bedroom (CLV-South) townhouses located in Columbia Lake Village. Find out more online about Columbia Lake Village - North or South. 

Students must be registered in full time studies at the start of their contract in order to qualify for residence; continued stay in residence is dependent on continued academic eligibility (ie. Full-time student enrollment).

You must be registered as a full-time student to apply for residence in Columbia Lake Village. Once living in the community, if you become inactive, then you may be permitted to remain in residence for as long as your inactive status is approved by the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs office. You are required to inform us of your situation, and submit documentation to verify it, by contacting us. If you are enrolled part-time, contact your RLC immediately to discuss next steps; you will be required to submit documentation from your faculty confirming an intent to become full-time enrolled again the following term. If you continue to be enrolled part-time for multiple terms, you are not permitted to remain in residence.

If you become degree complete* while in residence, you are required to connect with your RLC; you will be allowed to remain in residence for the remainder of the current term that you become degree complete in. NOTE: Any contracts for future terms will be cancelled. For example, if you completed your degree requirements on January 17 you would be permitted to remain in residence until the last day of your Winter term contract. If you completed your degree requirements on April 2 you would be permitted to remain in residence until the last day of your Winter term contract; your Spring term contract, if you have one, would be cancelled.  Please reach out to your Residence Life Coordinator to communicate your intention to continue living in residence.

*Degree completion is not the same as degree conferral.  Eligibility will be determined based on the date that is reflected on Quest confirming that all degree requirements were completed. This date can often be well in advance of the conferral of your degree (ie. Convocation). 

Building and community preferences are not guaranteed. Your residence offer takes into consideration ranked community preferences and is based on available space for the term. 

You must be registered as a full-time student to apply for residence in Columbia Lake Village. Once living in the community, if you become inactive, then you will be permitted to remain in residence for as long as your inactive status is approved by the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs office. You are required to inform us of your situation, and submit documentation to verify it, by contacting us.  

Once the renewal deadline has passed, you will need to reapply. After you have reapplied, notify us at housing@uwatereloo.ca to let us know you missed the renewal but wish to stay in your current room for the next term. We will make every effort to place you within the same unit and room you are currently in; However, due to the demand and interest of applicants we cannot guarantee the same residence placement.  

The renewal process into the next academic term for single and family graduate residents begins 6-8 weeks into the current term. The reason renewals occur earlier in the semester is so that we can both give our current residents the first opportunity to book their spot into the next term, while balancing consideration for future students who want a spot in graduate Campus Housing as well. Early renewals allow for certainty for both us and you, while allowing us to better serve future residents by being able to send new offers earlier on as well.

Room changes will not be permitted unless support or safety needs are determined. Current residents must connect with their Residence Life Coordinator to inquire about room availability in other buildings and to receive approval for roommate requests. Information will be sent with your renewal offer about the upcoming term. 

A Residence Life Grad Don is a graduate student who lives and works in CLV. Your Grad Don can help with questions or concerns, provide general support, and help you build connections with others also living in the Graduate & Student Family Community 

Grad Dons also help organize fun and engaging events that can help you connect with your peers and build useful skills. They provide residents in the community with opportunities to learn about valuable campus resources and how to access them.  

To learn more about CLV Grad Dons or to contact your Grad Don, please visit the Jobs & Leadership page or reach out to reslife@uwaterloo.ca 

No problem. When you receive your contract renewal offer, please decline the offer. 

When you receive your renewal, you’ll also receive information about whether room changes and roommate requests are an option. Please note these decisions will be based on available space and are not guaranteed.