Graduate, Optometry, & Student Families

People sitting around and on picnic table.

Why make the Columbia Lake Village (CLV) Graduate & Student Family Community your home?

Columbia Lake Village is a safe, quiet, and conscientious community of graduate students, optometry students, and student families that has lots to offer, no matter what your housing needs are. Why make the Columbia Lake Village Graduate & Student Family Community your home?

4-month renewable contracts that align with academic term
Close to campus with seasonal shuttle*
Reliable and trustworthy maintenance services (with a great landlord!)
Onsite support and community building from Campus Housing and Residence Life Dons
All-inclusive living (utilities, high-speed Internet, community events)
Community Centre with ping pong tables, TV for movie nights, and quiet study area
Programming designed with graduate students in mind
Option to live in a 2-bedroom or 4-bedroom townhouse (find out more about tours)

*Please note some services and opportunities may be limited due to COVID-19 until further notice

Please note: Many of the amenities and options differ for student families. Please visit the Student Family Housing page if you are looking for how to apply, available amenities, contract details, and other information.

How to apply

For Current Graduate & Optometry Students

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.

Term living in Housing	Renewing placements for	Renewal offers sent to current residents	New offers sent to new applicants
Fall	Winter	Early October	Mid-October
Winter	Spring	Early February	Mid-February
Spring	Fall	Early May	Mid-May

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

For Prospective Graduate & Optometry Students

1) Decide who you want to live with

Choose a roommate and request each other (mixed gender requests welcome), or you can apply on your own and we’ll match you with some new friends. Choose from CLV-North or CLV-South. Please note CLV-North is comprised of 2-bedroom townhouses, and CLV-South is comprised of 4-bedroom townhouses. We try our best to accommodate your requests and preferences.

2) Apply!
Check our Important Dates Calendar for application open dates. Offers are made on a first-come, first-served basis. Apply early to make sure you get your first choice of building and room accommodations!

3) Accept your offer  
Check your UWaterloo email often, as we will be sending offers soon after you submit an application.Please note your offer is based on availability of space that considers your highest ranked community preference for your contract term.

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.

Frequently asked questions

Prospective Graduate & Optometry Students

I'm a visiting scholar (researcher, professor, student from another institution) can I apply to live on campus?

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

Are the fees paid by year or per term?

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

What is the length of the contract?

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

DO YOU HAVE ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENTS?

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.

WHAT ARE THE ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO LIVE IN CLV GRADUATE HOUSING?

Students must be registered in full time studies at the start of their contract in order to qualify for residence.

AM I GUARANTEED MY TOP RANKED BUILDING COMMUNITY PREFERENCE WHEN APPLYING FOR CLV-SOUTH OR CLV-NORTH?

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.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM INACTIVE FOR A 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.

Current Graduate & Optometry Students

WHAT IF I MISS ACCEPTING MY RENEWAL CONTRACT OFFER AND I WANT TO LIVE IN MY ROOM FOR THE UPCOMING TERM?

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.

I WANT TO REQUEST A ROOM/COMMUNITY CHANGE AND/OR LIVE WITH A PREFERRED ROOMMATE?

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.

WHO ARE THE GRAD DONS? WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM MY GRAD DON WHILE I LIVE IN CLV?

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

I AM NOT GOING TO LIVE IN CAMPUS HOUSING NEXT TERM SO I DO NOT WANT TO RENEW MY CONTRACT. WHAT DO I DO?

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

I’VE COMPLETED MY DEGREE REQUIREMENTS, CAN I CONTINUE LIVING IN RESIDENCE?

All current CLV residents are permitted to remain in residence for 1 term beyond the term they completed their degree requirements*. For example, if you completed your degree requirements in the Fall you would be permitted to extend your stay in residence until the end of the Winter term. 

*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).

CAN I CHANGE ROOMS/ROOMMATES WHEN I RENEW MY CONTRACT FOR THE NEXT TERM?

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.