Roommates

Already know who you want as your roommate?

• Make sure you have your preferred roommate's accurate Jag Number
• Make sure you AND your preferred roommate BOTH have a completed Academic Year contract
• Make sure BOTH you and your preferred roommate have checked the ‘SELECT YOUR OWN ROOMMATE’ box in the middle of the ‘Roommate Profile’ page (step 4 in the My USAHousing Contract Menu). If you chose NOT to check that box when completing your housing contract, you will NOT APPEAR in other students' roommate search results and other students will not be able to request you as a roommate.

Once 'Manage Roommates' opens (see Key Deadlines above) and you have double checked all items above:

1. Log on to southalabama.edu/MyUSAHousing
2. Select 'Housing Contract' (upper left)
3. Select the Academic Year Contract Term (click 'Save & Continue')
4. Select ‘Manage Roommates’ from your Housing Contract Menu (scroll right - after 'Submit Contract' step)
5. After navigating to ‘Manage Roommates’ scroll to the bottom and select: ‘Search for Roommates by Details’
6. To request your preferred roommate you must know their Jag Number (student ID) and/or My USAHousing Screen Name.
7. Once you've entered your preferred roommate’s Jag Number, click the 'Search' button.
8. That student's screen name should then become visible below the 'Search' button.
9. Click ‘Request’ under their screen name

REMEMBER: Roommates (if applicable) must be requested and accepted in My USAHousing BEFORE you or your preferred roommate select a room through 'Room Selection' in order to have the ability to pull them into the room with you (you make their room assignment - the system does NOT automatically assign them with you).

Looking to find someone new as your roommate?

• Make sure your Academic Year contract is complete
• Make sure you have checked the ‘SELECT YOUR OWN ROOMMATE’ box in the middle of the ‘Roommate Profile’ page (step 4 in the My USAHousing Contract Menu). If you chose NOT to check that box when completing your housing contract, you will NOT APPEAR in other students' roommate search results and other students will not be able to request you as a roommate.

Once 'Manage Roommates' opens (see Key Deadlines above) and you have double checked all items above:

1. Log on to southalabama.edu/MyUSAHousing
2. Select 'Housing Contract' (upper left)
3. Select the Academic Year Contract Term (click 'Save & Continue')
4. Select ‘Manage Roommates’ from your Housing Contract Menu (scroll right - after 'Submit Contract' step)
5. After navigating to ‘Manage Roommates’ scroll to the bottom and conduct your search by selecting one of the methods below.
6. You'll have the option to Request, View Profile, or Send Message for any/all search results. 

• Search for Roommates by Questionnaire You can select specific questions from the ‘Roommate Questionnaire’ (room temperature, sleeping habits, etc.) to find those who have answered similarly to you. Review potential roommate profiles, then send private messages or roommate requests. 
• Search for Roommates by Compatibility The system will compare your answers to the ‘Roommate Questionnaire’ with others and suggest potential matches based on a percentage of compatibility. Review potential roommate profiles, then send private messages or roommate requests.

REMEMBER: Roommates (if applicable) must be requested and accepted in My USAHousing BEFORE you or your preferred roommate select a room through 'Room Selection' in order to have the ability to pull them into the room with you (you make their room assignment - the system does NOT automatically assign them with you).

No roommate preference?

• If you don’t want to choose your roommate, you will still need to fill out the profile and questionnaire in your housing contract.
• Your roommate assignment will be made based on the date your contract was completed, room type preferences (based on availability), and your roommate profile/questionnaire.

Having 'Accepted Roommates' in your housing contract simply means the system recognizes that student as your preferred roommate and will allow you to make assignments together based on space availability at the time of you OR your preferred roommate’s participation in Room Selection (if applicable). It does NOT guarantee you will be able to find a room/suite/apartment with enough available beds to accommodate both of you together.

Locate the category that is relevant to your contract / roommate status below to learn more...

IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ROOM SELECTION (contract completed by April 1), the first person to go into Room Selection MUST pull their confirmed roommate into a room with them. You will need to look for a room that has enough available beds to accommodate both of you together in the same room.

• After you receive your time-slot to participate in Room Selection (sent to JagMail), we encourage you to speak with your accepted roommate to confirm who has the earliest time slot and who will be making the room reservations for both of you.
• The roommate who receives the earliest Room Selection time slot should search for a room that has 2 available beds using the 'Search by Detail' section of the 'Room Selection' page in My USAHousing. 
• Once that preferred roommate has found a room with 2 available beds during Room Selection, they will be able to pull the remaining roommate into the room with them (make their room/bed reservations on their behalf - the system does NOT automatically assign them with you).

If you are NOT eligible for Room Selection (contract completed after April 1), but have an accepted roommate who IS eligible for Room Selection:

• Your accepted roommate will be eligible to pull you into a room when they participate in Room Selection as long as they can find a room with enough available beds to accommodate both of you together in the same room.
• At the time of your accepted roommate's participation in Room Selection, they should search for a room that has 2 available beds using the 'Search by Detail' section of the 'Room Selection' page in My USAHousing.
• Once your accepted roommate has found a room with 2 available beds during Room Selection, they will be able to pull you into the room with them (make their room/bed reservations on their behalf - the system does NOT automatically assign them with you).

IF YOU ARE BEING ASSIGNED BY USA HOUSING (contract completed after April 1 OR you chose not to participate in Room Selection):

• USA Housing will try to accommodate your roommate request (if applicable) by placing you in a room that will accommodate all roommates, based on availability at the time of assignment. We must have an entirely vacant room in order to accommodate such requests.
• Roommate requests cannot be guaranteed. Space is MUCH more limited after Room Selection closes, which in most cases prevents USA Housing from being able to  accommodate specific roommate requests.

AFTER selecting an initial room reservation, students will be able to search for other spaces using the 'Room Swap' section of their Room Selection page in My USAHousing (available until July 1 @ 11:59 PM). So in the event you're not able to find an available room/apartment to accommodate both of you together during your specific 'Room Selection' time slot, you can continue to go into the system as often as you prefer (until July 1) to see what is currently available for 2 students (i.e. once an hour, once a day, once a week, etc.), keeping in mind, different rooms will be available at different times due to cancellations or other room swaps. Since they're listed in a live/real-time format, room availability is constantly changing!

Just use 'Room Swap by Detail' and select '2' from the drop down menu under 'Available Beds'. This will force the system to only show you rooms that currently have enough space available to accommodate both of you. However, after the initial room selection is made, please be aware you can only choose a different room for yourself. You cannot bring a roommate with you. If you and your roommate want to switch to a different room together, enough space will have to be available in a room/apartment and you will BOTH need to INDIVIDUALLY RE-ASSIGN yourselves while those spaces are still available.

If you're following steps 1-7 below and your preferred roommate is not showing up below the 'Search' button (refer to step 8 below) try these troubleshooting efforts:

• Make sure you have your preferred roommate's correct Jag Number and are entering it correctly
• Make sure you AND your preferred roommate BOTH have a completed Academic Year contract
• Make sure BOTH you and your preferred roommate have checked the ‘SELECT YOUR OWN ROOMMATE’ box in the middle of the ‘Roommate Profile’ page (step 4 in the My USAHousing Contract Menu). If you chose NOT to check that box when completing your housing contract, you will NOT APPEAR in other students' roommate search results and other students will not be able to request you as a roommate.

Once you have double checked all items above, try the steps below again.

1. Log on to southalabama.edu/MyUSAHousing
2. Select 'Housing Contract' (upper left)
3. Select the Academic Year Contract Term (click 'Save & Continue')
4. Select ‘Manage Roommates’ from your Housing Contract Menu
5. After navigating to ‘Manage Roommates’ scroll to the bottom and select: ‘Search for Roommates by Details’
6. To request your preferred roommate you must know their Jag Number (student ID) and/or My USAHousing Screen Name.
7. Once you've entered your preferred roommate’s Jag Number, click the 'Search' button.
8. That student's screen name should then become visible below the 'Search' button.*
9. Click ‘Request’ under their screen name

If this does not correct the issue, please contact the Housing Business Office at (251) 341-4663 (M - F, 8 AM - 5 PM) for additional assistance (press "o" once the automated system picks up to speak with the next available staff member).

No. About half our students request a roommate and half opt for a random roommate. Statistics show there is no difference in compatibility and happiness between the two options. It is up to you. If you don’t want to choose your roommate, you will still need to fill out the profile and questionnaire in your housing contract (My USAHousing). Roommate assignments will be made based on the date your contract was received, room type preferences (based on availability at the time of assignment), and your roommate profile/questionnaire.

Once you know who you are going to be rooming with (assignment together has been confirmed within your Housing Contract Status), here are some things you might want to talk about before you arrive on campus:

1. What items will you share and who will bring them (TV/coaxial cord/splitter, Blu-ray/DVD player, microwave, video game system, toilet paper, etc.)?
2. Do you want to lease/purchase additional services (bed lofts, room safes, futons, etc)?
3. Do you have any dietary concerns you need to discuss before you arrive?
4. Review and discuss the roommate agreement prior to, or shortly after moving-in. USA Housing staff members are available to assist you with this process upon move-in. 

Even though you and a potential roommate are similar in some ways, you may not see eye to eye on other key issues. We encourage you to review the "Roommate Relationships" page to learn about additional discussion points that may help you and the other student prior to move-in.

Students have the ability to delete any of their accepted / preferred roommates through the 'Manage Roommates' step of their Academic Year housing contract. Log back in to southalabama.edu/MyUSAHousing and navigate back to that step in your Housing Contract Menu. Once there, look under the 'Accepted Roommates' section where you'll find the option to 'Delete' the student you had previously accepted as your preferred roommate.

Once deleted, the system will allow you to search for, request, and/or accept a different preferred roommate. REMEMBER: Having 'Accepted Roommates' in your housing contract (through the 'Manage Roommates' step) simply means the system recognizes that student as your preferred roommate and will therefore allow you to make assignments together based on space availability at the time of you OR your preferred roommate’s participation in Room Selection (if applicable). It does NOT guarantee you will be able to find a room/suite/apartment with enough available beds to accommodate both of you together.