Frequently Asked Questions

Priority is placed for students coming directly from high school for on-campus McMaster Residence.

The application for residence is for the core academic year, from early September 2026 to end of April 2027. Students approved to live in residence must be prepared to live in residence for the full eight months.

Please see our International Student page for more details about the eligibility criteria and guaranteed residence offers.

If you do not submit your residence application by 4:00 p.m. ET on June 1, 2026, you will need to apply for the wait-list, however you will not have a guaranteed offer.

You can still apply for residence and will be added to the residence wait-list. As spaces in residence become available throughout the year, applicants to the residence wait-list, available on the Housing Portal, will be contacted to their McMaster email.

If you know someone coming to McMaster and want to be roommates, you may request one roommate on the online residence application. Please note only Guaranteed students can match with Guaranteed students.

Please visit the roommate request page for details.

Students with a residence guarantee are required to submit a $600 payment in order to complete their residence application. This payment includes a $500 deposit which will be applied toward your first residence charge, and a $100 non‑refundable residence application fee. The payment must be made through the Housing Portal using an accepted credit card from the approved list. Payments made to your Mosaic student account will not be accepted for the residence application.

If you have a residence guarantee and you do not make the $600 payment by the time listed in your offer email, or 4:00 p.m. ET on June 1, 2026, you will forfeit your guaranteed space in residence.

You can re-apply to the wait list. You will be added to the bottom of the existing residence wait list on the Housing Portal. As space in residence becomes available throughout the year, applicants to the residence wait list will be contacted by email.

Residence fees are split by Fall term and Winter term and charged to your Mosaic student account. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they are checking their account regularly and meeting the financial dates and deadlines to avoid penalties. For more information, please visit Student Services fee dates page.

To support your transition, you will have a Community Advisor and Residence Life Area Coordinator who are there to answer your questions, and will help you build a memorable residence community through planned activities and events.

The Student Wellness Centre provides counselling to students.

The Residence Case Manager is also available to listen to concerns or questions students have. They will directly connect students with the resources and services at McMaster that give them the tools they need to succeed.

Upper Year undergraduate students are eligible to live at 10 Bay Residence, a McMaster-operated residence located in downtown Hamilton. This building features a blended community of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty, offering a 12-month lease option. Learn more about 10 Bay Residence here.

Students can change their meal plan request through the Housing Portal until a date to be determined. Changes can be made from the “Meal Plan Selection, Terms, & Conditions” step of the application (after Photo Upload).

After this deadline, any meal plan change requests should be submitted in writing to Mac Express Centre at express@mcmaster.ca.