Application procedures and policy
New students
Applicants who wish to be considered for a place in student housing need to apply on the relevant section of the main UCT application form (form 1) or UCT online application.
Student Housing Admissions & Advocacy Services (SHAAS) must receive the completed application form by no later than 30 September of the year before the applicant wishes to begin their studies at UCT.
SHAAS makes an accommodation offer where there is capacity to do so, once the faculty to which the applicant has applied has made a provisional or firm academic offer. If a faculty does not accept the application the student housing application will be cancelled automatically.
Current students
Current students who wish to be considered for student housing must apply by no later than 15 August each year for the next academic year. Late applications will not be considered.
Students living in res will obtain their accommodation application forms respective Residence Facilities Officers (RFO). Students not in res can obtain their application forms from SHAAS office
Students offered accommodation must reply to the offer not later than 15 October.
The offer will be cancelled by 31 October if no response is received.
General information
Sharing a room in residence
Nearly half of first-year students in catering residences are accommodated in double rooms.
Should a student wish to share with a friend who has been accepted into the same residence, this is usually possible. The warden of the allocated residence should then be informed prior to arrival. Students will be informed who their warden is, and how to contact him or her, when they are accepted into residence.
If a student wishes to share with a friend who has been accepted into the same residence, they may put their request to the warden of their allocated residence by completing the room-mate-matching form. This form will be included in the offer package and can be submitted by fax or email to the Student Housing Admissions & Advocacy Services. This can only be done once both students have been accepted into the same residence. The SAAS will forward the request to the warden concerned for consideration in the room matching and room allocation process.
If a student or their roommate decides that they would prefer to share a room with someone else in the same residence, they should talk to their warden or appropriate sub-warden who will, where possible, make arrangements suitable to all who are involved. Normally room changes are only allowed after the third week of the term to allow for settling in and to help avoid confusion in the room-allocation process.
Transferring residences
Because residences are usually fully allocated at the beginning of each academic year, it is seldom possible for students to transfer from one residence to another either at the beginning of, or during, the first semester.
Generally transfers within a tier are not possible. The solution is often to consider swapping with a fellow student, provided that it is approved by the wardens concerned, and administered by the Student Houing Admissions & Advocacy Services.
The same eligibility criteria will apply.
Some vacancies do occur at the end of the first semester, when it becomes possible to grant minimal transfers.
Requests for transfers or swaps will only be considered in March (for new students) and October/November (for returning students).
Due to limited capacity, requests for transfers will not be considered at any other time during the year, unless motivated by the warden of residence according to the set guidelines of transfers, and approved by the Director of Student Housing & Residence Life.
Withdrawals from residence
All cancellations of student accommodation must be made in writing on the prescribed forms, and delivered to the Student Admissions & Advocacy Services in person, or sent by registered mail.
It is important that students and their parents/guardians note that the policy and practice of Student Housing is aimed specifically at keeping residences full throughout the academic year.
The following is an extract from the UCT General Rules and Policies booklet (Book 3).
| R16.1 | Any student who enters residence and withdraws during the first semester shall be liable for the full annual residence fee unless he or she satisfies the requirements in the case of R16. 2 below. | First semester withdrawals |
| R16.2 | A student who cancels his/her university registration during, or at the end of, the first semester shall be eligible for a fee rebate of 40% on the full annual residence fee. | Fee rebates |
| R16.3 | Any student completing his/her studies at the end of the first semester shall be eligible for a 40% rebate on the full annual fee. | Completion of studies |
| R16.4 | A postgraduate student who is required for the purposes of his/her research to move out of Cape Town shall be eligible for a rebate on a pro-rata basis. | Postgraduate students |
| R16.5 | Any student not eligible for a fee rebate in the case of R16.1 and R16.2 above, may be granted a rebate on the full annual residence fee: (a) if the director, Student Housing, after consulting the warden, is satisfied that the student has a valid reason for leaving the residence, and if the university is able to let the room to a student of the university's choice who is not in residence at that time; (b) if the director, Student Housing, after consulting the warden, is satisfied that there is an emergency or other compelling reason for the student to leave residence. |
Exceptions made by director |
| R16.6 | If in the case of (a) above, the student shall be liable for a cancellation fee of R150, and a pro-rata share of the full annual fee shall apply until the date on which the replacement student moves in; (b) above, the rebate on the full annual fee shall be determined by the director, Student Housing, based on the circumstances of the case. |
Penalties |
| R16.7 | Any student who does not return to the residence at the beginning of the second semester or who withdraws during the second semester shall be liable for the full annual residence fee. | Failure to return |
| R16.8 | Any student who enters residence for the first time during the second semester and who withdraws from residence shall be liable for the full fee for that semester. The director, Student Housing, may however exercise his/her discretion in approving a rebate under conditions described in R16.5 (a) and (b) above. |
Consult Student Housing General Application Information (Handbook 1) for further information on cancellation of residence reservations.