Students admitted to SEASSI are responsible for making their own living arrangements for the duration of the summer session. SEASSI fees do not cover room and board. Please make sure that your class is confirmed before signing housing contracts or leases.
There are a number of housing options available to SEASSI students, including on-campus dormitory dorms, privately owned dormitory rooms and privately owned apartment rentals. Each offers a different mix of convenience, affordability, and flexibility. There are only a limited number of on-campus dorm rooms, but there are usually plenty of off-campus apartment rooms for sublease.
On campus housing
***Summer 2025 information to be determined*** See below for the 2024 information to get an idea of on campus housing opportunities.
In Summer 2024 on-campus housing will be primarily in Smith Hall, with mostly triple rooms available and a very small number of single and double rooms.
Barnard Hall was available to WISLI students (of which SEASSI is a part) on a first-come, first-served basis and extremely limited. Only single rooms are available in Barnard Hall.
Applications for on-campus housing are anticipated to open in late March/early April. Individuals may apply once they are admitted to the University and need to be enrolled in a summer course by the move in date. After submitting an application, official contracts will be sent by the Housing team indicating the room type available to you. Students may then choose whether or not they wish to move forward with the contracting process. Once the contract is signed and advance payment is made, it becomes a legally binding contract as long as the student is enrolled for summer. Housing does not allow students to cancel a signed contract in order to live off campus if enrolled for summer. On-campus housing applicants should be certain of their decision to live on campus before signing the contract.
Rate details for Smith and Barnard Hall for the Summer 2024 session are still pending.
Dining plans will be available for Summer 2024 in the form of a summer block meal plan. Those with an on-campus housing contract for the summer will have the option to select a block of meals that would be available for use in Gordon or Four Lakes dining markets. Rheta’s Market (located directly next to Barnard) will have very limited hours and may only be open during certain parts of the summer. Information about the different dining markets and locations can be found here.
More information about summer housing can be found here. For questions regarding on-campus housing for Summer 2024, please contact info@housing.wisc.edu.
Summer Boost: Are you currently enrolled as an undergraduate, degree-seeking student at UW-Madison? Looking for help covering the cost of living in residence halls over the summer? Check out the Summer Boost Program and reach out to Tracy Spraetz (tracy.spraetz@wisc.edu) for more information.
Privately Owned Dormitory Rooms
Private residence halls are residence hall (dormitory) living arrangements that are owned and operated by the private sector. Application procedures and lease agreements are solely the responsibility of the student renter, not the University. Many include a meal plan. For information on Private Residence Halls in Madison, write or call the halls directly. Applications are not available through the mail from the SEASSI Office or the UW-Madison Campus and Visitor Relations office. Below is a list of some of the most popular private dorms in Madison as well as a link to a map showing you their locations. Click on the name of the dorms you may be interested in to find out more information.
Highlander House
Dorm@Lucky
Dorm@Regent
The Statesider
The Towers on State
Privately Owned Apartment Rentals
The UW-Madison Campus Area Housing page has a convenient search engine where you can search for off-campus rental housing (sublets). The website has online listings of privately owned apartments, houses and rooms for sub-lease, as well as consumer rental information. For further information, call UW-Madison Campus and Visitor Relations at (608) 263-2400. Please be aware that most off-campus students either walk, bike, or bus to campus.
Cooperative Housing
Madison has a vibrant co-op community. If you are interested in learning more about summer opportunities, you can find the most current information at UW’s Center for Cooperatives and at Madison Community Cooperative (You can check out their Instagram and the International Co-op House Facebook page too!).
External Resources
The following links can be helpful for finding summer sublets and off-campus housing.
UW Madison Sublet and Roommate Board
Craigslist
Apartments.com
Madison Apartment Living
Madison Campus and Downton Apartments
Madisonproperty.com
Madrent.com
Please be aware that SEASSI cannot be held responsible for any sublet or rental agreements made through any aforementioned resources. However, we are happy to help when we can.
WISLI 2023 Housing Webinar
The recording of the WISLI Summer 2023 Student Housing Webinar is located here. Presentation slides for 2023 campus area housing can be downloaded here, and slides for 2023 summer term housing can be downloaded here. **Please note the information for 2025 may vary.**