Parents & Supporters

Parents and supporters can join the housing communications email list and receive a copy of general communications sent to students. This includes important deadlines and housing news so that you can better support your student and stay updated. Please note that you will occasionally receive communications that target specific student groups and may not apply directly to your student.

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If you would like to be removed at anytime from our email list contact us at: housingcontracts@ucsd.edu.

Welcome New Incoming Parent and Supporters

Congratulations to you and your student for their acceptance at UC San Diego. We are so happy you are joining the Triton Family. Our goal is to make the transition to campus living as smooth as possible. Below is the essential information you need to support your student through the on-campus housing process for Fall 2026.

Important Dates for Fall 2026

• April to May: Housing invites are emailed to new incoming students who accepted their offer of admission and completed the Active Directory and ucsd.edu email set up.

• By June 16: All eligible students who have accepted their offer of admission and activated their credentials should receive their housing invitation email by this date.

• June 29: Housing contract and $450 prepayment due by 11:59 PM (PST). 

The Housing Application Invitation

If your student has officially accepted their offer and completed the Active Directory (AD) and @ucsd.edu email activation, they are in the queue!

• Timeline: Students should receive their invitation to apply for housing within 2–3 business days of activating their AD information.

• Communication: Remind your student to check their official @ucsd.edu email account daily, as all housing offers and contract instructions are sent there exclusively.

Essential Housing Resources

Review the following sites to understand the requirements, costs, and timelines involved in secured on-campus housing:

• Two-Year Housing Guarantee: Learn more about the eligibility criteria required to maintain a guaranteed spot on campus. 

• Important Dates: Stay in the know! Mark these deadlines and check in with your student regularly to ensure they don't forget an important deadline.

• The Housing Contract Process: Living on campus is not mandatory; however, if your student is interested, please review this multi-step process carefully. Missing a single deadline can result in the loss of the housing guarantee.

• Housing Rates and Services: Looking at your budget? Visit this page to review the academic year costs for various housing types and dining packages.

Parent and Family Programs

We understand the impact families have on their student’s success. Along with the information provided here, we encourage you to visit our Parent and Family Programs page for even more resources and ways you can stay connected with the campus to partner with us in helping your student succeed.

A few wonderful resources are listed here:

• • Parent & Family Programs & Events
  • Parent & Family Guide
  • Campus Resources

Dining Plans

The on campus housing experience is a combined housing and dining package. Incoming students have several plans to choose from during the housing contract process. Students have until October 1, 2026 to change their plan. After October 1st, plans can not be changed. 

When students move in, they receive the full amount of their Dining Dollars and contractual Triton Cash (Triton Cash included in the dining plan). These funds are active and ready to use from day one. To make them last all year, students should budget carefully—especially with Winter and Spring Quarters in mind.

Helpful tips:

• Students can check their Dining Dollar and Triton Cash balances anytime through the Transact eAccounts Portal or app.

• Supporters can also use the portal to add funds to either account (Dining Dollars or Triton Cash). Remember that Dining Dollars are non-refundable, so ensure you are only adding what they will use.

• If your student plans to stay on campus during Winter or Spring Break, remind them to save some Triton Cash. Dining locations may be closed or have limited hours during breaks and holidays.

Expiration of Funds:

• Dining Dollars stay active as long as your student has a dining plan. If they don’t sign up for a plan the following year, any unused Dining Dollars expire at the end of Fall Quarter.

• Triton Cash stays active unless your student graduates or leaves the university.

Dining Plan Overuse

If a student moves out early or ends their contract before the end of the quarter, they may be responsible for overuse charges on their Dining Dollars or Triton Cash.

What is overuse?
Overuse means your student spent more than the daily amount (called a per diem) they were allocated based on their time in housing. This per diem is calculated by dividing the total plan amount by the number of days in the academic year.

We calculate how many days of the plan they used based on their approved move-out date (or the first/last two weeks of the quarter, depending on timing). If they’ve spent more than their balance should allow for that timeframe, the difference is charged to their account.

Avoiding extra charges:
Before submitting a housing termination request, we recommend your student contact the Triton Card Accounts Services team to review their current dining usage.

Please note:

• Dining plans cannot be downgraded, transferred, dropped, or refunded.

• Unused Dining Dollars are not refundable.

• If your student underused their plan or moves out early with funds remaining, no refunds are issued.

Late Housing Offers:
Students who move in later in the year (e.g., Spring Quarter) due to an offer from the Housing Waitlist, receive a prorated amount of Dining Dollars based on the number of days left in the academic year—and are only charged for that portion.

Service Support

Are you an alumni, family member, or university affiliate with questions about the housing contract process, the dining plan, campus housing fees and billing, or more? Submit a request!

Additional Resources:

We are happy to answer any questions that you may have. Please submit a guest Service Now case at support.ucsd.edu, call our main number at 858.534.4010 or email us anytime. 

Our business hours are Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We are closed for all University holidays.