Winter Recess Housing

Source: https://collegehousing.fas.harvard.edu/winter-recess-housing/ Parent: https://collegehousing.fas.harvard.edu/

Eligible undergraduate students can apply for Winter Recess Housing using the Residential Portal.

On This Page:

Winter Recess Housing

Application Fees & Deadlines (Fall Term)\ \ Winter Recess Housing Eligibility\ \ [Upcoming Deadlines](#deadlines-upcoming)\ FAQ

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Winter Recess Housing

Eligible undergraduate students can apply for Winter Recess Housing using the Residential Portal.

If your application is approved, you will be able to access your room and House during winter recess. Otherwise, you will lose access to the Houses or Dorms during winter recess until they open for Wintersession.

Students with a spring housing assignment can return on the first day of Wintersession.

Application Fees & Deadlines (Fall 2025)

Winter Recess Housing Eligibility

Students requesting on-campus housing during Winter Recess must be current undergraduates with an active status at the College and have been living on campus for both the Fall and Spring terms. Students on leave of absence or required to withdraw, as well as those returning from study abroad, will generally not be approved for on-campus Winter Recess housing.

Winter Recess I (Sat., Dec. 20, 2025 – Fri., Jan. 2, 2026)*

• Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

*Dates are subject to change. Students will be notified if changes are made.

Winter Recess II (Fri., Jan. 2 – Fri., Jan. 16, 2026)*

• Select in-season athletes
• PBHA essential services
• Pre-approved arts programs
• Seniors writing a thesis**
• Students doing Harvard lab research**
• Students with local internships/employment**
• Students with a standardized test in January**

*Dates are subject to change. Students will be notified if changes are made. \ ** Categories that require supporting documentation. Please see the section below.

Wintersession (Fri., Jan. 16, 2026)*

• All students with spring housing are welcome to return to campus for the spring term. No application is required.

*Dates are subject to change. Students will be notified if changes are made.

Supporting Documentation

Some requests for winter recess housing require documentation. The approver/documentation must come from an appropriate approver.

• Seniors writing a thesis – your thesis adviser must confirm the thesis.\
• Students doing Harvard lab research – your faculty supervisor must confirm your lab participation.\
• Students with local internships/employment – your internship/employment supervisor must confirm employment.\
• Students taking a standardized test in January mustupload proof of registrationand the test date.\ \

Your proctor cannot sponsor your winter recess housing application.

Upcoming Deadlines

FAQ

Will my approved housing accommodation be applied during winter housing?

Housing accommodations already approved by the Disability Access Office (DAO) before the winter housing application deadline apply to all College Housing assignments, including recess housing.

If approved for winter housing, will I be asked to move to temporary housing?

No, students approved for winter housing will remain in their suites unless they live in Dudley Co-op.  Co-op residents will receive a temporary room assignment through the College Housing Office.

Can my proctor sponsor my winter housing application if I want to stay on campus to work on my thesis?

No. Only your thesis advisor or department can sponsor an application for thesis work.

Can I apply for winter housing if I’m volunteering at a Harvard-affiliated organization?

Applications from students staying over break to do volunteer work outside of the eligible categories on this page will be denied.

Why was I approved for Winter II but denied for Winter I? 

Arts programs, thesis writers, researchers, interns, and standardized test takers are only eligible for Winter II.  If you apply for Winter I and II under these categories alone, you will only be approved for Winter II.