Sophomore students will no longer be guaranteed university housing starting next fall, USC confirmed to Annenberg Media on Wednesday.
Historically, the university has promised incoming students two years of housing under the Sophomore Guarantee. Starting fall 2026, only freshmen will be guaranteed a place to live.
A statement from USC Housing said, “We are currently reviewing all housing policies and programs as we do each year. One of the programs under review is the second-year housing guarantee, but no final decisions have been made.”
Sophomores will still be eligible to apply for second-year housing but will not be guaranteed a spot.
The USC Housing website still says that freshmen living in university accommodations are guaranteed housing for their sophomore year, provided they follow housing procedures and meet application deadlines. But a website with information about the Sophomore Guarantee was wiped on Wednesday afternoon.
That website informed students that housing for sophomores has historically been guaranteed on a waitlist basis. If continuing freshmen don’t receive second-year room placements in the housing lottery, they’re placed on a waitlist that they’re guaranteed to be picked first from, according to the USC Housing website.