Hidden costs are one of the biggest obstacles students face today, and sometimes they don’t even come with a guarantee. Prior to the Spring 2026 semester, students were charged a $500 deposit which was fully refundable. With a new policy change, students are required to pay a $100 non-refundable application fee.
For a school that costs upwards of $100,000 annually, $100 may seem like nothing. However, for the many students who are already stretching their budget to cover housing costs, it becomes something else entirely: the cost of applying for housing without any guarantee of receiving it.
This charge supports housing operations as a whole, but the University has not specified whether it will be credited to a student’s personal housing balance. Returning students are not guaranteed housing at UM, so if they want to live on campus, they have to find a spot through the lottery system.
According to the 2025 State of the Student Housing Industry Report by StarRez, 78% of undergraduates live off campus, and 53% of these students chose to live off campus due to a lack of on-campus availability. As a result, many seek off-campus leases at the same time, “just in case” they don’t receive housing.
“I think it’s ridiculous to pay a $100 non-refundable housing fee when they can’t clearly provide housing for every student,” said freshman Gizely Soares.
However, this problem may not be as prominent as students perceive since last year, the University offered housing to every student on the waitlist by June.
“For the 2026/2027 school year, approximately 3,100 students completed the housing application process,” The University said in a statement to The Hurricane. “Out of those, about 2,000 received a housing assignment, leaving around 1,100 people without immediate placement. If you look at the last school year, everyone was cleared by the end of June with housing assignments.”
Regardless, the updated requirement holds potential to impact students from low-income families. Research on rental application fees have shown how they can pose a barrier and limit access for lower-income renters.
“The fact that it was non-refundable without a fee waiver available was somewhat concerning,” said freshman Helene Ung.“Personally I’m low income, and have had plenty of fee waivers for school.”
Her experience parallels those of other students who already depend on financial aid to cover basic educational costs.
This reality suggests that seemingly trivial charges compound into a broader issue. The lack of a fee waiver can exacerbate already limited resources, which shows how crucial it is to consider the various financial situations among students.
Similar concerns were echoed by freshman Stephanie Embil, who said that the policy change was “especially unfair to students who pay for school without family’s help and low-income families.”
While some students rely on family support, others must carefully budget every expense. However, some students like sophomore Daniel Joven understood the need for the new fee system.
“I do think that they should somewhat profit from the process, so I can see how the $100 can go toward that,” he said. Even though a number of UM students have found the fee to be controversial, the practice is common.
In a statement to The Hurricane, the University of Miami said, “This is in alignment with common practice at other institutions to require a modest application fee vs. large pre-payment.”
Other institutions such as Florida International University, Florida Atlantic University and the University of Florida require similar fees. A majority of the time, these fees are implemented to make sure that applicants are serious before they have access to room selection portals. The money generally helps the process work more efficiently rather than addressing individual room charges. For instance, it might be responsible for the costs of hiring staff, keeping the system running and reviewing applications.
Freshman Selena Staples pointed out how the policy could affect students from low-income families who rely on on-campus housing. Her concern reflects the same anxious anticipation that many other students sense, the possibility of paying a fee only to receive no housing placement.
“They would have to be in debt. It’s so unfair for them,” Staples said.
This uncertainty can make students feel pressured to over-commit financially. Students are asked to pay without guarantee of housing, so many of them are bracing for rejection. With both a non-refundable fee and a push to secure a backup off-campus lease, the burden is doubled.
Students are required to pay for the chance of receiving housing. While more transparency about the policy would help students understand the process, the larger issue is the uncertainty that comes with the fee. When housing is not guaranteed, even a modest charge becomes something significant: the cost of a chance.