Residents must be enrolled as full-time students at the University of Washington three of the four quarters of an academic year, and be married couples; registered, same-sex domestic partners (that is, the partnerships are registered with jurisdictions where domestic partner registrations are offered); or single parents with dependent children. In addition, financial eligibility must be verified prior to move-in for those students in priority groups (1) through (3), which are described in WAC 478-156-017. The office of student financial aid will update financial need figures for family housing eligibility and will evaluate the resources of each new applicant to determine if their requirements for financial assistance exceed the established need figures. Any expenses related to the processing of the financial aid form will be borne by the applicant or the current resident. Assignment eligibility criteria for each unit size of university-owned housing is specific to the property and outlined on the University of Washington, Seattle housing and food services website.

Changes to these eligibility criteria shall be approved through the office of the vice president for student life after consultation with student leadership from the Associated Students of the University of Washington (ASUW) and the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS).