Frequently asked questions

We recommend you apply as early as possible, applications are open from April. For first semester entry some colleges experience high demand, and may even be close to well full before university course offers are released. For first semester February entry we recommend you apply early, so you do not miss out on all the college options available. Many colleges also offer mid-year July entry.

Each college is looking for students who will be a good fit for their college community. Your academic performance, extracurricular activities and personality are all considerations.

Some colleges make provisional offers to students whom they regard as a particularly good fit for their community. These offers will be made before your university offer, guaranteeing you a place on the condition that a university offer is received. This will help put your mind at ease that you have secured accommodation in Melbourne.

While each College is different, they are all looking for students who are interested in participating in the life of the College. The interview is a chance for the College to get to know you, and to determine whether you are a good fit for their unique community.

Each of the colleges offer a similar experience in terms of academic and wellbeing support, safety and security and an amazing opportunity to make new friendships. But they all have different histories, traditions and types of students they attract. So it is best to research those colleges you are interested in, and speak with friends, to determine which college is the best fit for you.

Most colleges are happy to host tours for students and their families throughout the year on weekdays, so you can get a better feel for which college is the right fit for you. Please contact the colleges directly to book a tour, and make sure you give as much notice as possible, so a student or staff member is on hand to show you around. You can also visit the Colleges in May for our Open House event and in August at the University of Melbourne Open Day.

Some colleges accept students from other universities, such as RMIT, Monash Pharmacy, Australian Catholic University and more. Please contact each college, or visit their website, to find out which colleges can accommodate you. (Best viewed on desktop to see the full table below).

This varies between colleges. If you are studying an associate’s degree, some colleges are able to accept your application, but you do need to be studying full time. Please contact us for more information.

All ten Residential Colleges welcome applications from international students who are aged over 18 years at the time of commencing their studies. Some Colleges accept both undergraduate and graduate international students, as well as students from other universities. See related ‘which Colleges accept students from other Universities and/or Graduate Students’ question on this page for further details.

Note:  If you are an international student under the age of 18 when you commence your university tertiary studies in Australia there is a government visa requirement around certain types of accommodation where you can stay while studying. Of our network of ten Residential Colleges only International House and Wilam Hall can accept under 18 international students as residents. If you are an under 18 international student please contact the Intercollegiate Office to further discuss your Colleges application options.

If you decide to take a gap year, or defer your university place for any reason, you may be able to defer your college place. Deferral policies vary across the ten Colleges so we recommend you speak with the college who has made you an offer on the options available.

Note:  Trinity College will not allow deferral for new students offered a residential place at Trinity for entry 2026.

College fees range from c. $30,500-41,000 for the academic year. Financial support and scholarships are available, however, this varies between the colleges. Please enquire or visit each college’s individual website for more information.

Note: There are different fee ranges for Undergraduate and Graduate residents.

Largely, college fees are all inclusive. However, this can vary between colleges, so please check their individual websites. At some colleges extra costs may include car parks, linen, academic gowns and laundry. Some student events may also incur an extra cost.

Most colleges allow you to stay over the break, but some expect you to move out during this period. You can usually store some or most of your things at your college.

Each College manages its own selection process, so it’s best to ask them directly when they plan to make offers. It’s important to note that Colleges conduct interviews and make conditional offers before University offers are made, so don’t wait to submit your application!

Although we strongly recommend you do your research before applying, we understand that sometimes people change their mind. Please contact the Intercollegiate Office if you wish to change your preferences which may be possible depending on the time of year, stage in the consideration process and which colleges are still open for new applications.

All Colleges are not-for-profit organisations, meaning they invest fees and resources back into their residential student communities. Your fees will contribute to providing the holistic services and programs which make College life so special.

The intercollegiate pool

The pool is a term used by the intercollegiate college group to describe the process should a student not be accepted into their college of first preference. Their application is then passed on to the next college for consideration who has places available at that time. This next college with places available will reach out to you to confirm if you still wish to be considered for a place with them.

Why has my application skipped some colleges on my preference list?

Your college application will be passed to the next available college who has places available at that time. If it is late in the application process, the next college on your preference list may be full or closed an no longer taking new applications. We hope this is understandable. Therefore your application will be automatically passed to the next college that has places available to consider at that time in your preference list.

Can my application be considered by multiple colleges at once?

No. In order to ensure we have accurate data on the places we have available in any given year, your application can only be considered by one college at a time. If you have chosen to be on a waitlist, you will need to give up that waitlist place before you can be considered for a full residential place at another college.

You also can only have one application submitted with one list of college preferences in our system at any given time for consideration.  Duplicate applications by a single applicant with varied lists of college preferences will be identified and removed.

What if I want to change my preference order (or can’t remember the order)?

You can contact the Intercollegiate Office as they represent all the colleges and have visibility over all applications. They can also make preference changes in your application, depending on the time of year, stage in the consideration process and which colleges are still open for new applications. Individual colleges cannot see your application unless it has been allocated to them for consideration.

Should I reapply if I don’t get my first college choice?

No. It will be a slower process if you reapply and may mean that you have to submit references and other paperwork again. It will be more efficient to go through the intercollegiate pool process as your previous paperwork will be shared between colleges.

What if I don’t want to be considered by other colleges?

If you don’t get into your first college choice, we strongly encourage you to continue with the pool process. It may be disappointing, but you will find you have a great time at any of the colleges if you were offered a place. However if you would like to withdraw from the process, we ask you to please let the Intercollegiate Office and the college who currently has your application know, so we are not spending time contacting you during this busy period.

What happens if I am not offered a residential college place?

In the event that there is no availability in any College, we will work closely with the University of Melbourne to provide you with information about alternative accommodation options that are provided by the University.

Please contact your College of first preference directly to receive an update on the status of your application and their timeline for offers.

If your application has been moved into the Intercollegiate Pool, please contact our intercollegiate office via enquiries@colleges.unimelb.edu.au or 0433 716 729 who will assist with all things updates, preference changes and advice about the process. We’re here to help!