Princeton students with housing accommodations face uncertainty over new pre-draw policy

Princeton University's 2025–26 housing pre-draw process has left students with approved housing accommodations facing confusion and frustration. In a sudden policy change, students who receive accommodations for physical and mental disabilities were no longer allowed to select a "drawmate," a student who could be placed in the same room or nearby. This shift, which was not publicly announced in advance, has raised concerns about how these students will be assigned roommates and whether their needs will be met.
According to the Office of Disability Services (ODS), students with disabilities can receive housing accommodations if their conditions cause "a material functional deficit." To qualify, students must provide documentation from a doctor. Previously, students with approved accommodations could select a drawmate during the pre-draw process, but this option was unexpectedly removed. This change became apparent when students went to apply for housing in December 2024, only to find the drawmate selection absent from the pre-draw application. As reported by the Daily Princetonian, students were unsettled by the abrupt shift, with many unsure of what it meant for their living arrangements.
Impact of the change on students with accommodations
The decision to eliminate the pre-drawmate option came after a rise in the number of students participating in the pre-draw process, according to a joint statement from ODS and Housing and Real Estate Services on February 4, 2025. The statement cited increasing demand for accommodations, particularly for single rooms with air conditioning, which are already in limited supply. "The addition of drawmates made it even more difficult to meet the needs of all students requiring housing accommodations," the statement read.
For students like August Roberts, a senior with housing accommodations, the change was especially unsettling. "Whenever we all found out, obviously people were really upset," Roberts told the Daily Princetonian. "I didn't even notice because I'm a senior, so I heard about this change from other people."
Confusion about roommate assignments
Students expressed concern about being assigned to "Jack and Jill" rooms, which are single rooms with a shared bathroom, and being placed with strangers. Trace Zhang, a sophomore helping a friend with the pre-draw process, pointed out the confusion. "It's really just a black box of where they're going to be putting people; who they're going to be put with," Zhang said.
ODS clarified that most housing accommodations are for single rooms, but did not specify how students placed in shared spaces would be matched with roommates. As quoted by the Daily Princetonian, ODS recommended that students hoping to live near friends should "encourage others to draw rooms that are near their accommodation housing assignment."
The deadline for finalizing housing applications is February 21, with contracts expected to be offered by February 27, 2025.