UW Housing & Food Services (HFS) is an integral partner in the University of Washington's drive to provide vibrant student life and educational opportunities. HFS provides students with housing that meets their needs, promotes community, supports their academic success, leadership development and social connections, and facilitates campus engagement.
HFS is a self-sustaining department
HFS is a self-sustaining department, meaning we get no funding from the UW but instead generate funding through billing for our services. HFS operates without outside financial assistance, including UW or state funds. As a result, the services we provide are paid for by those who directly benefit from them (i.e., our residents, customers and guests). HFS does not make a profit for owners or shareholders, like the private sector.
The prices and fees HFS charges directly relate to:
- The amount of money it takes to provide food, rooms, amenities and residential programming
- Meeting all financial obligations
- Collecting enough money to pay for its capital and operating expenses
- Maintaining a responsible reserve fund for emergencies and future capital costs
While the cost-of-living in Seattle is very high compared to most parts of the country, HFS finds ways to mitigate those costs to keep your rent and dining costs comparable to, or less than, other universities in the state. HFS does things like operating sustainably to cut down on utility costs, exploring other revenue streams during the summer months to offset academic year expenses, and getting the best food supply costs to keep food prices as affordable as they can be in Seattle.
As an integral part of the UW, HFS proudly provides you with the most affordable on-campus living experience possible, while still delivering the quality and range of services you expect.
Housing and dining bills
Why are housing and dining bills separate from tuition bills? Doesn’t the University use the same money to provide on-campus housing and food as it does to offer classes and other things on campus?
While you might think the UW pools all the money it collects through bills and fees together to fund everything, it instead has several departments and units to handle specific responsibilities. The UW utilizes auxiliary departments to handle some of these. Auxiliary departments are part of the UW, but they have separate funding sources, usually generated from the service they provide.
For more information about your housing and dining bills, watch our video, How to Understand Your Billing Statement.
HFS’ support for student success
- Offers six Living Learning Communities housing 1,680 students
- Provides 150 study spaces in HFS facilities
- Employs over 1,000 students
- Provides student-leadership opportunities, including 200 residential student staff members responsible for building community, and over 200 leader volunteer roles
- Advises student programming boards, which coordinate over 100 events for residents each year
Residence halls and apartments
Amenities
Discover all the amenities for residents.
What our residents said
From the Autumn Resident Survey, 2021
- 89% residents agree that living on campus had enhanced their ability to live independently
- 80% residents agree that living on campus had enhanced their ability to work toward what they want to accomplish while at UW
- 76% residents were overall satisfied with living with Housing & Food Services this year
- 86% of residents living in LLCs say their community enhanced their ability to build new relationships
- 91% of residents were satisfied with peers’ respect for each other’s individual differences
- 84% of residents were satisfied with the precautions taken by HFS to mitigate the spread of COVID-19
- 95% of residents feel safe in their room
PARTNERSHIPS
HFS partners with a number of UW academic departments and programs, supporting class space needs, enhancements to course offerings, co-curricular activities and research.
Read more Facts and Figures about our student's success.
Who we are
We believe that care is the most essential ingredient of our business. It makes us work as people, for other people. It helps us create experiences that are meaningful for our students. Care adds value to the lives of the people we serve.
A great outcome or experience for a student is a great source of pride for us. We have gathered a short collection of student stories about their lives and Husky Home experiences that make us very proud to say we’re UW HFS.