Student Housing Information

Northwestern has partnered with two preferred vendors to manage students' personal belongings that remain in campus residences (residence halls, residential colleges, fraternity houses and sorority houses). If you did not pack your room before leaving campus, Reebie Storage and Moving Company (Reebie) can pack your personal belongings. Then, University and Student Services (USS) can ship your belongings to you or store them. Participation in the program may therefore be a two-step process for you--that is, Reebie for packing and USS for shipping or storage. (Updated 4/23/20)

Yes, Northwestern has agreed to pay for packing, shipping and/or storage services with these two preferred vendors, exclusively. Some limitations apply; see below. (Added 4/14/20)

Students who live(d) in a residence hall, residential college, fraternity, or sorority house had until June 12 (the end of Spring Quarter) to coordinate removal of their personal belongings. Meeting this deadline required students to communicate with vendors and/or Residential Services in advance to make decisions that could be executed by June 12. In mid-April, all residence hall, residential college, fraternity and sorority residents were asked to indicate their intentions for using the packing, shipping, and/or storing option, or to indicate plans to return to campus to pack and move out personal belongings. Students were asked to indicate their intentions online through the Housing Portal.

Undergraduate students who indicated that they want to return to campus to retrieve their personal belongings were emailed on May 5 with a link to the COVID-19 Move-Out Appointment Form to sign up for a move out appointment. Two-hour appointment windows were offered between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays between May 11, 2020, and June 12, 2020. Appointments had to be booked at least two business days prior to the appointment time.

Please note that beginning May 1, all Illinois residents are required to wear masks or face coverings in public places and in situations where they are unable to follow social distancing guidelines. Please review the Health Concerns FAQ for more information. 

Yes, the COVID-19 Move-Out Appointment Form allowed undergraduate students to  select up to two guests to assist with moving, or to identify a proxy who could complete the move-out process in their place. No unregistered guests were permitted on campus for this process.

Students were given the following instructions:

"Please park in the loading zones allocated for your building. (No permit is required.) Fraternity or sorority housing residents should park in the loading zone closest to the house. Your building and sleeping room or apartment access will be activated for you to navigate to your assigned space. Please remember to bring your Wildcard and keys, if applicable. Proxies for residence hall and residential college students can pick up access cards at the appropriate North (560 Lincoln) or South (Allison) Area Desk. Fraternity and sorority housing residents must make arrangements through the house management.

Please note that beginning May 1, all Illinois residents are required to wear masks or face coverings in public places and in situations where they are unable to follow social distancing guidelines. Please review the Health Concerns FAQ for more information."

Yes, any undergraduate who lived on campus in Winter Quarter and paid for Reebie and/or USS services will be reimbursed by the vendor(s), who will then charge the University accordingly. (Updated 4/23/20)

• The University only sponsored services through Reebie and USS, two preferred vendors who have standardized pricing and hold the proper levels of insurance required by Northwestern's Procurement Office. No other packing/storage/shipping vendors were given access to campus residences.
• The University sponsored shipping for up to four (4) total boxes and/or items (e.g., 4 boxes and 0 items, 2 boxes and 2 items, 3 boxes and 1 item) that meet USS's $49 price point. Any additional shipping costs would be the student's responsibility. For reference purposes, items that meet USS's $49 price point include: USS's standard shipping box (18 in. x 18 in. x 24 in.), a bin/tote, a suitcase or a boxed TV. Bulk items like chairs, mini-fridges and bikes were not eligible for shipping through this program.
• The University sponsored USS storage (or provided on-campus storage) for all personal belongings (including bulk items) that were not shipped.
• The University did not sponsor international shipping charges for personal belongings unless you were a graduating senior. 

Yes. See Returning to Campus to Pack and Move Out Items above for details. (Updated 5/5/20) 

Yes, the appointment sign up COVID-19 Move-Out Appointment Form allowed students to select up to two guests to assist with moving, or to identify a proxy who could complete the move-out process in their place. No unregistered guests were permitted on campus for this process.

Starting on Monday, March 23, first class mail/packages will be forwarded to home addresses provided through CAESAR for students who are no longer on campus. First class mail does not include bulk mail, periodicals (newspapers, magazines, etc.) or items from private carriers (UPS, FedEX, etc.). Make sure to update your address information with banks, periodicals, and online shipping orders to continue receiving mail.

Students should update their permanent address in CAESAR and follow instructions provided by Residential Services to report their travel plans, including the indication of whether or not eligible mail should be forwarded.  If a student opts out of mail forwarding, mail and packages will be kept and secured on campus.

Students who are no longer on campus may authorize another person to pick up mail and packages on their behalf. Please email requests to the Mail & Package Center Manager: ThomasJRoberts@northwestern.edu. 

For more information about mail and packages, visit Mail Services.

(Updated 4/20/20)

Northwestern has negotiated special pricing terms with preferred vendors Reebie and USS for students living off campus or in graduate housing (with limitations). For more information, contact Reebie regarding packing and USS for storage and shipping options available to you. You may also view other preferred vendors and discounts at Northwestern’s Wildcard Advantage website. (Added 5/26/20)

Visit Transportation & Parking's service updates page for shuttle schedule changes.