Roommate and Billing Inquiries

Hello! I’m glad to be a part of the wave of Freshmen who will attend UCSB during the fall semester. However, I do have a few questions that still linger in my mind.

You see, I completed my housing contract before the deadline on May 15th, and all was well. However, two of my friends whom I plan to roommate with were not able to complete their housing contract by the deadline. Thus, they were put on a wait list, but since they’re also undergraduate freshmen, they were guaranteed housing regardless. I’d like to know if their tardiness could potentially jeopardize our ability to room together in an available three-person room. I ask, because when I attempt to create a New FR Roommate Group with their UCSBnetID’s, the following message appears:

The person you have selected is not valid for you at this time.

Second, I’m still not entirely clear on how the billing process period works. Since I plan to move to UCSB the few days before instruction starts, I’ve gotten confused over when my Housing payments are due. Do I have to pay before I move in, on a certain date? Do I have to make some sort of deposit before moving in? Once I’ve moved in, how often do I have to pay the housing fee? Monthly? Quarterly?

Thank you!