On-Campus Housing Exemptions

Seattle University’s Residential Housing Requirement

As a residential campus committed to the education of the whole person, Seattle University students are required to live on campus and purchase, at minimum, the Residential Meal Plan when they fall into either one of the following categories:

• First-year or second-year students, and students under the age of 21 before the first day of fall quarter classes (including first- and second-year transfer students). This includes first- or second-year students with AP or Running Start Credits.
• Students still within two (2) years of their high school graduation date as of the first day of fall quarter classes, and under the age of 21.

Students who fall into one of the above categories are required to live on campus for the full academic year. If a student’s status (class year, age, etc.) changes at any point during the academic year, the student will not be released from the Residential Housing Requirement during that academic year.

Summer quarter is not included in the Residential Housing Requirement. Transfer students to Seattle University with third- and fourth-year transfer credits do not fall under the University’s housing requirement.

If a student submits a Student Housing Application, they accept and become responsible for the penalties or obligations, including financial penalties, that may be assessed for failing to adhere to this Agreement’s terms. While an exemption or cancellation from the Residential Housing Requirement may be subsequently granted on a case-by-case basis, the student may still be subject to obligations or penalties under this Agreement.

Residential Housing Requirement Exceptions

In the vast majority of cases, students falling within the categories above must live on campus, even if they meet the criteria below, given the proven benefits to the student experience. However, students who meet the criteria below may request an exception from the Residential Housing Requirement by submitting a written Housing Exception Request application via the Housing Portal. Such requests will be granted on a case-by-case basis, only if the requesting student demonstrates:

1. Extraordinary extenuating circumstances requiring the student to live off-campus. Such circumstances may include:

• Marriage/Familial Obligation: If a student is married or has children for whom they are responsible, they may request to live off campus. The student will be required to submit supporting documentation (such as a copy of the marriage license) in conjunction with their request.
• Medical or Disability-Related Needs: If a student believes they cannot live on campus due to a medical- or disability-related reason, they may request an exception from the Residential Housing Requirement by working through the Disability Services process (begin by emailing ds@seattleu.edu). The requesting student will be required to show they have worked with Disability Services before the request is granted. No student will be released from the Residential Housing Requirement due to medical or disability-related needs without providing evidence that this accommodation has been approved by Disability Services.
• Pregnancy: Students who are pregnant may seek an exception from the Residential Housing Requirement. Pregnant students seeking a Residential Housing Requirement exception may initiate their request through the Office of Institutional Equity (oie@seattleu.edu).

2. They will be living with a family member within a commutable distance to campus, defined as within a 20-mile radius. Students who wish to receive an exception from the Residential Housing Requirement must intend to live with a family member at their primary place of residence within a 20-mile of campus.

• “Family member” is defined as a parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, spouse, or child. Siblings do not constitute “family members” under this policy.
• “Primary place of residence” is defined as a person’s permanent home and place of habitation, to the exclusion of all others. It is the place where the student intends to remain permanently. This does not include an off-campus lease agreement signed by the student for off-campus housing.

To summarize, students who fall within the Resident Housing Requirement but wish to seek an exception to the requirement must demonstrate: (1) extraordinary extenuating circumstances requiring them to live off campus; (2) that they will be living off campus with a family member; and (3) that their intended residence will be within a 20-mile radius of the Seattle University campus.

Submitting a Residential Housing Requirement Exception request will not result in an automatic exception. Instead, requests for exceptions are analyzed wholistically, on a case-by-case basis, and granted only in rare and exceptional circumstances. Because the University strongly believes that living on campus in students’ first and second years is in their best interest, exceptions must be thoroughly documented and justified and demonstrate compelling reasons for a deviation from the standard Residential Housing Requirement. Additionally, exceptions are made on an annual basis. Therefore, a student who receives an exception in one academic year will need to re-apply for an exception the following academic year, if they remain subject to the Residential Housing Requirement, and are not guaranteed to receive the exception again in their second year.

If a student’s Residential Housing Requirement exception request is not approved, they will be required to live on campus per Seattle University’s Residential Housing Requirement and assessed Student Housing and Meal Plan charges. Exemption petitions will not be granted after the occupancy start date commences. Exemptions are only approved before the occupancy start date of the academic term in question. A cancellation fee may also be applied to the student’s account, depending on when the exemption form is processed and approved.