Hampshire College

Housing Exemptions (Off Campus)

As a residential college, Hampshire expects its students to live on campus. Students who are “automatically” exempt from living on campus if they so choose are:

• students 25 years of age or older;
• students living with their parents within 30 miles of Hampshire;
• students who are married or meet our criteria for domestic partnership; or
• students who have dependent children living with them.

If you are seeking off campus housing due to a disability (learning, psychological or physical), our disability coordinator may recommend a housing exemption for you if you register as a student with a disability and are able to provide documentation certifying off campus housing as a necessary accommodation. Students with disabilities need to contact the disability coordinator for details.

When a shortage of beds is anticipated, a systematic process of inviting students to move off campus will be developed. Such procedures have included:

• last semester Division III students
• students with 6 or more lottery points and/or students who are 22 years old or older.

From those students who are invited to go off campus, permissions are granted on a first-come, first-served basis until the enrollment notification deadline or until we no longer anticipate an excessive bed shortage.

If possible, offers of off campus permission will be made prior to the campus-wide lottery in the spring.

Off campus status is for one year when given in the spring for the next academic year.  If an exemption is made in the fall for spring term, it is valid for only one semester.  In order for the housing exemption to be carried over to another year, students need to re-submit a request the next spring.  Students who go on leave, field study, leave exchange or otherwise disrupt their fully enrolled status give up their housing exemption and need to re-submit a request in order to be reconsidered when they return as fully enrolled.  There is an assumption that all students will reside on campus if they have not gained approval from the housing office.

Students who are granted off campus housing will not be able to participate in the housing lottery. Off campus students are required to furnish the Housing Director their address and phone number at the start of the fall term.