Frequently Asked Questions about Living Off Campus
How many exemptions to the residency requirement will be granted?
The residential experience is at the heart of Hampshire College. Given that, we encourage all students to join one of our residential communities. We are taking the utmost precautions to make sure all possible health concerns are addressed as we work to house students this August.
For the academic year beginning Fall 2020, we are limiting off-campus residency to those who automatically meet the criteria to live off campus as well as any students who were approved to live off-campus before Spring 2020. Students who are seeking an exemption based on medical accommodations must work with the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS) in order to have the exemption request approved.
I applied and was granted an exemption to the residency requirement, but my situation has changed. Can I return to on-campus housing?
If you are approved, but your situation changes and you wish to return to on-campus housing, please file a Request to Return to Campus Housing form. You may do this at any time. We are committed to housing any student who wishes to live here; however, we cannot guarantee that we will meet all housing preferences.
Students who wish to return to campus housing in the next academic year by participating in the housing lottery must inform the HOO before the housing lottery begins in April. Students who revoke their off-campus status will not be eligible for an exemption to the residency requirement until they have lived on campus for at least one full semester (for example, if a student living off campus in the spring of 2020 decides to enter the housing lottery in order to return to campus for the fall, that individual will not be eligible for off-campus housing again until spring of 2021).
I've already signed a lease. Will that automatically waive my residency requirement?
No! Don't sign a lease before you are officially granted an exemption from the residency requirement. Signing a lease is NOT a criterion used to evaluate a student's need to live off campus. This could be a costly mistake; if you are not granted an exemption to the residency requirement you will need to pay for on-campus housing.
I have a medical need to live off campus. Should I apply for an exemption through the HOO?
Students with a demonstrated medical need for a living environment that the College is unable to provide should seek a waiver to the residential requirement through Madeline L. Peters. our director of accessibility resources and services, who can be contacted at 413.559.5498 or accessibility@hampshire.edu.
Further questions or concerns? Feel free to contact the HOO at housing@hampshire.edu!