On-Campus Housing Requirement

The University of New Hampshire considers the residential experience an essential educational and campus experience. New undergraduate, full-time, first-year, and transfer students, who are under the age of 21, on the UNH Durham campus are required to live on campus for four (4) semesters unless approved for an exemption by UNH Housing. Living on campus is defined as living in a university-owned residence hall or apartment. A complete list of university-owned housing options can be found on the Housing & Residential Life website. 

Undergraduate students aged 21 or older, graduate, non-degree seeking, fully online students, UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law, UNH College of Professional Studies (including Manchester and Online), and all part-time undergraduate students are automatically exempt from this policy and do not need to submit an exemption request. Students who are not automatically exempt, may request an exemption for the following reasons (supporting documentation and/or additional verification may be required):

  • Student has a parent or legal guardian that lives within a commutable distance (generally within 30 miles) of campus and the student will be living with them 
  • Student is married, in a legally recognized civil union, and/or has a dependent 
  • Student is active military and/or has veteran status 
  • Student has extenuating financial circumstances 
  • Student has a qualifying ADA/Section 504 and/or religious accommodation that cannot be met by on-campus housing 
  • Student is approved, via a University-designated process, to live in a UNH-recognized fraternity or sorority house 
  • Student has completed four (4) semesters of living on-campus at any institution of higher education 
  • Student has a circumstance beyond their control, as determined by the University, that prevents them being from being able to live in on-campus housing 

Every semester a student is required to live on-campus and does not have an on campus housing assignment, or an approved exemption request on file, they will be charged for one semester at the current traditional residence hall double room rate. 

If a student moves out of their on-campus housing assignment during the fall or spring semesters, whether the semester counts as a full semester towards the four-semester requirement under this policy depends on the student's move-out date. If the student's move-out date is prior to mid-semester as defined in the academic calendar, the semester will not count as a full semester under this policy. If the student moves out after mid-semester, then the semester will be counted as a full semester under this policy. 

Exemption Process

  1. Student must submit the On-Campus Housing Requirement Exemption Request by June 1 (for students with an academic year housing agreement - Fall & Spring semester) or January 1 (for students with Spring semester only housing agreement). Requests must be completed in full and include required supporting documentation. 
  2. UNH Housing will evaluate requests and notify the student of a decision as soon as possible. All decisions will be sent to the student’s UNH email account. 
  3. If the request is approved, the student will be exempted from housing for the semester(s) listed in the approval notification. The student’s assignment will be canceled if the student has a housing assignment for the respective semester(s). 
  4. If the request is denied, the student can submit an appeal of the decision to UNH Housing within three (3) days, to be reviewed by the Director of Housing. A decision on the request will be made as soon as possible and sent to the student’s UNH email account.  

Students are only exempted from any requirements of this policy once they receive written approval from UNH Housing. This policy remains in full effect for a student pending the outcome of an exemption request or an appeal request.