The Catholic University of America strongly believes in the benefits that on-campus living has to offer to our students in terms of academic success, personal development and involvement within the campus community.
As such, Catholic University requires that all full-time, degree-seeking undergraduate students live in on-campus housing for the first six semesters of enrollment (to include fall and spring semesters only). Considerations will be made for students who reside with a parent or legal guardian within 20 miles of the main campus, are 23 years of age or older, and transfer students who have completed 6 semesters of residency at a previous institution. Students who fall under the foregoing exceptions do not need to request an exemption to the on-campus residency requirement.
Students who are not currently assigned on campus for the Fall 2025 semester and would like to request an exemption to the Student Housing Policy for Spring 2026 should submit the Residency Exemption Request Form by November 1st, 2025. All students who have submitted the residency exemption request by November 1st will receive the official determination of the University by November 8th. Should the student wish to appeal the decision, they may do so by November 15th.
Students who would like to request an exemption to the Student Housing Policy for Fall 2026 should submit the Residency Exemption Request Form by Febraury 20th, 2026. Requests submitted after February 20th will not be reviewed. All students who have applied for a residency exemption by February 20th will receive the official determination by February 27th, 2026. Should the student wish to appeal the decision, they may do so by March 4th. Students who are not approved for a residency exemption have unitl March 6th to complete the Room Selection Intent Form.
New Student Residency Exemption Requests may be submitted on a rolling basis throughout the summer.
Students subject to the on-campus residency requirement who do not qualify for one of the exceptions outlined in the Student Housing Policy may seek an exemption to the residency requirement by submitting a request below for reasons such as:
| Status | Description | Supporting Documentation |
| Married | Student is legally married. | Official copy of the marriage license. |
| Disability/Medical | Student has a diagnosed disability or condition and it has been determined by the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) through an interactive process that a student's needs cannot be reasonably accommodated within on-campus housing. | Student must: 1). submit an online Housing Accommodation Request Form with the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS), 2). provide DSS with Supportive Documentation, and 3). participate in an Intake meeting with DSS staff as described and outlined on the Housing Accommodations page of the DSS website. |
| Live with Family Member | Student lives with a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or sibling at the family member's address within 20 miles of campus not established prior to initial enrollment. Other currently enrolled students at Catholic University do not meet the requirements for this exemption type. Requests for mulitple students to live at the same address will be evaluated accordingly. The approval of this request is limited to 50 students per academic year. | Completed Residency Exemption Address Verification Form. A recent utility bill or lease must be submitted verifying the listed family member's current address that matches the address on the notarized form. |
| Commuter | Student lives with a parent or legal guardian within 20 miles of the Catholic University campus and the primary address for the parent or legal guardian has changed since initial enrollment. Owning a secondary residence within 20 miles of campus does not satisfy this requirement. |
Students will need to upload the appropriate documentation when completing the exemption request form. Once the request form and supporting documentation have been received, Housing Services will review the request after February 20th, 2026 and either approve, deny, or ask for additional information. This decision will be communicated to the student via their University email account by February 27th, 2026.
If approved for an exemption, any housing applications on file for an upcoming term will be cancelled. If the student already has a confirmed room assignment, they will be subject a housing cancellation fee as detailed in the Cancellation of Housing Policy. Please refer to the Student Housing Policy for more information regarding the Student Housing Requirement.