Housing Exemption
UW-Whitewater is required to enforce the UW System Board of Regents’ Residency Requirement (Policy 173, May 5, 1972) and therefore 1st and 2nd year students that graduated less than two years ago from high school are required to reside in University operated housing unless they have been approved for an exemption and have submitted a Residency Policy Exemption Request.
Exemption Requests must be submitted PRIOR to submitting an on-campus housing contract. Any student that is 21 years of age or younger if not planning to live on campus, must submit an Exemption Request. It is highly recommended that students do not make a commitment for alternate housing until they have been approved for an exemption through the process identified below.
EXEMPTION REQUESTS MAY BE SUBMITTED WHEN:
- You have NOT submitted a residence hall contract, and
- You meet one or more of the following criteria:
- You are a veteran or have 2 years of active military duty
- You are married
- You are a parent
- You live with a parent or legal guardian and will commute daily from their residence which is within 40 miles of UW-Whitewater
- It has been 2 or more years since my high school graduation
- You have an extreme personal hardship
- You have an extreme financial hardship
| REASON | REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION |
|---|---|
| I am a veteran or have 2 years of active military duty. | Copy of DD214 papers. |
| I am married. | Copy of marriage certificate. |
| I am a parent. | Copy of your child's birth certificate. |
| I live with a parent or legal guardian and will commute daily from their residence which is within 40 miles of UW-Whitewater. | Submit a Residency Policy Exemption Request with the commuter section completed. Both student and parent/legal guardian must sign. |
| It has been 2 or more years since my high school graduation. | Indicate year. This will be verified by University Housing with your admission records. |
| I have an extreme personal hardship. | Typed, detailed explanation of how your circumstances would limit you from living on campus and any relevant supporting documentation. Clarify as to where you plan to live if granted an exemption. If living at home, the commuter portion of the Residency Policy Exemption Request form is also required. |
| I have an extreme financial hardship. |
PROCESS:
- Review list of required documentation and be prepared to upload any required documents in Student Portal.
- Review “Common Situations and Reasons for which Exemption Requests are Denied”. [See below]
- Download the Residency Policy Exemption Request form
- Complete form and upload later in process.
- Log into Student Portal on the University Housing website.
- Select Exemption Request on the menu on the left.
- Read the disclaimer carefully for more specific details on the process.
- Select Timeline for Request.
- Select reason and provide the reasoning for the release request.
- Upload any supporting documentation/information into Student Portal including
Residency Policy Exemption Request form- Note size limits for uploading. Instructions on resizing is provided if needed
- Submit Request.
- All Students will be notified via their University email account as to the status of the request or if the request has been forwarded to the Exemption Review Team. Once the Review Team meets the student will then also be notified of the decision through email.
If the university is at full capacity then there may be additional students who will not be housed on campus even though there is no qualifying exemption.
- Key factors considered in this process for continuing students (ie: Sophomore (2nd year) Students) where applicable (full capacity/special consideration) include:
- GPA: Student must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or Higher.
- Probation Status: The student cannot be on Academic or Behavioral Probation.
- Student Success Data: The Exemption Approval process (when applicable) is in the spring to allow students a full semester to transition to the University.
COMMON SITUATIONS AND REASONS FOR WHICH EXEMPTION REQUESTS ARE DENIED
The following is a list of situations where exemption requests may be denied, but other solutions may be available.