Housing Requirement

A full-time, first-time freshman student at UL Lafayette is defined as a student who has graduated from high school and has not attempted any college coursework. Dual enrollment courses do not qualify as college coursework.

First-year freshmen who begin classes in the Summer or Fall terms must reside on campus for the Fall and Spring semesters. First-year freshmen who begin classes in the Spring are required to reside on campus for the Spring semester only.

On-campus housing is defined as campus housing managed by the UL Lafayette.

If the student wishes to be exempted from this requirement, the housing exemption form MUST be submitted on the Housing Portal and approved.

Per the housing expectation, all first-year, full-time students are required to live in University Housing communities for the entirety of their first year unless they meet one of the following criteria to be considered for an exemption:

• Age 21 years or older as of the first day of fall classes
  Documentation to provide: None. Date of birth will be verified within the UL Lafayette Housing Portal.
• Married as of the first day of fall classes
  Documentation to provide: Marriage certificate
• Custody of one or more dependent children
  Documentation to provide: Latest tax return (redacted) to show children claimed as dependent OR a birth certificate of dependent(s)
• Part-time enrollment
  Documentation to provide: None. University Housing staff will verify on the 14th day of class.
• Military Service
  Documentation to provide: DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and/or Leave and Earnings Statement.
• Medical and/or Disability
  Submit the housing exemption request form via the Housing Portal and also contact the Office of Disability Services for next steps. Exemptions and accommodation requests are not retroactive.
• Reside with a parent or legal guardian within a 50-mile in-state radius of campus
  Documentation to provide: None. Your ZIP code auto-populates into the housing exemption request. Review the failure to comply information below.
• Reside in a property within a 50-mile in-state radius of campus that is owned by, but not occupied as a primary residence, an immediate family member (parent, legal guardian, or grandparent) with a bill of sale prior to October 1, 2017.
  Documentation to provide: Bill of sale
• Other compelling individual circumstances, such as financial hardship, or other circumstances not covered by the above criteria. These requests will be reviewed by a committee.

Failure to Comply

Students who fail to comply with the housing expectation and/or who provide false or misleading information in connection with a request for exemption could be subject to the posting of published room rate charges for the term of enrollment to the student’s account for each semester in which the student does not comply, and/or subject to the student accountability process, which could include referral to the Dean of Students office.

Housing Exemption

If an undergraduate meets the following criteria, they can apply for an exemption from living on campus.

• The student is married or is a single custodial parent
• The student is at least 21 years of age on or before the first day of classes for the academic year
• The student is living with parent/guardian(s), at their permanent residence within a 50-mile radius of campus and commutes daily

Housing Exemption Process

1. Complete the Exemption Form with uploaded supporting documentation.*
   *With the completion of an exemption form, the individual is not automatically guaranteed their request.
2. Allow 5 to 10 business days for the paperwork to be processed and for you to receive further instructions.
3. Student will be notified via University (@louisiana.edu) email address on file with the official decision.

Appeals Process for Housing Exemptions

Any student who has requested for and has been denied an exemption to the on-campus residency requirement shall have the right to appeal such decision under the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors Policy.

To appeal the administrative decision, an individual must follow the appeals process.

• Submit a letter of appeal to oncampusliving@louisiana.edu by replying to official email notification of the denial.
• Included in the letter must be sufficient evidence with supporting documentation justifying the appeal.
• Allow 5-10 business days for the paperwork to be processed and for you to receive further instructions.
• Students will have the opportunity to appear at the hearing when it is scheduled. This is not a requirement, but is strongly encouraged. Only students are allowed into the appeal hearing.

Once an appeal has been heard by the Housing Appeals Committee the decision is final.