Residency Policy

MSU On-Campus Residency Policy

To prepare our students for the best possible success in and out of the classroom, students under 21 years of age and taking courses at the main campus must live on campus for four semesters to fulfill the residency requirement. Please note that summer term or winter term on-campus residency does not count toward fulfillment. Students that take the entirety of their courses online or at an MSU Regional Campus are exempt from this policy. Additionally, students who have completed a residential dual-credit high school will still need to complete four additional residency semesters to fulfill this requirement.

Students who fail to meet this requirement will be assessed the lowest residence hall and dining plan fees, known as mandatory housing and dining. These fees are automatically charged to the student's accounts for each semester if they do not comply with the On-Campus Residency Policy.

Students may apply for an exemption to this policy no more than once per semester, provided they meet certain established criteria. Please note an application for exemption from the on-campus residency requirement, also known as a Waiver Request, neither guarantees nor implies that an exemption will be granted. Students should assume that their request has not been granted until they receive written notification of approval.

Exemption Information

The University may grant exemptions, known as waivers, to the on-campus residency policy for certain categories of students based upon circumstances related to marital status, the proximity of home to campus, dependent children, or other pertinent factors. Transfer students who can show four (4) semesters of post-high school attendance at another college or university are exempt from the MSU On-Campus Residency Policy as well (Note: summer and winter terms will not count towards the four-semester requirement). Waiver requests based on other reasons are almost never granted. Any exemption to the On-Campus Residency Policy must be approved in writing by the Office of Student Housing prior to the beginning of the term for which the exemption is requested, and waiver requests must be resubmitted for each semester.

Waiver requests must be submitted by July 15 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Applications submitted after this deadline will charge a $100 late fee to the student’s account.

If you wish to apply for a waiver to the On-Campus Residency Policy:

• Review the Waiver Request Process
• Review the Waiver Request Process FAQs

Who is the waiver request process for?

The spirit of the On-Campus Residency Policy is that students with less than four (4) semesters in residence and under 21 years of age will live in university residence halls. Most students who fall into these groups are best served in on-campus housing. However, we realize that some students may have unique circumstances which may qualify for an exemption. The waiver request process is intended to provide an avenue for those students to identify themselves to the Office of Student Housing if they want to live in a location other than the required residence hall housing. Examples of these students include students that:

• Are married or in a documented domestic partnership.
• Have dependent children.
• Plan to live with their parent/s or legal guardian within 50 miles of campus as measured by Google Maps. (A legal guardian is a person appointed by the appropriate legal jurisdiction to act on behalf of the student in place of parents. Legal documentation may be requested for verification.)
• Are completing a semester-long internship/clinical/study abroad more than 50 driving miles from the campus.
• Are transfer students that have completed four semesters of post-high school attendance at another college or university (Note: Winter and summer semesters will not count towards fulfillment of this requirement).

Who is the waiver request process not intended for?

The waiver request process is generally not intended for students who:

• Dislike their room, roommate, residence hall, or on-campus living.
• Have disabilities such as mobility, visual, hearing or mental/emotional disabilities, or medical conditions such as asthma or allergies.
• Have dietary concerns or are on special diets.
• Want to live with a sibling, other relative or family friend.
• Parents bought a house or condo and want students to live in it.
• Already signed a lease for an off-campus house, apartment, condo, etc.
• Have problems or concerns that need to be addressed but have not sought staff assistance.

Medical Consideration Requests:

Students seeking a waiver of the Morehead State On-Campus Residency Policy for medical circumstances must register for accommodation through the Office of Disability Services. This does not constitute an automatic decision or approval. The Office of Disability Services will work with the Office of Student Housing to provide students with on-campus accommodations that meet their needs. The waiver will only be approved if reasonable accommodations are not available.

There are many avenues besides moving off-campus for students to address the above concerns, including talking with the housing professional staff, requesting a room change, moving to a different type of room or residence hall, changing roommates, working with the Office of Disability Services, etc. Students must explore all possible avenues before requesting an exemption from the University housing requirement.

Questions?

Much information can be obtained by visiting our Frequently Asked Questions page. If your question was not addressed or you need additional information, please contact the Office of Student Housing at 606-783-2060.