Board Policy #701
All unmarried full-time freshman students who enter with less than 21 semester hours credit
(excluding high school concurrent credits) are required to live in a residence hall for two
semesters unless a specific exemption is authorized by the director of housing or the University
Housing Exemption Committee. However, freshmen are not required to live in any particular
residence hall. UCA believes that the residential experience adds to the students’ overall
academic and personal development and, therefore, is an essential and vital part of the total
college experience. There will be numerous programs for the new students in the halls,
coordinated through the Housing and Residence Life Office, which will encompass the
academic, social, and emotional areas of development.
Exceptions will be made for students meeting one of the following approved exemption criteria:
• commuting from the permanent legal residence of a parent, legal guardian, grandparent,
married sibling or aunt/uncle
• military leave
• married and living with spouse
• custody of a dependent child
• age 21 years or older
• enrolled in less than 12 credit hours
• transferring in with more than 21 hours (excluding high school concurrent credits)
• transfer student who has lived in a residence hall at another campus for two or more
semesters.
Exemption requests must be completed through the MyHousing portal, with all appropriate documentation attached, by July 1 for the Fall Semester and December 1 for the Spring Semester.
Students who fail or refuse to comply with the residency requirement and/or who furnishes false information to a University Official in connection with a request for an exemption will be assessed charges for a residence hall double-occupancy room and meal plan per semester and may be subject to disciplinary action.
