Freshman Residency Requirement

The University of West Alabama requires all freshmen to live on campus for up to one academic year. Living on campus provides educational and social benefits not available to students who live off campus. The residence halls provide students with a supportive living environment, proximity to academic resources, and convenient access to organized student activities. Students first enrolling in the summer are required to live on campus during the summer, fall, and spring semesters. Students first enrolling in the fall are required to live on campus during the fall and spring semesters. Students first enrolling in the spring are required to live on campus during the spring semester.

Sophomores and transfer students that have earned college credit prior to graduating from high school (dual enrollment, advanced placement, CLEP, etc.) are required to live on campus during their first year of full-time enrollment if they have earned less than 48 credits and more than 50% of their college credits were earned during dual enrollment, and/or through AP and CLEP tests. These students are required to live at Gilbert Hall during their first year. Although they may already have reached sophomore standing, they are considered "first-year freshmen" by the Housing Office until one calendar year after graduating from high school.

After submitting their Enrollment Confirmation Fee (ECF), new freshmen must either submit a Housing Application or a Freshman Housing Exemption Form.

Freshman Residency Exemption

New freshmen seeking an exemption to the housing requirement must complete a Freshman Housing Exemption Form.  Exemption requests will not be considered until the student has paid their $200 Enrollment Confirmation Fee.

If a student has already checked into the residence halls, they must also submit a Housing Agreement Release Form.  This is only for those students who have already checked in for the semester! 

Exemptions to the Freshman Housing Residency Requirement may be requested for the following reasons:

• The student will be 21 years of age or older by the first day of classes of their first semester at UWA

• The student is married

• The student is the custodial parent of a dependent child

• The student is a transfer student and UWA has accepted at least 24-semester credits (does not include AP credit or dual enrollment credits)

• The student is a military veteran

• The student will be enrolled less than full-time (12 hours) each semester on campus

• The student will be living at a parent's primary residence within a 30-mile radius of the University campus in Livingston, AL. Only residences located in the circle below qualify as being located within the 30-mile radius.

Students who have other compelling reasons that may warrant an exemption from the Freshman Residency Requirement should contact the Director of Housing and Residence Life at housing@uwa.edu to discuss their specific issues. 

Students requesting an exemption who are recipients of a UWA scholarship are encouraged to contact the UWA Admissions Office to discuss how this may affect their scholarship. Many  UWA scholarships require on-campus residency for the first two years to qualify for the full scholarship amount awarded.

Freshman Housing Exemption requests are reviewed weekly, except when University offices are closed. Once your request has been reviewed, you will be notified of the decision by email. Notification will be sent to your UWA email address. Verbal exemptions will not be given.

If an exemption is denied by the Director of Housing and Residence Life, the student may appeal the decision to the Dean of Students. The student, after being denied an exemption, should contact the Director of Housing and Residence Life for information regarding an appeal. 

Failure to meet the Freshman Residency Requirement, unless an exemption is approved, will result in a charge to the student’s University account each semester of the student’s first academic year equal to the cost of a shared room in Gilbert Hall and an All Access meal plan. Disciplinary action may also be taken for failing to comply with the University policy.