Live on campus requirement

First-year residency requirement at U of I

All full-time first-year UIdaho students under the age of 21 are required to live in official university-recognized organized living groups, such as residence halls, fraternities or sororities, for one academic year.

This requirement is supported by research that shows students who live on campus thrive in a supportive, integrated learning environment. The connections students make with peers and the academic and social services provided by our residential education programs foster personal growth and academic success.

Students may request an exemption from the live-on-campus requirement if they meet one of the following criteria:

• The student is 21 years of age or older.
• The student has completed at least two full semesters or three full quarters at a higher education institution (excluding summer sessions).
• The student lives with immediate family (parent/guardian, aunt/uncle, or grandparents) within a 40-mile radius of University of Idaho.
• The student has a legal dependent living with them.
• The student is married.
• The student has a medical or psychological disability, documented by a licensed medical or mental health professional, where living in recognized student housing would negatively impact the student’s physical or emotional health.

Students seeking an exemption should complete the exemption form and submit it to the Office of the Dean of Students for review.

Download the first-year residency exemption form

For more information, contact the Dean of Students Office at 208-885-6757 or email askjoe@uidaho.edu.