Housing Exemption

All first-year, first-time students are required to live on-campus for their first two years at Cal Poly Humboldt. 

Some students will be automatically exempt from the housing requirement due to their circumstances. (Please see FAQs below for more information.)

First-year, first-time students may request an exemption from the two year housing live-on requirement for the following reasons:

• Students that have extenuating financial circumstances that prevents them from living in university housing with a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 9,000 or less, as determined from the financial aid application. Requests that do not meet the stated SAI threshold are not eligible for consideration and will not be approved. Because the SAI threshold is a defined eligibility requirement, financial hardship exemption decisions are final and not subject to appeal. Applying this threshold consistently helps maintain equity and ensures all students are evaluated using the same criteria. The Financial Aid Office’s role is limited to confirming financial aid information and does not include approving or denying housing exemptions.
• Students with a documented medical or disability circumstance as noted by the Campus Disability Resource Center (CDRC).*
• Students who are taking all online classes.
• Students who are studying abroad or have an internship.
• Students who have resided at a permanent address within close proximity to campus for more than six months, living with a parent, legal guardian, or immediate family member who is at least 25 years old.

Students who need an exemption can submit the Exemption Request Form in their myHousing.humboldt.edu portal under Forms. Supporting documentation is required.

Students and supporters are strongly advised to not purchase off-campus housing or sign a lease for the second year without an approved exemption. Do not assume exemption requests will be approved. Approvals are limited to specific criteria.

*Students that have a medical or disability circumstance that prevents them from living in university housing will need to submit their request through the Campus Disability Resource Center. If the CDRC finds that the student needs an accommodation from the housing requirement, they will notify Housing.