Residence Requirement

The following FAQ is related to a two-year residency requirement announced by the University Aug. 9, 2022, effective fall 2023.

Does the two-year residency requirement affect students attending SRU in 2022-23?
No, this requirement only applies to first-year, full-time students who enroll in the fall 2023. Current students (first-year students enrolled in 2022-2023) are exempt from this requirement.

If I transfer to SRU, how many years do I have to live on campus?
Transfer students who have completed a total of four regular semesters, including their prior college experience, or earned 60 or more college credits are exempt from this requirement. Students who have completed fewer than four regular semesters of college, or 60 earned credits, will be required to live on campus. If a student has completed two regular semesters or 30 credits at a prior institution, they would only be required to live on campus for one year.

Why did SRU create a two-year resident requirement?
Living in student housing gives students more opportunities to meet new people, discover new places, access campus resources and get involved with the SRU community. Research shows that residing on campus also leads to higher persistence and graduation rates and greater learning by maximizing opportunities for social and intellectual development from cocurricular activities.

 SRU’s residence halls and Rock Apartments offer a variety of benefits, including:

 Academics

• 24/7 study and recreational lounges.
• Available student and professional staff to provide emotional and social support.
• Faculty offices and classroom space within steps of where students live.

Community

• Living Learning Communitiesso students with similar interests live together in certain halls.
• No need to search for commuter parking before class.
• Residence hall activities, games and other social activities.
• Walkable access to all campus activities and dining.

Convenience

• High speed internet to support multiple devices.
• In-building laundry facilities.
• Freedom to take a semester off or spend a semester abroad without being charged or having to find someone to sublet.
• Nine-month agreements to better align with the school year. No need to remember to pay monthly bills (i.e. utilities, cable, Wi-Fi, etc.).
• Regularly scheduled maintenance and custodial service available 24/7.

Safety

• Buildings are access card secured. Video security systems.
• Overnight and weekend desk attendants.
• Uniformed officers patrol campus 24/7.

Do I have to purchase a meal plan too?
Yes. Students residing in on-campus housing (except Rock Apartments) will be assigned automatically to the default meal plan of 14 meals per week with $350 in flex funds. However, all students are encouraged to review the meal plan options on the Dining Services webpage and choose the one that works best for them. All students are permitted to make one change per semester to their meal plan through the first two weeks of each semester. For additional questions concerning meal plans, please contact dining@sru.edu.

Are there exemptions to the requirement?
Exceptions to the on-campus residence requirement can be requested for those who reside with a parent or legal guardian within 60 miles from campus, part-time students (less than 12 credits), married students or students with one or more dependent children in their custody, first-year students over the age of 21, students enrolled in fully online programs and for students with certain physical or psychological circumstances incompatible with University housing. Additionally, transfer students who have completed a total of four regular semesters, including their prior college experience, or earned 60 or more college credits are exempt from this requirement. Students will be provided with a link to an exemption request during the on-campus contract process, which will be outlined on the housing website.

Couldn’t I just change my permanent home address to my off-campus apartment?
No. The exemption only applies to those students residing with their parent or legal guardian at their permanent address located within 60 miles of campus.

What if my parent/legal guardian moves while I’m enrolled at SRU?
If you no longer live with your parent or guardian, you will be required to live in campus housing unless you meet the criteria for another type of exemption.

If I receive an exemption and my off-campus living situation changes, is my exemption rescinded?
Yes, you will need to apply for on-campus housing or request another exemption.

What happens if I don’t abide by this requirement?
During the first week of July prior to the academic year, all freshmen and sophomores will be assigned to an available residence hall room and billed by the University for on-campus housing and the default meal plan unless they have an approved exemption.

Are there enough rooms to accommodate everyone?
Yes, SRU has the capacity for more than 2,800 on-campus residents each year. We estimate freshmen and sophomores will take up approximately 90% of these rooms. Depending on the number of freshmen and sophomores, a limited number of on-campus rooms may also be made available for upperclass students.  

What if I already signed a lease at an off-campus apartment?
This requirement goes into effect for new students entering in the fall of 2023. Current SRU students, whether they live on or off campus, are exempt from this requirement. Students planning to enroll in the fall of 2023 should not sign any lease agreement prior to enrolling as you will be required to live in campus housing unless you have an approved exemption.  

Who is considered a first-year and second-year student?
A first-year (freshman) student is defined as any student who has completed less than 30 college credits. A second-year (sophomore) student is defined as any student who has completed between 31 and 60 college credits. Students should expect to live on campus until they complete either four full-time semesters of college or earned 60 credits.

What if I can’t afford to live on campus?  
The Office of Financial Aid can provide information about grants, loans, work-study and scholarship opportunities to offset the cost of living on-campus.

What kind of impact will this have on the larger Slippery Rock community?
Based on past averages, the second-year residency requirement will result in 300-400 new sophomores residing on campus. We expect that will mean that roughly 200-300 upperclass students and transfers will be moving to off-campus housing, resulting in a net difference of only 100 students or so on average.

What if I want to live on campus all four years?
Limited space will be available on campus for juniors and seniors. These rooms will be assigned via a lottery system for those who would like to request on-campus residence beyond their sophomore year. We understand that many upperclass students value living on campus, or have circumstances that make living on campus a more convenient option, and we will do our best to accommodate all requests. 

What happens if I need to withdraw for the semester, academically or medically?
When you withdraw, your housing will be canceled as you are no longer a student; however, upon returning as a student to SRU you will be held accountable to the residence requirement.

What happens if I will be a part-time student (less than 12 credits) for a semester?
Upon returning to full-time status, you will be held accountable to the residence requirement.

I will be at 60 credits at the end of the fall semester. Will I still have an on-campus housing agreement for spring?
Yes, the on-campus housing agreement is for one academic year (August to May). Despite reaching 60 credits at the end of the fall semester, you will be accountable to fulfill your on-campus housing agreement.