UA expects that all first year, full-time students live on campus for the entirety of their first year to provide students with a comprehensive educational experience.
Duration of Freshman Residency Program
- Students first enrolling in the summer: expected to live in the residence halls for summer, fall and spring semesters.
- Students first enrolling in the fall: expected to live in the residence halls for fall and spring semesters.
- Students first enrolling in the spring: expected to live in the residence halls for spring semester.
UA’s freshman residency program applies to all students who are college students for the first time. Dual enrollment credits from high school do not impact the duration of the freshman residency program. The Freshman Residency Program applies to first-year students admitted through Undergraduate Admissions. Students admitted through distance learning/UA Online aren’t subject to the freshman residency program.
Exemption Criteria
We expect all full-time freshman students live on campus, unless they meet at least one of the following criteria for exemption:
- Live with lineal relatives (parent or grandparent, not siblings) or legal guardian within 60 miles of UA (including Bibb, Chilton, Dallas, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lamar, Marion, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Shelby, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Walker, and Winston counties)
- Live in Tuscaloosa-area property owned by a parent (proof of ownership required)
- Are 20 years of age by the beginning of the semester for which they are enrolled
- Married and/or have dependent children in residence
- Military veteran
The exemption committee reviews requests that do not meet the above criteria. Other criteria considered include:
- Compelling individual circumstance
We do not automatically grant exemptions and consider each as it is submitted. It may take up to four weeks to receive a response, depending on time of year and whether the request requires committee review.
InfoExemption Eligibility for Incoming Freshmen
Exemptions are only available for incoming freshmen prior to move-in/start of the school year. After move-in, a first year student who wishes to request to cancel their contract must complete a contract cancellation request and is no longer eligible for an exemption.
Apply for Exemption
The exemption request form is available when the housing application opens for Fall. Exemption requests for Fall 2026 that are submitted in Fall 2025 or early Spring 2026 will be considered by March 2026.
To request an exemption prior to submitting a housing application, log in to the housing portal, select “Apply,” then choose “I would like to submit an exemption request.” Follow the prompts to complete your submission. Depending on the reason for your request, you may need to upload supporting documentation.
If you’ve already submitted a housing application for the 2026-2027 academic year, you won’t be able to submit a separate exemption request. Instead, you’ll need to cancel your housing contract through the housing portal and select an exemption category as your reason for cancellation. Cancellation requests, including for the reason of exemption, will open on December 2 in the housing portal.
Fall 2026 Exemption Request Deadline
Jul 15
Time 11:59 p.m.