HOUSING EXEMPTION AND CONTRACT RELEASE

Listed below are examples of allowable exemptions (and the required documentation)

1. You have NOT submitted a residence hall contract
2. And you meet one or more of the following criteria:
   1. You are a veteran or have two years of active military duty (copy of DD214 papers)
   2. You are married (copy of marriage certificate)
   3. You are a parent (copy of your child’s birth certificate)
   4. You live with a parent or legal guardian and will commute daily from their residence which is within 40 miles of UW-Whitewater (a Residency Policy Exemption Request from signed by both the student and parent/legal guardian)
   5. It has been two or more years since my high school graduation (Indicate graduation year, which will be verified by University Housing with your admission records.)
   6. You have an extreme personal, medical or financial hardship (Special or Extreme Circumstances form, including typed, detailed explanation of how your circumstances would limit you from living on campus and any relevant supporting documentation. Clarify as to where you plan to live if granted an exemption. If living at home, the commuter portion of the Residency Policy Exemption Request form is also required.)

If the university is at full capacity then there may be additional students who will not be housed on campus even though there is no qualifying exemption. Key factors considered in this process for continuing students (second-year students) include:

• GPA: Student must have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher.
• Probation status: The student cannot be on Academic or Behavioral Probation.
• Student success data: The exemption approval process (when applicable) is in the spring to allow students a full semester to transition to the university.

Exemption requests must be submitted prior to submitting an on-campus housing contract. Any student who is 21 years of age or younger — if not planning to live on campus — must submit an exemption request. It is highly recommended that students do not make a commitment for alternate housing until they have been approved for an exemption through the process identified below.

1. Log in to the Housing Student Portal using your Net ID and password
2. Select Exemption Request on the menu on the left.
3. Read the disclaimer carefully for more specific details on the process.
4. Select Timeline for Request.
5. Select reason and provide the reasoning for the exception request.
6. Upload any supporting documentation/information into the Student Portal including Residency Policy Exemption Request form. (Note size limits for uploading. Instructions on resizing are provided if needed.)
7. Submit request.

All students will be notified via their university email account as to the status of the request or if the request has been forwarded to the Exemption Review Team. Once the review team meets (generally once a month), the student will then also be notified of the decision through email.

• May graduation
• Graduated from high school more than 2 years ago
• Transferring to another school for the following academic year
• Will not be registering for classes at UW-Whitewater for the following academic year
• Plan to commute from home during sophomore year and an exemption request has been submitted and approved for next year

Follow the instructions below to submit a housing deposit refund request. Students will receive a confirmation of their request within 7-10 of submission. Refunds are processed after the halls close for the spring semester.

1. Log in to the Housing Student Portal using your Net ID and password
2. Select Deposit Refund Request from the menu on the left
3. Read the Terms and Conditions
4. Fill out the required information
5. Submit request

Listed below are examples of allowable reasons for a contract release (and the required documentation)

1. You have submitted a residence hall contract
2. And you meet one or more of the following criteria:
   1. You will be no longer be enrolled at UWW due to graduation, transfer, or withdrawal beyond the current semester (this will be verified by University Housing via WINS/department records)
   2. You have been called to active military duty (copy of orders)
   3. You are married (copy of marriage certificate)
   4. You are a parent (copy of your child’s birth certificate)
   5. You are enrolled in a university-sponsored program (this will be verified by University Housing via WINS/department records)
   6. You have an extreme personal, medical or financial hardship (Typed, detailed explanation of how your circumstances would limit you from living on campus and any relevant supporting documentation. Clarify as to where you plan to live if granted a release. If moving home, the commuter portion of the Residency Policy Exemption Request form is also required.)

Not enough documentation
Failure to provide the requested documentation or information may result in your release not being considered or, minimally, a delay in a decision by the review team.

Community living transition
Residence hall living is a new experience for most students and requires a certain amount of adjustment. If a student has made a fair adjustment to the hall environment, but is still unhappy, a change of hall, room, floor, or roommate may be an effective remedy. Residence hall staff are available to work with residents individually to find a solution if a specific issue continues to be a problem or concern.

Physical or mental health conditions where on-campus housing can provide a reasonable accommodation
Even with documentation from a doctor or therapist, most conditions do not automatically exempt students from policy and contract obligations. Specific health-related conditions and needs must be outlined by a medical or mental health professional. We will work with students individually to make residence hall rooms environmentally and health friendly.

Disability where on-campus housing can provide an accessible living environment
Requests based on disability require students to identify and discuss with the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) the specific areas of concern and issues they are experiencing. Through this process, the student and CSD will explore access solutions. University Housing works collaboratively with the Center for Students with Disabilities to meet students’ disability-related needs.

Financial difficulty
Lack of funds alone is not a basis for exemption or contract release. Finances for the academic year should be considered before choosing to enroll at the university or activating the residence hall contract. Financial aid is available to those who qualify based on need, and University Housing relies on the expertise of the Financial Aid Office to determine if a student has sufficient financial aid and other funding options to attend UWW. If there has been a change in your financial support circumstances, the student can seek a release based on financial hardship and provide documentation that would support the change in circumstances.

Helping at home
Needing to be at home to help with a family business, take care of siblings or other family members, or take care of pets or other animals is not a reason for an exemption or contract release. The student, along with their family, must explore alternative solutions to accommodate these needs. If there has been a change in your personal situation at home since when you submitted your contract, the student can submit a request for personal hardship and provide documentation that would support the change in circumstances.

Commuting/living with a relative
The choice to commute from the home of a parent or legal guardian must be made before activation of the residence hall contract. Students who are eligible must submit their request and be approved before the start of the academic year. The commuter exemption does not allow for living with siblings, grandparents, other relatives, or a fiancé/significant other without other extenuating documented circumstances. A contract release will not be granted for a student who wants to become a commuter after the start of the academic year.

Emotional support animal
Pets are not allowed in the residence halls. Students who have a documented need for an emotional support animal must receive approval through the Center for Students with Disabilities before submitting a contract release request.

Follow the instructions below to submit a contract release request. All requests are reviewed by the Contract Release Review Team, which meets bi-weekly during the academic year and monthly during the summer months. All release requests are reviewed individually, and we strive to make decisions that are based on consistent criteria and in fairness to all students. Releases are contingent upon successful completion of any open University Housing conduct cases.

1. Log in to the Housing Student Portal using your Net ID and password
2. Select Housing Contract Release Request on the menu on the left.
3. Read the disclaimer carefully for more specific details on the process.
4. Select Timeline for Request.
5. Select reason and provide the reasoning for the release request.
6. Upload any supporting documentation/information into the Student Portal. (Note size limits for uploading. Instructions on resizing is provided if needed)
7. Submit request.

All students will be notified via their university email account as to the status of the request or if the request has been forwarded to the Contract Release Review Team. Once the review team meets, the student will then also be notified of the decision through email.