Housing Waiver Process Frequently Asked Questions

Studies on both the national level and MSU specifically have shown that living on campus in a residence hall sets students up for success far better than their off-campus peers. Living on campus not only connects you to the campus and encourages you to learn to live in a community comprised of different individuals, but also sets students up to achieve academically and retain at a significantly higher rate. It is because of this commitment to student success and developing citizens for a global society that living on campus is part of, and required for, the Morehead State experience.

The residency requirement qualifications have been edited to remove credit hours earned from the qualifiers and replace them with number of semesters in residence. Instead of students fulfilling the residency requirement when they were 21 by the first day of classes each semester or had earned 60 credit hours, students now meet the requirements of the policy when they are 21 by the first day of classes each semester or have completed four semesters in residency on campus at Morehead State.

Students are arriving to campus with significant credit hours already earned through multiple different avenues (dual credit, AP classes, part time attendance while in high school). Under prior versions of this policy, students may have qualified for exemption after only one or two semesters. In order to ensure that students have the best opportunity for success on campus and learn the skills and abilities that a residential living environment imparts, the policy was changed.

The new residency policy qualifications (semesters in residence versus credit hours earned) will go into effect in the Fall 2021 semester.

Students that have begun their full-time post-high school attendance at Morehead State prior to Fall 2021 and who reach the previous qualification of 60 credit hours prior to four semesters in residence are encouraged to submit a waiver request and explain your history and unique circumstances. Though you will not automatically qualify for exemption to the policy and will need to submit a waiver request, in most cases your waiver will be approved if you would have qualified under prior versions of the residency requirements.

For the purpose of the residency requirement or the waiver process, full time attendance at MSU or another campus is achieved when students are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours.

Transfer students who have completed four (4) semesters (not including winter or summer terms) of attendance post high school graduation are exempt from the residency requirement. If you are under 21 years of age, you will need to submit a waiver request and submit documentation (unofficial transcripts, for example) of your attendance at another institution.

The MSU Residency Policy is required and applied to all students who are taking in-person courses full-time on the main campus. The Office of Student Housing is aware, however, of the unique needs and living requirements of international students. Waiver requests for international students will be given additional consideration and review with the students’ success as our top priority.

Unfortunately, no. Because of the unique nature of residential dual-credit experiences and the critical differences in living arrangements and expectations, students with this background are still required to complete four semesters of residency in one of our college-level residence halls or apartment communities.

For age-related qualifications for the residency requirement, the evaluation date is the first day of the semester. Any student that turns 21 after the first day of in-class instruction is still bound by the residency policy for that semester.

Students that turn 21 and check out of campus housing while the semester is in process will not be charged a mandatory housing and mandatory dining fee. However, please be aware that there will be additional financial penalties such as contract buy out fees or contract break fees. Charged fees for the semester will receive a prorated refund based on the published university refund schedule for the semester in question. Before checking out of university housing, students are strongly advised to consult with the Office of Student Housing to fully understand how departure will impact their student account.

This is not allowed under the MSU residency policy. Off-campus living must be in the permanent home residence of the parent or legal guardian. For waiver approval for a non-parent living situation, court documents granting prior guardianship to the home owner must also be submitted with the waiver request.

Unfortunately, not. For a waiver request to be considered, residency must be established and documentation submitted to verify. This comes in the form of utility bills that show a track record over six months of residency and legal occupancy as well as legal documents that show the permanent residency status of the parent or legal guardian. If a new home has been purchased, additional documentation outlining the sale agreement and a sale documentation of prior address may be sought.

Unfortunately, not. The minute you become a tenant and are no longer a guest/visitor, then you are not in compliance with the residency policy. Some circumstances that qualify a tenant relationship:

• There is a monetary commitment to use the residence. The monetary commitment is not just the payment of rent. The commitment may also include a formal or informal agreement to share any household expenses, like utilities. The absence of a rental agreement doesn’t matter.
• You have access to the residence. There is a standing expectation that you can enter or use the property and/or you have a key to the residence. The number of nights that you actually use the residence is irrelevant.
• You have space in the residence designated or presumed to be your space. There is a reasonable belief that there is a room or bed in the residence that is for your use regardless of how many nights you choose to use it.
• There is no sponsor or host to invite you to the residence. To be a house guest/visitor, there is an expectation that the homeowner or lessee is the primary resident, and by invitation, invites you to stay on a non-recurring, time-limited, and temporary basis.

Students that attempt this are often caught and will face significant and sizable student conduct fines and fees, up to and including the back billing of mandatory housing and dining fees that were unbilled because of fraudulent submission.

Students that must complete a mandatory off-campus experiential education assignment (clinical, student-teaching, internship) are usually exempt from the residency policy through application of the waiver process and submission of appropriate documentation. Please be aware that if your assignment location is within fifty driving miles of the campus, a waiver will not be granted.

Students are more than welcome to not utilize the waiver they may be able to apply for and remain an on-campus resident. It is important to note that for people who may be married or have dependent children, MSU does not offer coed housing assignments or family housing options.