Residency Requirement & Exemptions
Residency Requirement
The George Washington University requires all first- and second-year students to reside on campus unless they are approved for a residency exemption.
Since 2006, GW has been in full compliance with the D.C. Zoning Commission Residency Policy and its stipulations on DC schools that require all first and second-year students to reside in on-campus housing. Collectively, GW's residency requirement is intended to foster community development and best support the undergraduate experience at GW.
Exemptions to the Residency Requirement
Please note that Campus Living and Residential Education is no longer accepting residency exemption requests for the 2024-2025 school year. The deadline to submit an exemption request has passed.
Residency Exemption Criteria
Status | description | supporting documentation |
|---|---|---|
| Commuter | If the student, parent(s), or guardian(s) live outside the Foggy Bottom/West End area and within a commutable distance. For all students, this address needs to be established prior to initial enrollment. | A copy of any document that verifies the student's residence (i.e. utility bill, identification card, or lease agreement). If the student is residing with a guardian or family, they must explain their relationship with that individual. |
| Permanent Resident | If the student, parent(s) or guardian(s) live inside the Foggy Bottom/West End area. For all students, this address needs to be established prior to initial enrollment. | A copy of any document that verifies the student's residence (e.g.. utility bill, identification card, or lease agreement). If the student is residing with a guardian or family, they must explain their relationship with that individual. |
| Married | Students who are either married or in a civil partnership. | A copy of a government-issued certificate recognizing the partnership (i.e. marriage license or domestic partnership certificate). |
| Disability | Students with disabilities which cannot be accommodated with the residence hall living environment. Students must have registered with Disability Support Services (DSS) and received an accommodation recommendation for an exemption to be considered. A student's condition must first meet the general eligibility criteria to request any accommodation as a student with an ADA recognized impairment. | Review details on the DSS website. The DSS process can take several weeks. You need to submit your request to DSS before the housing exemption deadline. A copy of your approval letter from DSS is required. |
| Religious Beliefs | Students with religious beliefs which cannot be accommodated within the residence hall living environment. | A personal statement explaining how the student's religious beliefs cannot be accommodated within the residence halls. An additional letter from a religious leader elaborating on the student's beliefs is required. |
| Veteran | Students who are veterans of the armed forces who are 20 years of age or older at initial enrollment. | A copy of any government-issued document verifying service. For example: certificate of release or discharge (DD-214), GI Bill® certificate of eligibility, etc. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill. |
Exemption requests submitted during the Academic Year will be reviewed are not guaranteed granted. If a student fills out a Housing License Agreement and is assigned to housing, they are bound to the agreement and must live on campus. Students are not able to request an exemption from the residency requirement after receiving their housing assignment unless they have had a change in circumstances in one of the areas listed above.
Frequently Asked Questions: 2024-2025 Residency Exemptions
- Are rising 3rd-year students required to submit an exemption request to live off-campus?
No, rising 3rd-year students are not required to take any steps or submit an exemption request to live off-campus. Beginning in the fall 2023 semester, 3rd-year students are no longer required to live on-campus.
- I’m a rising 2nd-year student. Can I request an exemption?
Beginning in early February, rising 2nd-year students will be able to request an exemption. Note that there is a limited set of criteria that GW is permitted to approve an exemption request for.
- Is there a deadline for a rising 2nd-year student to request an exemption?
Yes, rising 2nd-year students will need to request an exemption by February 2025 in order to be exempt from housing for the 2025-2026 Academic year, and if approved for an exemption, housing for the 2025-2026 Academic Year will be cancelled without a cancellation fee. You will not be able to request an exemption if you miss this deadline. If you are a current first-year student / rising second-year student, we encourage you to evaluate your circumstances relative to the criteria GW is permitted to use in approving requests for exemptions to our first- and second-year residency requirement.