Two-Year Residency Requirement

Students who begin their first academic year at UNCW immediately after graduating high school are considered first year students.

This may vary based on time of start, but all students enrolling in the:

• Summer as a first year student are required to live in on campus housing during the summer and participate in the summer Hawk meal plan.
• Fall as a First Year student are required to live in on-campus housing and participate in one of the Hawk meal plans in a required building.
• Spring semester as a First Year Spring Admit (FYSA) have the option to reside on campus if space is available.

If living on campus, students must participate in one of the Hawk meal plans.

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• Are over the age of 21 or under the age of 17 as of the first day of class of your first year.
• Have active-duty service in the United States Military.
• Have legal dependents.
• Are legally married.
• Live in New Hanover, Pender or Brunswick counties and reside with their legal guardians will be granted an automatic exception and no additional paperwork is required.
  • Students living with non-legal guardians such as: grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, brothers/sisters, family owned homes, etc. will not qualify for the exception.

Students with disabilities for whom off campus housing options are necessary for maintaining reasonable health and general safety Those requests with supporting documentation should be made directly to the Disability Resource Center, for more information call 910.962.7555 or email.

UNCW Housing and Residence Life may make additional exceptions should occupancy considerations warrant, and will request verification documents for any of the above exceptions.

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If a student feels they meet one or more of the exceptions listed above and wishes to waive the Two-Year Residency Requirement for on-campus housing and meal plan, they should follow the below instructions for a written appeal.

1. Fall under one or more of the exemption categories .
2. File a formal request for a residency waiver by emailing Housing and Residence Life with reasoning and supporting documentation. Please send requests to Housing@uncw.edu.
   • No additional appeals needed if applying to UNCW from the Tri-Country Area

Students must send requests and supporting documentation by May 1. Waivers received after May 1st will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Any students who violate the Two-Year Residency Requirement will be charged for one full semester of housing and assigned a space as well as the default "Hawk Silver" meal plan. The student will then be referred to the Office of Dean of Students for additional sanctioning, which may include a requirement to move on-campus.

Questions regarding the Two-Year Residency Requirement should be directed to UNCW Housing and Residence Life at via email or 910.962.3241, while questions about the associated meal plan requirement should be directed to Auxiliary Services at via email or 910.962.3560.