Santa Clara University Modifies Housing Exemption Process to Improve Clarity

Keira Cucunato ’28 and Ruby McAlister ’28 in the living room of their house named Back Deck. Santa Clara University has changed the process to obtain an exemption from the two-year on-campus housing requirement impacting sophomores who want to live off-campus. (Courtesy of Eva McCaffrey) 

Santa Clara University has streamlined its process for students obtaining an exemption from the two year on-campus housing requirement, and removed the previous medical exemption. The new processing system, called the University Residency Requirement Status Review Request, was designed to ease navigation for students. 

“Since the residency requirement was established, each year there have been a different set of criteria, and then, based on the information that we’ve received from students and how the process has occurred that year, we’ve made refinements with the ultimate goal of making it clear and making it as easy as possible to navigate,” said Eddie Grace, the University’s director of housing services. 

Under the modified process, students must meet one of two criteria in order to be exempt from on-campus housing: either the student must live within a 20-mile radius of campus, or would suffer a severe financial burden by living on campus. Financial burden is determined by the students’ Student Aid index—a numerical estimate of a student’s level of financial need as calculated through FAFSA.

Another notable change from previous years exemption process is the removal of the medical exemption. 

Santa Clara University will still support students with medical needs, Grace said, but those concerns will be addressed by the Office of Accessible Education in conjunction with the housing office to accommodate for those specific needs, rather than through the exemption process. 

“The ultimate goal for the University is to be able to accommodate all students on campus in the residence hall, and we do believe that the close proximity to the resources and support systems on campus is good for most students in most cases,” Grace said.

Despite the two year requirement, not all students feel that living on campus meets their needs. 

“As fun as it was living next door to so many friends I really wanted to live off campus to have multiple spaces where I could relax and hangout that weren’t public to people I may not know,” said Eva McCaffrey ‘28. “I also was very eager to have my own sanitary kitchen as I was vegetarian and didn’t love the options they had in Benson.”

The modified system will now include a third option for students to request release from their on-campus requirement if the option later becomes available, and they do not meet one of the two criteria to be exempt. 

“We found last year, there were a number of students who hoped that they would be released from the contract, they ultimately were not, and then they were on the wait list to be placed in housing, which ends up in them not being in their preferred space,” Grace said.

If all beds on campus are filled, the housing office will then start to release students from their housing contracts that checked that third box. 

“It’s not a guarantee by any means, but it’s, it’s trying to organize the process a little bit more intentionally,” Grace said.

This year, 98% of beds on campus were filled.

“Without providing false hope to anybody, I do see that there will be a small number of students that, in addition to distance from campus and financial burden, will likely be released,” Grace said. “We’re not establishing any priority. It’s not a wait list,” he emphasized. 

Students have expressed concern about what happens if they have already committed to off-campus housing before receiving a decision on their exemption request. 

“If your desire is to live off campus for any reason and you exist outside of the criteria, we strongly recommend that people do not sign anything with any off campus housing, any lease, any sublet, anything until they have that confirmed contract cancellation in writing from housing,” said Grace.

Sophomore room selection will happen from April 21 through April 24.