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Policy Statement

The Freshmen Live-On Requirement applies to all newly enrolled freshmen taking twelve (12) or more credit hours (full-time enrollment) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham who graduated from high school within the preceding 12 months. All freshmen within this scope are required to live on campus for the entire academic year.

Purpose

In an effort to provide opportunities for students to perform better academically, engage in their collegiate experience at the highest level, and persist to a four-year graduation date; and in keeping with other practices within the state of Alabama, the University requires all first-time, fulltime freshmen to live on campus.

Research shows that students who begin their college career on campus:

 have higher grade point averages

 make a smoother transition from high school to college

 have higher retention and graduation rates

 report greater satisfaction with their college experience

 make better use of the educational and support services provided by their universities

Exceptions

 Students who are married and/or have dependent children in residence.

 First-time full-time students who graduated high school more than twelve (12) months before

the current academic year.

Students for whom the policy presents an undue hardship on their personal or family circumstances, whether financially, emotionally, medically, or otherwise, may submit compelling evidence of such circumstances for consideration of an exemption from the policy.

Students requesting an exception should be residing with lineal relatives (parent, grandparent) or legal guardian and commuting from their residence within a reasonable distance of campus.

Requests for exemptions are (1) reviewed on a case-by-case basis by a committee of University officials for approval and (2) granted in extreme and rare circumstances and only after evidence is provided by the student/parents of a special need that outweighs the distinct benefit of living on campus.