Off-Campus Non-College Owned

Off-Campus Non-College-Owned Request / Approval Process

Third and fourth year students who are not studying abroad or taking a leave of absence during the fall term may request permission to live in non-College-owned housing.  Students may only live in non-College-owned housing if granted permission by the Department of Residence Life and Orientation.  Students must request (reapply) for permission to live in non-College-owned housing each academic year (or when returning from a leave of absence or from studying abroad) even if permission was received for previous terms.

Students interested in requesting permission to live in non-College-owned housing must complete and submit the electronic request form by the due date (students are notified via email when the request form is available). Students studying abroad in the fall do not request permission at this time.  Following the due date, students requesting off-campus permission are sorted by their class status (year) and room draw number (room draw numbers are assigned and distributed in early February).  The number of students granted off-campus permission is determined by projected total enrollment for the upcoming fall term.  Non-College-owned housing offers are sent via email. Students ARE NOT APPROVED to live in non-College-owned housing until an offer is received from the Department of Residence Life and Orientation.  The offer must then be accepted or declined by the deadline indicated.

Automatic permission to live in non-College-owned housing is granted to students who:

• live with their parents in the Grinnell area;

• are 22 years of age by September 1^st (of the upcoming academic year);

• are legally married (or legally partnered in a civil union); or

• have their child(ren) living with them.

*Students who qualify for automatic permission must complete and submit the required request form by the due date*

Students who accept an offer to live in non-College-owned housing:

• must live in the Grinnell area;

• are approved for the entire academic year;

• do not attend Room Draw; and

• must notify Dining Servies of their choice of meal plan (even if cancelling their meal plan).

Students who do not receive an offer to live in non-College-owned housing are notified via email and are automatically placed on a waitlist.  Offers are sent to students on the waitlist IF off-campus spaces become available.  (Spaces may become available if other students decline the off-campus offer, or if total enrollment increases.)  Students who miss the sign-up due date are placed on the waitlist at the end of their class (year) in the order the requests are received.

Students studying abroad in the fall may request permission to live in non-College-owned housing for the following spring term.  Fall OCS students will receive a Residence Form via email (late spring/early summer).  Students may request permission to live in non-College-owned housing by completing the off-campus section of the Residence Form and returning to the Department of Residence Life (via email) by the due date indicated. Offers for spring term off-campus housing are sent in November.  Students ARE NOT APPROVED for spring term non-College-owned housing until they receive an offer from the Department of Residence Life. 

PLEASE NOTE:  The 'room split' (single semester housing) option does NOT apply to students requesting off-campus housing permission. 

First semester third year students (as of the spring semester) are not eligible to request permission to live in non-College-owned housing for the spring term.  

DATES TO REMEMBER: