A student may be exempt from the University Residency Requirement if they regularly reside with a parent or legal guardian in their primary home, located within 20 miles of campus.

Housing Services will use the address provided by the student on their original university application to determine permanent residence. Secondary homes, vacation homes, and investment properties do not qualify. Changes to a principal residence made outside the review period will be considered in the next annual review and apply to subsequent housing contract terms. 

Supporting Documentation
Students are required to provide documentation verifying their primary residence:

• Option A: At least one utility bill or service statement in the parent or legal guardian’s name and a copy of the student’s government-issued ID or driver’s license at the listed address.
• Option B: If the student’s ID does not list the primary address, the parent or legal guardian must provide a signed letter confirming the student’s residence, along with a copy of the parent or legal guardian’s government-issued ID, driver’s license, or voter registration card at the listed address.

Determining distance from campus
Students whose primary residence is within 20 miles of Santa Clara University’s Mission Campus, measured as a straight-line distance, are exempt from the University Residency Requirement. Eligible locations include all cities, towns, and census-designated places whose boundaries fall within this area.

Eligible Locations by County:

Alameda Co: Fremont, Hayward/Hayward Acres, Kilkare Woods, Newark, Pleasanton (Castlewood), Sunol, Union City

San Mateo Co: Atherton, East Palo Alto, Emerald Hills/Emerald Lake Hills, La Honda, Loma Mar, Menlo Park (West Menlo Park), North Fair Oaks, Portola Valley (Ladera, Los Trancos Woods), Redwood City, San Carlos, Woodside (Sky Londa)

Santa Clara Co: Campbell, Coyote, Cupertino, Holy City, Lexington Hills/Redwood Estates, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills,Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Mount Hamilton, Palo Alto, San Jose, Saratoga, Sunnyvale

Santa Cruz Co: Ben Lomond, Boulder Creek, Brookdale, Day Valley, Loma Prieta, Lompico, Scotts Valley, Zayante Creek

A student may be exempt from the University Residency Requirement if living on campus would result in a severe financial burden, as determined by the dependent student’s demonstrated financial need via their Student Aid Index (SAI).

Financial hardship determinations are made by the Office of Financial Aid based on the SAI and other relevant documentation. Financial need is calculated as the difference between a student’s cost of attendance and their SAI (formerly expected family contribution). For federal financial aid purposes, the U.S. Department of Education considers students dependent until age 24, unless specific criteria for independent status are met. The transfer of financial responsibility from a parent or legal guardian to the student alone does not constitute a severe financial burden.

• A fully completed 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including parent/legal guardian financial information, is required for domestic students.
• Qualifying non-resident students may complete a California Dream Act Application (CADAA). 
• Non-immigrant students holding F-1 or J-1 visas are required to demonstrate the ability to fully meet all tuition, fees, and living expenses for their first year of study.

Supporting Documentation
Students are able to provide recent and relevant documentation demonstrating severe financial burden:

• Additional Supporting Documentation: Students may submit additional documentation to support their financial status or demonstrate a significant change in family financial resources.

Determination and Housing Review
Financial Aid will review the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI), verify that all awarded financial aid was accepted and disbursed, and provide a determination regarding financial status to Housing Services.

Please Note: Financial Aid's role is to determine financial status, and is not authorized to evaluate status review requests or housing contract cancellation requests. Housing Services makes all determinations regarding exempt status. 

Santa Clara University is committed to providing housing that meets the needs of all students, including students with disabilities, in full compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. In limited circumstances, Housing Services may determine that fulfilling a housing or dining accommodation would cause undue hardship to or fundamentally alter the nature of the Housing program. In such cases, and when appropriate, a student may be considered for a Housing contract cancellation.

To be considered for a Housing Accommodation Related Release for the upcoming Fall Quarter, students must complete a 2026–2027 Housing Application and submit a Status Review Request Form. Requests are reviewed only after a housing contract has been signed. Failure to submit a housing application may result in a registration hold and/or disciplinary action.

Students remain financially responsible for the full academic-year housing contract unless and until they receive formal, written approval of a Housing Contract Cancellation. Contract Cancellations do not confer exempt Status, apply only to the applicable housing contract term, and do not carry forward to future academic years, unless otherwise stated. 

Students seeking accommodations for academic, housing, or dining disability-related needs must visit the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) website and register for accommodations through the OAE Portal. OAE determines if there are specific housing and/or dining disability-related accommodation needs through an application process that includes the review of the student’s submitted medical documentation and information from the student’s personal narrative gathered during the Interactive Process.

Once appropriate accommodations are approved, OAE communicates said accommodations to Housing Services. Housing Services makes all final determinations regarding housing assignments based on approved accommodations and available space. These assignments take precedence over any other housing preferences submitted by the student.

Please Note: OAEs role is to determine appropriate accommodations for on-campus housing, and is not authorized to evaluate status review requests or housing contract cancellation requests. Housing Services makes all determinations regarding exempt status.

Students who do not wish to be approved for accommodations should not register with OAE. 

Santa Clara University is committed to providing housing for all first-year undergraduate applicants through their first two years on campus. Students who are not exempt from the University Residency Requirement will only be considered for a housing contract cancellation if the University determines that it does not have sufficient housing capacity to accommodate all first- and second-year students on campus.

To be considered for a Capacity–Based Release for the upcoming Fall Quarter, students must complete a 2026–2027 Housing Application and submit a Status Review Request Form. Requests are reviewed only after a housing contract has been signed. Failure to submit a housing application may result in a registration hold and/or disciplinary action.

Students remain financially responsible for the full academic-year housing contract unless and until they receive formal, written approval of a Housing Contract Cancellation. Requesting cancellation does not guarantee approval, and it does not give you priority over other students. Decisions will depend on available housing space and the need to accommodate other students. Contract Cancellations do not confer exempt Status, apply only to the applicable housing contract term, and do not carry forward to future academic years.

Students may submit a Status Review Request outside of the formal review period only if they meet one of the following conditions:

• Accepted to the University after the close of the published review period (including students admitted from the waitlist or those starting in a later quarter).
• Significant change in financial circumstances since the start of the contracted housing term (e.g., a major financial hardship or life event that affects your ability to live on campus).

Changes to a principal residence (for commuter status) made outside of the review period will not be considered until the next annual review and would only apply to subsequent housing contract terms.

For students with disabilities who missed the review deadline or were not registered with the Office of Accessible Education (OAE) by the deadline, you may still submit a Status Review Request and indicate that you do not want to live on campus. Housing Services will evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with OAE, to determine if a Housing Contract Cancellation is appropriate. As a reminder, the University's goal is to accommodate everyone who requires housing placement due to a disability, and Housing Services works to ensure this whenever possible.