Residential college life is a critical component of the Brown educational experience. This policy reaffirms a long-standing institutional requirement that undergraduate students must have a housing assignment in an On-Campus Residence Hall for every semester of enrollment until they have reached semester level 07. 

This policy applies to degree-seeking undergraduate students semester levels 01-06.

Degree-seeking undergraduate students actively enrolled in courses at Brown University are required to have a housing assignment in an On-Campus Residence Hall for every semester of enrollment until semester level 07 unless they are on a study away or study abroad program approved by the Office of International Programs.

Brown-RISD Dual Degree Students are required to have a housing assignment in an On-Campus Residence Hall at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) during semesters 01 and 02 and at Brown during semesters 03 and 04. After semester 04, students may live in a housing assignment in an On-Campus Residence Hall at Brown or RISD or off-campus.

The Office of Residential Life may grant exceptions to this policy upon request in academic year increments to:

• students living Locally with their spouse or legal domestic partner; 
• students living Locally with their child(ren) or other dependent(s); 
• Resumed Undergraduate Education (RUE) Students; 
• students living Locally with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s) at their permanent address; and 
• students who will be 23 years old by the first day of fall semester classes. 

Undergraduate students eligible for an exception under these circumstances may request an exception from the Office of Residential Life by completing the Non-Resident Intent Form. This form must be completed each academic year. Students with disabilities may request reasonable modifications to this policy by contacting Student Accessibility Services at SAS@brown.edu or 401-863-9588.

For the purpose of this policy, the terms below have the following definitions:

All individuals to whom this policy applies are responsible for becoming familiar with and following this policy.

Office of Residential Life: Will communicate with students covered by this policy to inform them of the process by which on-campus housing assignments will be made and will determine the housing charge for a room in a residence hall.

Student Financial Services/Bursar: Will apply the housing charge to the student account.

Failure to comply with this and related policies is subject to disciplinary action in accordance with applicable student disciplinary procedures. Students covered by this policy are required to pay the housing charge on the student account.

Brown University is a community in which employees are encouraged to share workplace concerns with University leadership. Additionally, Brown’s Anonymous Reporting Hotline allows anonymous and confidential reporting on matters of concern online or by phone (877-318-9184).

The following information complements and supplements this document. The information is intended to help explain this policy and is not an all-inclusive list of policies, procedures, laws and requirements.