Housing Requirement

Research into the residence experience indicates that students who live on campus tend to earn higher grades, express more satisfaction with their college experience, are less likely to drop out, are more involved in campus activities and experience greater personal growth. In short, the residence experience contributes significantly to a student's education.

For this reason, Whitworth has made living on campus part of its educational design.

Students are required to live on campus for the first two years after their high school graduation, regardless of how many credits they have earned through Running Start or another institution. Students whose high school graduation took place fewer than two years ago but who are married, living with their parent(s) (understood as mother, father or legal guardian; not grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, sibling or family friend, etc.) within a 30-minute drive of campus (see below), have dependent children living with them, have certain physical/psychological limitations that the school cannot reasonably accommodate, or who are below full-time enrollment may be exempt from this requirement. However, they must submit a housing waiver for approval (link below). Violation of this policy could result in the student being charged the double-room rate and Platinum meal plan regardless of residency. It should be noted that "financial reasons" have not been included as a valid reason to waive the policy.

The ZIP codes listed below are generally within a 30-minute commute of campus. Students residing in these areas typically qualify for waivers, provided they meet all other criteria. However, some locations within these ZIP codes may exceed the 30-minute commute limit and would not qualify.

Students living outside the listed ZIP codes may still apply for a waiver if they can reliably commute to Whitworth in under 30 minutes in all weather conditions. However, approval is less likely. All waivers are reviewed individually, and only students meeting the 30-minute commute requirement and all other criteria will be approved.

Map of 30-minute drive ZIP codes

Students who graduated high school more than two years ago are not required to live on campus, nor do they need to complete a housing waiver. (However, it's always a good idea to let financial aid know if a student is planning to live off campus, as some aid is tied to on-campus living.)

A student may complete a housing waiver at www.whitworth.edu/housingwaiver. A Whitworth username and password are required. Contact the help desk at 509.777.3911 or helpdesk@whitworth.edu if there are any problems accessing the waiver. Please allow at least two weeks for a request to be processed. Requests that are received in April (while the housing lottery is happening) may not be reviewed until the end of the month; students should make appropriate plans with regard to the housing lottery and the possibility that the request will be denied.

In many instances, financial aid awards decrease when a student chooses to live off campus. A decision to move off campus could have serious and unintended financial implications. Whitworth strongly recommends that a student contact the financial aid office to inquire about possible changes to their award before completing a waiver.

When considering living off campus, please be aware of the different stressors that a student may experience:

• Purchasing and making meals (unfortunately, Whitworth doesn't have resources to help students with meal costs)
• Extended travel time and difficulties getting to campus, especially in poor weather
• Having to track separate bills every month (e.g., internet provider, utilities and rent to a landlord)
• Household chores become the student’s responsibility, including purchasing cleaning supplies and finding the time to clean
• Campus resources are further away, and many off-campus students report the lack of community that on-campus residents enjoy

Overall, living off campus requires increased independence and personal responsibility, greater financial responsibility and improved time-management skills, which may be demanding for some students, particularly those adjusting to college life. Frankly, these hurdles are enough to make living off campus a much worse "deal" than living on campus.

A note for students living on campus during the fall semester yet requesting a waiver for the upcoming spring semester: Students who cancel their spring room reservation after the fall semester begins will receive a $250 cancellation of contract charge. Exceptions will be made for students who attend a Whitworth-sponsored study abroad program or who transfer, go on hiatus or withdraw from the university. Exceptions will not be made for students who continue at Whitworth but make the decision to move off campus at midyear.