Living Off Campus
Residential living
Hampshire College expects all students to live on campus throughout their tenure. Students seeking an exemption based on a demonstrated medical need for a living environment the College is unable to provide should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources and Services. Otherwise, students with a compelling need to live outside the Hampshire community, are welcome to submit an application (link below); however, please be aware the number of exceptions the College may grant is based on current enrollment levels (see procedures outlined below). At current enrollment levels (for the current academic year, as well as the upcoming academic year), we are not able to approve requests based on circumstances other than the "automatic exemptions" outlined below.
Our Mission
The mission of Residence Life and Housing at Hampshire College is to support and complement the academic environment, with the goal of creating a holistic environment that encourages collaboration, connections, learning, and personal growth. We ensure the social, emotional, and physical well-being of each resident while fostering diverse, socially just, and inclusive communities. Residence Life promotes the skills necessary for students to become engaged participants in their communities, emphasizing both individual initiative and community responsibility. We accomplish this mission through ethical practices, intentional education, advocacy, and example. We value connection, growth, social justice, and community.
Residential living is an essential component of the overall Hampshire College experience. Our live-in professional and student staff are eager to support you in your journey.
Students who qualify as "automatically exempt" from the requirement of living on campus are:
- Students who live with their parents within a 30-mile radius and commute
- Students who are 25 years old or older
- Students who are married or meet our domestic partnership criteria
- Students who have dependent children living with them
These students must submit the off-campus application noting their automatic exemption.
Hampshire College's off-campus policy is outlined in detail in the student handbook. Procedures for granting exemptions are as follows:
- Each year the Office of Residence Life and Student Engagement will determine how many new off-campus applications can be approved.
- Students seeking to move off campus for the following year may apply at will (the application is available from March through early April).
- Students seeking to move off campus beginning in the middle of an academic year may submit the application, noting that off-campus spaces are usually filled by the beginning of the school year. Check the important dates and deadlines page for current semester deadlines.
- Once students have been approved to live off campus, their status will not be changed officially until they supply the Office of Residence Life and Student Engagement with their new addresses and return keys to any on-campus residence (if applicable).
- Once a student's status is changed to "off campus," it is assumed the student will be living off campus for the remainder of the time the individual is enrolled at Hampshire. Off-campus students will be accepted back to campus housing at any time. Students are responsible for informing the College of any changes of address that may affect their financial aid packages.
- Applications are reviewed by residence life and housing staff to determine eligibility for approval. Students will be notified via their Hampshire email accounts of their decisions.
Returning from Leave or Field Study
Students returning from leave, field study, or exchange may apply for an exemption to the residency requirement while they are away by submitting the application. Any students who have previously been assigned to off-campus status will retain that status automatically. More information is available on the returning from leave page.
Looking for Off-Campus Resources?
Find out about some resources the College and the area offer for students living off campus.
Questions?
Check out the Living Off Campus FAQ or email housing@hampshire.edu.
“Hampshire College has tried to build a residential campus of beauty, variety, and utility...The key elements are the Hampshire houses, units of from two to three hundred students, each with a staff, and each designed to contribute, in some way, to the idea of an integrated campus community, aimed at closing the gap between living in a place and learning in another place.”
Report of the President, 1971-1974
Charles R. Longsworth