Two-Year Live-On Requirement & Contract Release or Breakage

Enhance Your College Experience by Living On Campus at DU

DU's Two-Year Live-On Requirement

At DU, we believe living on campus plays an exciting role in supporting your academic journey and overall success. That’s why we require all incoming first-year, second-year, and transfer students to live on campus and subscribe to a residential meal plan. This immersive experience complements your studies and enhances your personal growth.

Benefits of Living On Campus:

  1. Build a Strong Community: Surround yourself with peers who are navigating similar experiences, fostering friendships, support networks, and a vibrant sense of community.
  2. Master Essential Life Skills: Transition to independent living by mastering time management, problem-solving, and other vital skills that will empower you beyond college.
  3. Access to DU Resources: Enjoy the convenience of being close to dining options, student support services, academic advising, classrooms, and other campus facilities.
  4. Immerse Yourself in Campus Life: Easily participate in extracurricular activities, clubs, and events, enriching your college experience with a sense of excitement and anticipation.
  5. Broaden Your Horizons: Meet a diverse array of people and engage with different ideas and cultures, helping you develop a deeper understanding of diversity within our communities and the globalized world.
  6. Create Lasting Memories: Form friendships and memories that will last a lifetime, making your college experience unforgettable.

Join us and take the first step towards a successful and fulfilling college journey.

  • Can I be exempt from the two-year live on requirement?

    It depends on your unique situation. First-year, second-year, and new transfer students can request to be released from the live-on requirement if they provide documentation that they meet the criteria for exemption. However, it's important to remember that students can only request to be released before signing their housing contract. After a housing contract is signed, students can only request to break their housing contract.

  • What is the difference between contract release and breakage?

    Students can only request release from their Housing Contract before signing it. After a student has signed their Housing Contract, they may only request to break it and will be responsible for any fees outlined in the Housing Contract.

  • How do I submit a request to be released from or break my housing contract?

    You can request a contract release or breakage through your Housing Portal. They must include a detailed reason for the request and any supporting documentation. Once a request is received, Housing & Residential Education staff will review and communicate a decision based on the information included in the request. Submitting a request does not guarantee that your request will be approved.

    Before submitting a request, please review our Housing Contract to understand your financial responsibilities regarding breaking your housing contract.

    If you have any questions, please email housingassignments@du.edu.

  • Eligibility for Contract Release

    Learn more about what is required to be released from your Housing Contract.

    Students can only apply for contract release before signing their Housing Contract. Students requesting to be released their housing contract must meet at least one of the following criteria:

    1. Living at Parent/Legal Guardian's Permanent Residence
      The student resides during the academic year at their parent/legal guardian's permanent residence within a twenty-five (25) mile driving distance of campus.
    2. Marriage or Civil Union
      The student is legally married or in a legally recognized civil union.
    3. Age Requirement
      The student is 21 or older before University housing opens for the academic year.
    4. Residence with Dependent Children
      The student resides with their dependent children.
    5. Transfer Student with Prior Housing Affiliation
      The student is a transfer student who lived for two years in housing affiliated with the institution of higher education that they previously attended.

    Approved releases are only applicable for the year they are granted. To maintain transparency, students required to live on campus must re-apply for a release or breakage each subsequent contract period. This ensures that the process is fair and consistent for all students.

  • Eligibility for Contract Breakage

    Learn more about what is required to break your Housing Contract.

    After signing the Housing Contract or after June 30, students may only request to break the Housing Contract if they meet one of the following criteria:

    1. Graduation from DU
      The student is no longer required to fulfill the housing contract if they have graduated from DU.

    2. Official Withdrawal from DU
      If the student officially withdraws from DU, they are no longer bound by the housing contract.

    3. Significant, Unanticipated Changes Beyond Control
      The student is exempt from the housing contract if there is a significant, unanticipated change in circumstances that occurred after the date on which the student signed the contract and was beyond their control.

    Applicable contract breakage fees are outlined in the Housing Contract.