Full academic year petitions
Students wishing to petition the Residency Requirement for the academic year must
complete the petition process during the previous spring semester.
Reasons for release
Students requesting to be released from their housing contract must meet one of the
following criteria:
- Medical need: If a medical or psychological condition has developed or degraded since
matriculation at California Lutheran University, a student must submit documentation
from a health care provider that specifies why the circumstance warrants a release
from university housing.
- Financial need: If a student’s financial situation has changed drastically and beyond
their control since matriculation at California Lutheran University, and it is clearly
not feasible for the student to continue in residence, a student can submit relevant
documentation to the Housing Review Committee that signifies the need to be released
from university housing. Appropriate forms of documentation include, but are not limited
to: letters or supporting documents from their employer or parent/guardian’s employer(s),
bank statements, loan information, etc.
- Extenuating circumstances: If a student’s situation has changed since matriculation
at California Lutheran University, and the change is not directly related to medical
or financial need, a student must submit thorough documentation that demonstrates
such change and why it warrants a release from the housing contract.
Things to consider before submitting a petition:
- Petitions are reviewed by the Housing Review Committee. The Housing Review Committee
is made up of staff from Residence Life, Financial Aid, Disability Support Services,
Auxiliaries, and the Business Office. Upon receipt of a petition and supporting documentation,
the Housing Review Committee will first assess whether a Disability Support Services
housing accommodation or adjustments to a financial aid package could provide necessary
assistance to allow a student to continue living on-campus.
- If a student is submitting a petition for medical or financial reasons, the Housing
Review Committee strongly suggests contacting Disability Support Services or Financial
Aid (respectively) before pursuing the housing petition process. Working with individual departments to address
needs will often expedite the process for addressing housing-related concerns.
- Students should not enter into any additional off-campus lease agreements or contracts
until a petition is approved. Signing an off-campus lease or contract is not sufficient
reason for release from a student's commitment to the California Lutheran University
Residency Policy.
- The Housing Review Committee will not approve housing petitions whereby the reason
for the request could be rectified with a room change or roommate mediation.
Housing Review Committee Process
The Housing Review Committee meets once in the fall semester and twice in the spring
semester to review petitions. Student attendance at the petition meeting is optional,
but attendance does allow the Housing Review Committee to ask any follow-up questions
or request additional information.
Petition decisions are sent to students via email following each Housing Review Committee
meeting. Petition decisions are final and are not eligible for appeal. If a petition
is approved, the student forfeits their $400 housing deposit.
The petition timeline for the 2025-2026 academic year is as follows:
- January 30, 2025: Petitions for 2025-2026 available
- March 7, 2025: Petition Submission Deadline
- March 10, 2025 @ 2:00 PM: Housing Review Committee Meeting
Late petitions will not be accepted. Supporting documentation must be provided at
the time the petition is submitted. The petition form can be requested by emailing
reslife@CalLutheran.edu. The petition can be completed on the Housing Portal.
Mid-year petition process
Housing contracts are for the full academic year and therefore students are required
to fulfill their contract by living on-campus for both the fall and spring semesters.
Mid-year petitions are only accepted under the premise that a medical need, extreme
change to financial circumstance, or other extenuating circumstance has occurred since
the start of the current academic year. Appropriate documentation that provides detail
as to the need to cancel the housing contract is required . Examples of appropriate
documentation are cited above under “Reasons for Release”.
The deadline for submitting mid-year petitions is December 1st. Late petitions will not be accepted. Supporting documentation must be provided
at the time the petition is submitted. The petition form can be requested by emailing
reslife@CalLutheran.edu. The petition can be completed on the Housing Portal.
The Housing Review Committee will meet to review mid-year housing petitions on December
4, 2024 at 9am. Student attendance is optional. Students will be notified via email
of the petition decision following the committee meeting.
Petition decisions are final and are not eligible for appeal. If a petition is approved,
the student forfeits their $400 housing deposit.