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Campus Residency Requirement

Like many private liberal arts colleges, Roanoke College is a residential college. That is, campus living environment is an integral part of the college experience and is highly valued by the campus community as a complement to the classroom experience. We believe that living together in community provides residents opportunities to interact with other students, faculty, and staff and to enhance their social and interpersonal growth as citizens through shared living experiences.

In support of this philosophy, Roanoke College (RC) policy requires that students live on campus unless they meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • have lived in the Roanoke Valley area (within 30 miles of campus) for at least 6 months preceding the date of first enrollment and continue to reside with their parent/guardian
  • are married
  • are 23 years old (as of December 31st of the year before requesting to live off campus)
  • are a military veteran
  • have dependent children
  • are enrolled part-time (students who claim off-campus status due to part-time enrollment and who return to full-time status during the current or a subsequent semester, will be charged the current room and board rate)
  • are transfer students who enrolled in a college or university after high school graduation and who will bring in at least 8 transferrable units of credit to Roanoke College upon their matriculation, the RC policy allows them to reside off-campus if they meet one or more of the following criteria: 1. The student lived off-campus at their previous four-year college/university (documentation is required). 2. The student is transferring from on of our Rapid Maroons partner schools--Virginia Western Community College, Mountain Gateway Community College, or New River Community College. Students who wish to appeal this policy should email the Director of Residence Life & Housing. They must submit a detailed explanation of their circumstances and submit documentation affirming those.

Students who meet any of the above criteria may choose to live in the residence halls. However, the agreement is binding for the full academic year. To request a change in residency status, students must submit a Residency Status Change Request by June. These submissions will be reviewed by the Residence Life & Housing committee mid-summer, and if approved, students will recieve an email stating so. Please know submissions do not guarantee approval. Email reslife@roanoke.edu to obtain a copy of the Residency Status Change Request form.

HOUSING ELIGIBILITY
Housing is provided only for currently enrolled students. The College does not provide housing for non-student family members. The College reserves the right to deny campus housing to students for just cause, as determined by the Residence Life & Housing staff.

PART-TIME STUDENTS
Students who enroll for or drop to part-time status during a term are permitted to live on-campus.  However, priority is given to those students who are enrolled full-time.  In the event housing capacity is insufficient to accommodate all those requesting rooms, part-time students will be required to find alternate accommodations.

ACCOMMODATIONS
Students requesting on-campus housing accommodations based on documented disabilities should contact Accessible Education Services (AES) at aes@roanoke.edu.

CONTRACT PERIODS
Rooms in residence halls are rented only for those periods of time when the College is in regular session, during the Intensive Learning Term, and during summer sessions. Residents' belongings must be removed from all residence hall rooms at the end of each spring term, at the end of the Intensive Learning term, at the end of the second Summer Session, or upon termination of the Housing Agreement. At the end of each term residents must leave 24 hours after their last exam.