Living Off Campus
Wondering what the criteria is to live off campus? Use this page as a resource to find answers about off-campus eligibility, appeals and exceptions, where to find off-campus housing, commuting from home, and exemptions.
Table of Contents
Off-Campus Eligibility Criteria
George Fox is a residential university and, as such, has a two-year residency requirement (please refer to our Benefits of Living on Campus page for more information about the advantages of campus housing).
If you meet one of the following eligibility criteria, you are able to live off campus:
- You have been enrolled for four full semesters or more prior to the first day of fall semester.
- You are 20 years old or older prior to the first day of fall semester. (Note: This applies to the entire academic year. If this criteria is met after the first day of fall semester, you are still not eligible to live off campus for the spring semester.)
- You are in your third year out of high school.
- You are married.
Every student must log in and fill out the Housing Intent form on the , even if they plan to live off campus. If you are eligible to live off campus, you may select this option on the form.
Please note: If you change your housing intent to off campus after confirming your housing placement during housing selection for the following year, you will be charged a $150 cancellation fee. After June 1, this fee is $300.
Expectations
It is expected that all students who live off campus abide by the university's lifestyle policies. Those who live off campus and choose to violate the policies may have their approval to live off campus revoked and be required to return to university housing, or face other disciplinary action deemed appropriate by the student life office.
Where to Search for Off-campus Housing
Availability of off-campus housing varies each year. The following resources may be helpful in locating off-campus housing. Please note that George Fox is not affiliated with organizations outside of the university. These links are provided simply as a resource to assist you in the housing search.
- Current students can check the
- The and may have local housing listings in the classifieds
You are encouraged to evaluate your housing options carefully. Newberg has a wide variety of rental options, and our hope is that students are able to make an informed decision before committing to a rental agreement.
Listing Housing Ads on Bruin Boards Forum
The university does not actively advertise or coordinate local housing; students are responsible for arranging their own off-campus living location.
If you have housing available, you may write a short description of what is available, including your contact information. Email this description to bruinboards@georgefox.edu. We will post this to the “Housing” folder in Bruin Boards. It will be available only to George Fox community members for 30 days.
The university does not provide advice about the feasibility of purchasing local housing units for renting or leasing to George Fox students or employees, nor will we provide information, specifically or in aggregate, about students living off campus.
Exemptions
If you wish to seek an off-campus exception prior to housing selection, you can do so by submitting a Housing Petition or Commute from Home form through our . Please note that most requests that fall outside of university policy are not approved.
Commuting from Your Parents’ Home
For those who live close by, you have the option to apply to commute from home. After your application is reviewed, you will be notified if approved.
Following are deadlines to submit commute-from-home requests:
- For requests to be processed before housing selection: March 1
- For all fall requests: Aug. 1
- For all spring requests: Dec. 1
Stipulations for commuting from home:
- You are expected to abide by the university’s lifestyle agreement.
- You must remain at your parent(s) residence for the entire academic year.
- You must reapply each year if you do not automatically qualify to live off campus.
- Your parent(s) or legal guardian’s home must be within 60 miles of George Fox's Newberg campus.
If a student is found to be not living with their parent(s) or legal guardian, but has been allowed to live off-campus through the commute-from-home policy, they may have to:
- Pay for a semester of housing
- Pay a $300 fine
- Be asked to move into campus housing, and/or
- Other consequences deemed appropriate by the office of university housing
Off-Campus Housing Petition
To apply for an exemption, you must fill out a Housing Petition form through our . Please note that petitions are for students facing significant financial difficulty, and most requests that fall outside of university policy are not considered.
Deadlines to submit exemption requests are as follows:
- For requests to be processed before housing selection: March 1
- For all fall and spring appeals and exemptions: July 31
Requests presented after these dates may not be considered.
How to Fill Out a Housing Petition Online
- Enter the and select the “Forms” option from the main menu
- Select the appropriate term for your petition
- Select “Housing Petition” from the list of available forms
- Fill out all of the information requested on the form
- The housing office will contact you about the status of your form
If you’re applying for an exemption, you should still go through housing selection. If your exemption request is accepted, your cancellation fee will be waived.