Freshman Residency Requirement

Residency Policy

The State of Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education has a residency policy that requires all students with less than 30 earned college credits reside in the Residence Halls unless this requirement has been waived by the specific university. At the University of Montana, this policy applies to new students with less than 30 credit hours completed after high school graduation from another college or university, students during their first two semesters of attendance, and exceptions to this policy are determined on a case by case basis by the Director of UM Housing. Proper verification must be presented to support residency requirements releases. Please note that high school AP credits do not count towards the 30 earned college credit requirement.

Housing Hold

All incoming freshmen automatically have a housing hold placed on their University account until one of the following requirements are completed:

  • A housing application is submitted for the Residence Halls.
  • A release from the Freshman Residency Requirement has been submitted and approved.

To avoid any delays, freshmen should complete one of the above steps as soon as possible.

Release Process

Release from the Freshman Residency Requirement is not guaranteed for any reason and all releases are at the discretion of the Director of UM Housing. Decisions can take up to 2 weeks and will be communicated to the student via their UM email address. Please review the Release Request Form in its entirety for release guidelines, policy, and procedure.  Students who falsify University documents, including housing applications or release documentation, will be referred to the Office for Community Standards for student conduct under General Misconduct of the University of Montana's student conduct code. The code in its entirety can be found on the Office for Community Standards website. Requests will not be reviewed unless all necessary documentation is attached.

Students must submit the following:

  • Completed Release Request Form.
  • Letter from the student explaining why they should be released from the requirement.
  • If under the age of 20, a letter from the student's parents or legal guardians supporting the student's request to be released from the requirement.
  • Any additional documentation supporting the student's request.

Release request materials may be submitted to one of the following:

  • By Mail:
    • UM Housing
      101 Turner Hall
      Missoula, MT 59812
  • By Fax:
    • (406) 243-2344
  • By Email:
    • housing@mso.umt.edu

For more information, please contact the UM Housing Office at (406) 243-2611.