Student Life

Westminster College is a residential college, which means that students are required to live on campus all four years and room assignments are made with the understanding that they will be occupied for the entire academic year. All full-time undergraduate students are required to live in a College residence hall unless at least one of the following criteria is met:

• Resides in the permanent home of a parent or legal guardian that is located within 30 driving miles of the College. Student Affairs will contact the parent/guardian to verify that a student qualifies to be a commuter. Students may only commute from the home of a parent or legal guardian.
• Has resided in a residence hall for at least four years.
• Has reached the age of 23 prior to the semester for which the request is made.
• Qualifies to live at his fraternity house. To be eligible, a fraternity member must have at least junior standing (generally 62 credit hours), have at least a 2.0 GPA, and must demonstrate responsible behavior as a member of the Westminster College community. The College's policy with regard to allowing sophomores to live at houses is limited to those elected to the positions of President, Vice President, House Manager, Treasurer and Risk Manager. If these positions within the Fraternity Chapter do not exist, a written request for exception must be turned into the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs before the Fraternity housing deadline. Officer exception requests must be limited to one person per non-existent position. Fraternity members are not permitted to move from a fraternity house to an off-campus setting.
• Is granted a medical or financial exemption by the Office of Student Affairs. Such exemptions require documentation and completion of an application prior to the start of the semester to be considered. Either process can be initiated by contacting a residence life staff person in Student Affairs. A request for a medical exemption can also be initiated by contacting the Office of Accessibility. For more information, see Housing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities and Housing Accommodations for Students with Exceptional Financial Need. 

The College reserves the right to take disciplinary action against students who violate the Housing Requirements policy. Violations include, but are not limited to, residing in off-campus housing without the expressed written permission of the College. Sanctions include, but are not limited to, restitution for food and housing.

Housing Costs

Room prices are set by the Westminster College Board of Trustees, and are available on the Cost of Attendance page and in the Undergraduate Catalog. Questions about billing policies and refunds should be directed to the Business Office at businessoff@westminster.edu or (724) 946-7140.

Housing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Westminster College holds the value of a residential experience as vital to students’ success. As such, every attempt will be made to accommodate students within on-campus housing and off-campus accommodations will only be explored when all other options have been exhausted. Students whose medical conditions may require special consideration by the College, should consult the Residence Life Housing Accommodation pages and the Office of Accessibility pages.

Housing Accommodations for Students with Exceptional Financial Need

Students seeking housing accommodations due to exceptional financial need should contact Residence Life at residencelife@westminster.edu or (724) 946-6105. The College may be able to offer assistance for students through financial aid, emergency funds, or through an off- campus exemption. Financial exemption to the housing requirement requires a review of the student’s FAFSA information.

Additional Housing Policies

Additional policies related to residential living are listed in the Student Handbook.