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Exemption Request Process
Updated March 12, 2026
All undergraduate students at Cal Poly Maritime Academy are required to live on campus and participate in a residential meal plan unless they are approved for an exemption.
Students requesting an exemption will be prompted to sign the housing contract before submitting. Both are available in the Housing Portal (StarRez).
Exemption Criteria
Cal Poly Maritime Academy has a four-year residency requirement. For this reason, exemptions from this requirement are limited and only granted to students who meet one or more requirements below:
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Twenty-five years of age or older prior to Aug. 1 of the academic year.
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Married, domestically partnered and/or have legally dependent children.
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Current or active military veterans.
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Study Abroad or Internship: Participating in a university-approved study abroad program or internship that requires living off campus. Internships and study abroad must be Cal Poly approved academic internships in which students live outside of the local area and receive academic credit. Proof of the internship or study abroad program and academic credit is required.
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Live locally at the time of admission with a parent/legal guardian in Solano County or within 25 miles of campus: Living locally with your parent or legal guardian at their primary residence within Solano County or within 25 miles of campus at the time of admission to Cal Poly. The address listed on your CSU application will be used to determine eligibility for this option and cannot be updated. Second or additional local homes owned by the parent or legal guardian do not qualify under this criterion.
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Have documented medical and disability circumstances as noted by the Disability Resource Center (DRC).
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For financial hardship considerations, Housing reviews exemption requests for students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) of 15,000 or less, as determined from the financial aid application. Requests that do not meet the stated SAI threshold are not eligible for consideration and will not be approved. Because the SAI threshold is a defined eligibility requirement, financial hardship exemption decisions are final and not subject to appeal. Applying this threshold consistently helps maintain equity and ensures all students are evaluated using the same criteria. The Financial Aid Office’s role is limited to confirming financial aid information and does not include approving or denying housing exemptions.
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Students who are in their fifth-year and have lived in campus housing for seven or more semesters. Will be verified by University Housing staff.
Due to our specific criteria, all exemption decisions are final.
Signing Up
Once students are admitted to Cal Poly and the Housing application opens, they can sign up for their space in the Housing Portal on My Cal Poly. Exemption requests are also made through the Housing Portal.
Continuing students will sign up for housing here.
