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Approved Housing Exceptions

Learn more about who is eligible to live in single student approved housing and exception policies.
Those who are required to live in Single Student Approved Housing:
  • Single students who are admitted to BYU-Idaho and assigned to a track.
  • Students who are off-track and continue to live in Madison County, Idaho.
  • Students who are student teaching or completing an internship in Madison County, Idaho.
  • Single, Online-only students who live in Madison County, Idaho area under the age of 27.
Those who do not qualify to live in Single Student Approved Housing:
  • Students who are married.
  • Individuals who have not been officially admitted to BYU-Idaho or who come to Rexburg prior to their assigned track.
  • Post-baccalaureate students.
  • Widows, widowers, or divorced students. (Some individuals in this category may qualify for an exception.)
  • Students who have been evicted for violations of the BYU-Idaho Student Landlord Housing Contract and/or BYU-Idaho Apartment Living Standards.
  • Students who have lost their student status for any reason (e.g. student honor suspension).
  • Students who have graduated from BYU-Idaho.
  • Pathway students.

Exception Committee

The Exceptions Committee meets each week and is comprised of various administrators and students from The Housing & Student Living Office. The guidelines that dictate the outcome of these petitions are based on Title IX, consistency with university policies, the protection of the student experience and the families involved, and consideration for the student and his/her circumstances. 

To see if you may qualify for an approved housing exception, please select the topic below that best describes your situation and carefully review the university policies regarding such exceptions.

Exception Policies

(NOTE: Students living with their parents do not need to apply for an exception)

May Qualify
  • Students seeking to live with extended family in Madison County, Idaho (aunts and uncles or grandparents).
  • Students seeking to live with a married sibling.

submit an exception


Does Not Qualify
  • Students seeking to live with extended family members other than aunts, uncles, grandparents, or married sibling (e.g., a student may not live with an adult cousin).
  • Students seeking to live with family friends or other non-relatives.
May Qualify
  • Divorced or widowed students with exceptional circumstances seeking to live in approved housing. 

submit an exception


Does Not Qualify
  • Divorced or widowed students without exceptional circumstances.
  • Married students seeking to live in approved housing (e.g., a student whose spouse is serving in the military or living in another state or country).
May Qualify
  • Students seeking to live with direct relations employed by BYU-Idaho (aunts and uncles or grandparents). 

submit an exception


Does Not Qualify
  • Students seeking to live with non-relative BYU-Idaho employees.
May Qualify
  • Engaged students seeking to live in community housing no more than a few weeks prior to their wedding date. Students are generally expected to purchase a block contract for approved housing if their wedding date falls during the semester.

submit an exception

Does Not Qualify
  • Engaged students seeking to live in community housing more than a few weeks prior to their wedding date.
May Qualify
  • Students whose offer of employment is contingent upon a live-in situation (e.g., live-in caretaker, etc.). 

submit an exception

Does Not Qualify
  • Students seeking to live outside of approved housing for job-related needs that can be accommodated within approved housing.
(Situations which do not fit into the above categories but are still consistent with the policies listed.) 

May Qualify
  • Students seeking to arrive prior to their initial start date may qualify if they are international and their travel or visa influences their arrival as being more than a few days before the start of the semester.
  • Students seeking to move into approved housing prior to their start date whose situation is extenuating and necessitates accommodation.
  • Students who have a medical need that cannot be met within approved housing.

submit an exception

Does Not Qualify
  • Students who want to come prior to their start date to look for a job or for other reasons such as convenience with traveling.
  • Students who want to live alone in approved or community housing.
  • Students wishing to house sit.