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Off-Campus Policy and Petition
It is the policy of the California Maritime Academy that students enrolled in its baccalaureate degree programs maintain residency on campus and participate in a meal plan. All undergraduate, unmarried students under the age of 24 are required to live on campus and purchase a meal plan as part of their educational experience at The California Maritime Academy. When enrollment exceeds the number of available beds, exceptions to this requirement may be made on a space-available basis in accordance with established policies from Housing and Residence Life. Decades of research and best practices in higher education support the added benefits of living on campus. Students who live on campus take and earn more credit hours, have higher GPAs, and are more likely to graduate than their off campus counterparts.
Off-Campus Housing
Standard Approvals (petitions meeting the March 1 deadline that qualify under age, military veteran, marital status, and/or eight full semesters at CMA) must be submitted to the Housing and Residence Life department by March 1.
• Option 1- Within 5 business days of your denial, please submit a written request that you would like to be placed into the off-campus lottery to the Housing and Residence Life department.
All Phase I decisions will be made within 5 business days after submission. If approved, you will need to accept or decline within 10 business days of your approval. Standard approvals will be reviewed by Residence Life Professional Staff. All other off-campus petitions will be sent to the Off-Campus Housing Review Committee for consideration. At the time of submission of the petition students may sign up for 15 minutes interview with Off-Campus Housing Review Committee. If you are not approved you may exercise one or both of the following options:
• Option 2- Within 5 business days of your denial, please submit a written appeal to the Dean of Students. In your appeal, you must present new and/or additional information that was not available at the time the committee reviewed your petition. (If you decide to appeal you will not be allowed to enter the lottery AFTER the April 1 deadline). The Dean of Students is the final appeals agent.
Phase 2 (Lottery Only) Check the Lottery Only box on the Off-Campus Housing Request Form and return to the Housing and Residence Life department by April 1.
Consideration for Off-Campus Housing Requests:
Generally, off campus privileges will be considered for the following circumstances:
- Age - Students who are 24 years of age or older on or prior to December 31 of academic year. Please submit a copy of a valid driver’s license or government ID.
- Military Veteran – Students who have served at least two years of continuous active military duty. Please provide a copy of your DD-14 papers or discharge papers.
- Maritime License: Students holding a Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer maritime license. Please provide a copy of your license.
- Marital Status: Students who are married or head of household as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Please provide a copy of your marriage license and/or completed tax form.
- Fifth Year Senior: Students that havecompleted eight semesters at California Maritime Academy.
- Medical – Must provide current (1 year or less) documentation from appropriately licensed medical professional describing the student’s disability/medical condition, basis for diagnosis, how the disability/condition impacts the student’s ability to live in campus housing and recommended accommodations. All medical petitions will be reviewed by the Off-Campus Housing Review Committee. The Campus Health Center may advise the Committee.
- Financial Hardship- Must complete and submit FAFSA by March 2 and accepted all University Aid offered, including Loans. Student must still show 20% unmet need. Include a copy of your income tax return as well as other documents supporting your claim, and the “Budget Worksheet”. All financial hardship petitions will be reviewed by the Off-Campus Housing Review Committee. The Financial Aid Office may advise the Committee.
- Lottery – Within five business days of denial, students denied off-campus approval may submit in writing that they would like to be placed in the lottery for an off-campus approval. There will be 2 rounds of the lottery. Seniors will have 1st priority and all other students will have 2nd priority. The Petitions must be submitted prior to the April 1st deadline. To be eligible for the Lottery, a student must have 3 semesters of residency on Cal Maritime campus (defined as completed Housing License Agreement, moved into residence hall, picked up and returned key in appropriate time, completed room check out properly, attended mandatory floor meetings), good academic, disciplinary, and financial standing, and have completed a minimum of 50 credit hours at time of application. The Lottery will take place middle of April. The approval for off-campus housing status may be given as late as June 30.
Off-Campus Housing Review Committee:
The committee will consist of the Executive Director of Auxiliary Services, 1 Residence Life Professional Staff Member, and 3 Cadets from a combination of ASCMA, Housing and Corps Officers. All requests made under Medical, Financial Hardship, and Other will be reviewed by the Off-Campus Housing Review Committee. Students must submit their petition with written documentation and may also sign up for 15 minutes with the Off-Campus Housing Review Committee at the time they submit their petition.
All off-campus students are required to complete the Off-Campus Housing Acceptance and Agreement Form and provide their living and mailing address, contact information along with landlord information to the Housing and Residence Life office no later than August 15 of each year. Students are required to maintain their current mailing, phone, and living address in the Student On-Line Services Area within PeopleSoft.
All off-campus cadets are expected to follow and uphold conduct and corps standards at all time. Students are expected to be good neighbors and citizens on and off-campus. Failure to meet these expectations may result in revocation of permission to be off-campus and require the student to move into campus housing at the student’s expense.
Note: Acceptance of off-campus status must be confirmed in writing by completing the Off-Campus Housing Acceptance Agreement to The Housing Department within 10 business days of offer or July 1, of the academic year, whichever is sooner. If not accepted, authorization is revoked.
