Eastern Kentucky University has a residency requirement because we strongly believe that living on campus provides both immediate and long-term benefits. BOTH National studies and those specific to EKU confirm that students who reside on campus:

1. Tend to remain in school at a higher rate and have higher GPAs than those who never lived on campus.
2. Come into contact more often with their peers and may be exposed to different ideas and cultures that strengthen communication and interpersonal skills.
3. Tend to be more involved in campus activities and have more contact with faculty, university staff members, and other students, which results in deeper, more meaningful relationships that often continue beyond their time at EKU.

Other factors to be considered:

1. Security: The residence halls have manned front desks and staff on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, should any student need assistance. All residence hall rooms have both smoke detectors and sprinklers.
2. Convenience: Living on campus puts your student a short walk to classes. They do not have to drive back and forth to campus, sometimes in the rain or snow, look for a place to park when they do get on campus, and then still have to walk to class. Also, a wide variety of campus dining options exists at various locations across campus. Other facilities like the library, computer labs, and student recreation are also much easier to get to when living on campus.
3. Easier access to campus technology: Every student who lives on campus has access to the university’s technology through either a direct hard wired or wireless connection in their residence hall room. Furthermore, every residence hall has computer areas available for residents to use.
4. One bill: Students who live on campus only have to pay one all inclusive bill. They do not have recurring expenses such as rent, cable, utilities, the Internet, etc.

When combined, these benefits create an atmosphere of success and support that results in students who have lived on campus reporting greater overall satisfaction with their college experience than those students who never did.

Knowing this, why would you not want your child living on campus?

Regarding the residency requirement, even though it is not preferred, the university will allow students to commute from the primary home of their parents because this would be a continuation of the living/learning situation the student experienced during high school.