Residency Policy:

All first-year and sophomore students who do not reside within commuting distance (within 45 miles of campus) and who are under 21 years of age are required to live in College housing. Junior and senior students who have successfully completed at least 57 credit hours and maintain a 2.5 minimum GPA may reside off campus but must submit an off-campus form.  A student meeting those criteria will be conditionally approved, pending the successful completion of the semester prior to moving off campus.

A commuter student is defined as a student who resides in the permanent home of his or her parents or legal guardian, or in the home of a close relative (who is not a student and is at least 30 years of age), and who commutes to classes each day. A commuter may not reside more than forty-five driving miles from home to the campus.

When a student is living with a close relative (grandparent, sibling, aunt or uncle) other than their parents or legal guardian over the age of 30 they must demonstrate the following: (1) the relative has lived at the address as their permanent residence for at least one calendar year prior to the request being submitted, (2) the relative will live fulltime with the student, (3) the student must provide significant documentation of the family relationship, (4) the relative must provide a letter assuming responsibility for the student and (5) the student must change their permanent address to their residence as a commuter. Other King’s College students, unless a child of the adult relative, are not permitted to live in the same dwelling. Providing false information will result in disciplinary action and being charged for room and board for an academic year. The same process will apply to students when a parent or guardian has moved from outside of 45 miles to the local area.

All students residing off campus must provide certain information prior to obtaining their final class schedule from the Registrar’s Office. This can be done by mailing or emailing the completed form found here to studentaffairs@kings.edu or the Student Affairs Office.

College Policies Regarding Off Campus Behavior

The College expects all students, those living on or off campus or commuting from the home of their parents or guardians, to act in an appropriate manner and treat others with respect. College policies reflect the minimal acceptable level of behavior and the consequences of not meeting these expectations.

  • Students on and off campus are not permitted to possess any street, traffic or construction signs. Students who violate this policy will be referred to Student Affairs for disciplinary action and to the local authorities.
  • A student who is cited or arrested by the police for being under the influence of alcohol or drugs or for being disorderly, and is detained at the police station or other location, will not be signed or bailed out by college officials. The student will need to arrange for another person, whom the police deem suitable, to sign her/him out. If the student cannot arrange for an appropriate person to sign her/him out from the police station, the student will be detained until the police decide to release her/him.
  • If a citation is issued at an off campus house owned, rented or leased by King’s College students, the tenants of the dwelling will be suspended from the College for no less than one full semester. The tenants, whether present or not at the incident when the citation is issued, are responsible for behavior that takes place at their dwelling.
  • Students who are not tenants of the dwelling and are issued a citation will receive a sanction of not less than disciplinary probation for one semester, notification of parent/guardian, and $100.00 fine.
  • Any off campus dwelling deemed as a nuisance (defined as two or more complaints by the police or neighbors) will result in the student being required to move from the dwelling or he/she cannot remain a student at the College. All costs incurred by the student due to the move or failure thereof (and being dismissed from the College) are the responsibility of the student.

Residential Neighborhoods and Noise: Many of the areas where students live are either adjacent to or are primary residential neighborhoods for families. This is especially true for the properties on North Main Street, Madison Street and North Street. Student residents are a part of their neighborhood and must respect their neighbor’s right to privacy and quiet. Loud music or other noise will result in a police response to their apartment or house. The City of Wilkes-Barre does have a noise ordinance which is enforced.

Overcrowding Ordinance: In the City of Wilkes-Barre, no more than four unrelated persons may share one dwelling-apartment or house. If the city cites your landlord for violating the ordinance, the landlord will be required to evict those tenants exceeding the maximum number per household.

Parking: In many city neighborhood areas, there is permit parking for property owners. Often renters are not eligible to obtain permits for on street parking. Students who violate the permit parking law or meters should expect to be ticketed and towed. Students are not permitted to park on the street on North Franklin Street from Union Street to Jackson Street, in front of the row/townhouses or on the traffic circle. The spaces in front of the row/townhouses are for the residents of these homes only.

Garbage: Apartments and houses that have city garbage service, which is all apartments except larger apartment units where the landlord may provide a dumpster, are required to use the blue city garbage bags that you must purchase at local stores or at the Monarch Mart located in the Sheehy-Farmer Campus Center. Other garbage bags will not be accepted and violators will be fined by the city.