Student Eligibility Requirements
To live in the Berkeley Student Cooperative (BSC), you must meet our student eligibility guidelines. As a nonprofit organization, we require this verification to maintain our tax-exempt status.
Summer applicants must provide verification with their application. Fall and Spring applicants will be asked to submit verification during the term. Full policy details, including eligibility, are available here.
Most BSC members are UC Berkeley students. We also welcome students from nearby community colleges (e.g., Berkeley City College, Diablo Valley College) and local universities (e.g., Cal State East Bay, Mills College, San Francisco State).
UC Extension & Concurrent Enrollment
You are eligible if you are enrolled in at least half-time units through UC Extension or Concurrent Enrollment. International students who do not meet this requirement may still be eligible if they are currently enrolled at their home university.
UC Berkeley-Owned Properties
Cloyne, Convent, Rochdale, and Fenwick are owned by UC Berkeley. Only registered UC Berkeley students may live in these buildings during the academic year. Certain UC Extension students may qualify if they are:
- Enrolled in Concurrent Enrollment courses with prefixes “XB” or “XBW”
- Part of the UC Freshman Extension Program
- Participating in a reciprocal foreign exchange program
Not Eligible
- Internship-only participants not enrolled in school
- Postdoctoral researchers
- Visiting student researchers/scholars not enrolled at their home university
Disability Accommodations
If you are enrolled in fewer than half-time units due to a documented disability accommodation, or need housing accommodations of any kind, please contact Betsy Putnam, Interim Housing Specialist. Betsy works directly with DSP applicants and members regarding housing needs.
If you're unsure about your eligibility, please contact our office before signing a housing contract.
For Fall & Spring Terms
BSC membership eligibility requires that you are a registered full-time or half-time student working toward an academic degree or teaching certification at a post-secondary school. The BSC recognizes four subcategories:
- University of California, Berkeley Students:
Any student registered at UCB by 5:00 PM on the last day UCB normally allows withdrawal from the semester in which the student joins the BSC. This includes students in the UCB Freshman Extension Program. Graduate students on filing fee status are also included.
- Community College and Other Students:
Any full-time or half-time registered student who meets BSC’s student status requirement according to the definitions used by their specific school (such as “full or half time,” “trade school accreditation,” or “degree program”). Community college students are welcome in the BSC.
- Visiting Student Researchers:
Students currently enrolled in a degree program and working toward that degree meet eligibility requirements. Postdoctoral researchers and visiting research scholars who have already obtained a PhD do not meet eligibility.
- Students with Reduced Course Loads:
Students taking a reduced course load (e.g., due to DSP accommodations) may qualify for an exemption from the full/half-time status requirement through approval by the Administrative Committee.
Important: You must be a registered UC Berkeley student to live in Cloyne, Convent, Rochdale, and Fenwick during the Fall and Spring academic terms.
For Summer Term (any one of the following):
- You were a student (UCB or another institution) during the prior Spring term, OR
- You will be a student (UCB or another institution) for the upcoming Fall term, OR
- You will be taking classes at UC Berkeley Summer Sessions or enrolled at another college/university during the Summer.
To live at Cloyne during Summer, you must be either:
- A registered UCB student in the Spring or Fall terms, OR
- Enrolled in 5 or more units at UC Berkeley during the Summer term.
Note on UC Extension and UC Concurrent Enrollment
With the exception of students in the UC Freshman Extension Program and those participating in a reciprocal foreign exchange program, the University does not recognize students enrolled through UC Extension (concurrent enrollment) as registered UC Berkeley students for housing eligibility.