Fairfield University runs its off-campus lottery in October of a student's junior year, and entering it does not guarantee a release. That one sentence explains most of the anxiety in a parent's inbox this month, so here is the process in order.
What is the release lottery?
Every Fairfield undergraduate agrees to a four-year residency requirement when they enroll. Living at the beach, or anywhere else off campus, means being let out of that requirement, and the University calls that a release. Seniors may request one, and approval sits entirely with the University. It can depend on things like academic standing and conduct history.
Because more students request a release than the University can grant, the Office of Residence Life decides by lottery rather than by who asks first. Two things follow from that. Signing a lease does not enter your student in the lottery, and it does not improve their odds. Signing a lease also does not cancel the residency requirement, so a lease and a release are two separate things that both have to happen.
When does it happen?
The University's residential guidelines put the off-campus lottery in October of junior year. That is this month for the current junior class. Dates, forms, and the exact steps come from the Office of Residence Life, so watch your student's Fairfield email rather than any third party, including us.
Does entering the lottery mean my student gets released?
No, and this is the part worth reading twice. The University says openly that the number of requests to live off campus usually exceeds the number it can release. In some years nearly every group that applies gets through. In others, groups have been pushed into a secondary round and found out late. Plan for the good outcome and know what you will do if it does not arrive.
Is this the same thing as the housing lottery?
No, and mixing the two up costs families real time. The Office of Residence Life runs a housing lottery for on-campus rooms, and it runs a separate process for students asking to be released to live off campus. A good number in the on-campus lottery does nothing for an off-campus request, and being released does not hold an on-campus room for your student as a backup. If you are not sure which one your student is talking about on the phone, ask them which office sent the email and what the form was called. It is worth the two minutes.
Should we sign a lease before the release comes through?
The University's own advice is to wait until your student is released before signing a rental lease. You should hear that from us too, even though it complicates our leasing calendar.
Here is the tension nobody states plainly. The number of houses in the Fairfield Beach neighborhood does not grow, and the ones groups want most are committed a year or more before move-in. Waiting until a release arrives in the fall of junior year means choosing from what is left. Most families land somewhere in the middle: settle the group early, tour early, and go in knowing exactly what the residency requirement says. That is a family decision and not ours to make, but you should make it with the University's guidance in front of you rather than a landlord's calendar.
What if one person in the group is not released?
Tell us before you sign, not after. A group of five that becomes a group of four changes the house, the lease, and the guarantor paperwork, and there is far more we can do about it in the fall than in June. We would rather have an awkward conversation early than a bad one late.
What else changes once a student is released?
- The University's obligation to house that student in future years ends.
- Released students are required to attend additional information sessions or meetings before or during the year.
- The University asks students to keep their directory information current, within two weeks of the first day of classes.
Off-campus life sits with the Office of the Dean of Students, which can be reached at offcampuslife@fairfield.edu.
What should we actually do in October?
- Confirm your student entered the lottery and knows the deadline. That information comes from Residence Life, not from a landlord.
- Settle the group. Who lives together matters more than which house, and it is the one part of this you control. Our post on when to start looking covers the timeline in more detail.
- Learn the town's rules before you compare houses. Every rental in Fairfield needs a current Certificate of Rental Occupancy from the town, and every house has an approved number of occupants that comes with it. Read why we list every house at its legal occupancy.
- Look at houses that fit the group you have, not the group you might have.
Where we fit
We are a family that owns houses in the Fairfield Beach neighborhood and lives in town. We lease to groups well ahead of move-in, every house is listed at its town-approved occupancy, and every guarantor gets their own login to the lease, the payment schedule, and maintenance. Our post on how leasing works walks through the sequence from first click to move-in.
When your group is ready, one person applies for everyone at apply.lanternpointmanagement.com. Questions first? Call or text (203) 418-7800.
Sources: Fairfield University Student Handbook, Residential Guidelines; Fairfield University Living Off-Campus; Fairfield University Office of Residence Life. Lantern Point Management is an independent local landlord and is not affiliated with Fairfield University.