First-Year On-Campus Resident Parking Policy

San Diego State University considers the on-campus living experience an integral and necessary part of a student's total education. As a community, we also believe in reducing our carbon footprint and supporting overall sustainability in alignment with the University's climate action goals.

In support of sustainability initiatives, incoming first-year students who live on campus will not be permitted to bring a car their first year of study at SDSU.

As with other campus policies, to assist students who may have unique needs, first-year students with documented hardships are able and encouraged to apply for a waiver. Please review the criteria for requesting a waiver, provided below. All waiver requests must be approved prior to bringing the vehicle to campus.

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SDSU encourages students, as well as faculty and staff, to both consider and utilize the many alternatives to having a vehicle on campus, including use of the bus and trolley systems and ride sharing. SDSU has partnered with Zipcar, a car sharing service available to students 18 years and older. More information can be found at SDSU's Commuting & Transportation webpage.

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First-year on-campus residents should comply with this policy and not bring vehicles to SDSU. SDSU works with the surrounding community to reduce traffic flow and students are expected to help SDSU be a good neighbor. Most surrounding streets and neighborhoods require a City of San Diego "Area B" parking permit that is limited to the property owner or authorized recipient currently residing within the residential district boundaries.

Students must provide only accurate information regarding their request for waiver and supporting documentation. Students' signatures on the waiver request form indicates that all information presented to the First-Year Parking Waiver Committee is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge. Those who submit falsified information will be referred to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities for violation of the Student Code of Conduct. Upperclassmen who attempt to purchase a parking permit for first-year stuents will have future parking privileges revoked and will be referred to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities for potential disciplinary action.

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1. Complete the waiver request form and submit any required supporting documentation. You will need your SDSUid login credentials in order to access the form.
2. Decisions will be sent to each applicant via email.
3. If approved, approval is valid for the academic year unless otherwise stated. Permits are valid by semester. You will need to purchase a fall semester permit and a spring semester permit if you plan on parking your car on campus for the academic year. 

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If the waiver request is denied, students may request an appeal by submitting a First Year Parking Waiver Appeal form which can only be found in the decision email. 

Appeals will be reviewed by a committee and may take up to one month to review. Decisions made on appeals are FINAL. 

Waivers will not be granted for:

• Transportation to and from home due to family or student's conveniences
• Those whose friends or family members are experiencing temporary illnesses
• Wellness checks on relatives/friends
• Volunteer work
• Extracurricular activities (i.e., Mission Bay Aquatic classes, off campus clubs, etc.)
• Independent contractor jobs such as DoorDash, GrubHub, Instacart, etc.

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Students requesting a waiver based on a medical or disability related need must register and meet with Student Disability Services 

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Applicant must provide original documentation of work study or internship required as part of a curriculum.

The following are required:

• Proof of enrollment in work study/employment verification
• Program/internship verification - this can be satisfied by submitting a letter or email from either a professor or SDSU advisor stating that the internship meets their curriculum requirements.
• Explanation of why local transit or Zipcar options cannot be used

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Students must have a job that meets the following requirements:

• Verifiable income at one job over at least 6 months with pay stubs that show W2 (i.e., non-gig / 1099 work).
• Your employer must send an email from a company email that confirms your start date and number of regularly scheduled hours.
• Off-campus, local job that is within 5 miles of SDSU using Google Maps’ transit feature or similar route planning software.
  • Submit a PDF or screenshot of your route.
• Justification for how the job supports the student’s area(s) of study and explanation of efforts to secure an on-campus job.
• Students must submit their Driving Costs Calculator as part of the waiver request.  
• Verify that your job is not accessible with the MTS trolley or a campus-serving bus route within 45 minutes using Google Maps’ transit feature or similar route planning software.
  • Submit a PDF or screenshot of your transit route. 

Required Documents: 

• Pay stubs that show W2 (i.e., non-gig / 1099 work) for one job held over at least 6 months.
• Direct email from a manager using a company email to [email protected] that confirms your start date and number of regularly scheduled hours.  
• Justification for how the job supports your area(s) of study and explanation of efforts to secure an on-campus job.
• Screenshot OR PDF of Driving Cost Calculator results.
• Screenshot OR PDF of MTS Trip Planner or similar route planning software showing your job is not accessible with the MTS trolley or a campus-serving bus route within 45 minutes.
• Screenshot OR PDF of Google Maps or similar mapping software showing the distance from SDSU to the place of employment is within 5 miles.

Employment waivers will NOT be granted for:

• Employment less than ten hours per week
• Jobs of "on-call" status (low and inconsistent hours)
• Cash payments or non-taxed income (under the table)
• Self-employment, unless applicant can provide a copy of the most recent year's income tax return unless employment has been for less than one year
• Employment such as DoorDash, GrubHub, Instacart, etc. 

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The applicant must supply a signed letter documenting military status and role from their Commanding Officer or their designee.

The letter must include: 

• A digital or ink signature by the Commanding Officer. If the Commanding Officer has delegated authority to another military officer, the letter must include the Commanding Officer’s delegation with their signature. Delegation of authority via email will not be accepted.
• A military drill, physical training, and/or work-related schedule (including days of the week and time of day) that reflects required attendance at an off-campus facility on a recurring basis. Waivers will not be approved for infrequent needs.
• A stated reasoning for why carpooling and/or other transportation options are not available to the student. 

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The applicant must be able to demonstrate an ongoing extenuating circumstance.

The following are required:

• Please provide an explanation to support why you need a car on campus.
• Please include any relevant supporting documentation.
• Screenshot OR PDF of Driving Cost Calculator results

The following are NOT considered extenuating circumstances: 

• Access to off-campus outdoor recreation
• Club sports involvement
• Official SDSU Athletics and/or Olympic Training*
• Physical/mental health needs that have not been reviewed by Student Disability Services(SDS)
• Medical or other needs of family/friends
• Transportation to and from home due to family or student's conveniences
• Wellness checks on relatives/friends
• Babysitting, pet sitting, or house sitting
• Picking up a sibling, cousin, friend, or neighbor from school
• Pet or animal care
• Job interviews 

* may be appealed with appropriate documentation  

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