Parking as a First-Year

First year students are generally not allowed to park on campus. The purpose of this is to help the student adjust to university life and to take full advantage of all the supports available on campus. Due to their condition, there are some first-year students who will require access to a car on campus. This is generally the case when:

  • A student has a medical need that cannot be attended to on-campus and must be attended to on a frequent basis off-campus
  • A student requires supports that are not available on campus or virtually

When the student has an established need, SAS can approve the student for parking as a first-year. Location of student parking is determined by Campus Services. Many students will still require on-campus transportation through shuttles and accessible transportation as needed.

Prior to requesting parking accommodations, it is recommended that students explore other available transportation options on campus. Parking options are very limited on campus, and students are not readily able to drive to classes. Supports to explore include regular transit routes, Amtrak®, ZipCar®, temporary day permits, and more. Please contact Campus Services to explore what is available.

Key Things to Know

  • Students approved for a parking accommodation as a first-year must still purchase a parking pass.
  • All parking is subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed. Availability of this accommodation is based on overall parking availability. If a space is not available at the time of the request, the student’s name can be added to a waitlist.
  • Due to volume of requests and parking availability on campus, students are generally issued a “Residence West” permit. More information on the Residence West permit can be found on Transportation – Resident Permits.
  • There are a variety of other transportation options available including: Wildcat Transit routes, Amtrak®, ZipCar®, temporary day permits, and more.
  • Student parking cannot be approved for parking within faculty or staff parking lots.
  • If the student has a state-issued disability placard, and has purchased a UNH parking pass, then students can park in any designated disability space across campus. If there are questions about specific parking spaces, students can contact Campus Services directly.
    • Note: UNH recognizes authorized disability placards issued by any state in the United States. Students should contact the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in their state of residence for information about state-issued disability placards.

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for…

  • Meeting all student accommodation responsibilities. 
  • Requesting parking accommodations as early as possible. All parking is subject to availability.
  • Connecting with Campus Services to discuss parking availability.
  • Purchasing a parking pass from Campus Services.
  • Following all policies and procedures as outlined by Campus Services and as associated with the specific parking pass issued.

Process for Parking as a First-Year as an Accommodation

The process for parking as a first-year is generally as follows:

  1. Student registers with SAS and requests parking accommodations at that time - All students who would like to be approved for parking as a first-year, must register with SAS and specifically request a parking accommodation. There is no automatic approval for parking.
  2. Student and SAS talk about the need for parking as a first-year - Once requested, SAS and the student meet to talk about the need for parking. SAS may request more information if the need is not clearly established based on the initial request or provided documentation.
  3. If approved, SAS communicates the approval to Campus Services - If approved, SAS informs Campus Services that the student is approved for the accommodation. Please note the student is required to reach out to Campus Services before being provided with a parking pass.
  4. Student reaches out to Campus Services - To get a parking pass, the student must reach out directly to Campus Services. Campus Services then assists the student with purchasing a parking pass. Passes issued are generally “Residence West” passes. Parking can discuss this pass and additional regulations and requirements. Please note, the parking office needs approval from SAS before assisting first-year students with purchasing a parking pass.
  5. Campus Services issues a parking pass to the student - Once the parking pass is issued, the student is then responsible for meeting all parking regulations and requirements based on the pass that is issued. 

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No. Students must park in their assigned lots. The only exception to this is if the approved student has a state-issued disability placard (UNH recognizes placards issued by all states). Students with state-issued disability placards may park in any available disability designated space. Please note that students with a state-issued placard are still required to have a valid UNH parking permit for on-campus parking. All students with parking accommodations are responsible for following UNH parking regulations, including limited use lot designations and periodic lot closures (i.e. winter parking bans, etc.).

No. SAS cannot require Campus Services to assign the student to a specific lot. Campus Services works directly with the student to determine which lot is available. Parking is very limited on campus, so specific lots cannot be guaranteed.

No. Students must specifically request and be approved to receive first-year parking as an accommodation. There are no conditions that automatically qualify a student for parking accommodations.