First-Year Student Parking Policy

In order to reduce traffic volume, reduce our greenhouse gas footprint, and maintain good relationships with our neighbors, first-year students are not permitted to bring a vehicle to campus.

This policy was approved in February 2018 by the Champlain College President's Cabinet, based on a recommendation from the Transportation Committee. In accordance with the College's Master Plan and Sustainability Vision, the intention of this policy is to strengthen the livability and character of our community and reduce the environmental impact of excess vehicles and parking spaces.

No Car? No Problem!

There is good news: At Champlain College, you don't need a vehicle.

In fact, over 80% of our residential students do not bring a car to campus.

You'll still have easy access to travel around the area without worrying about things like parking permits, car maintenance, insurance, registration or fuel costs. Check out these available transportation options—many of them free—to get you to, from, and around Burlington.


Parking Restriction Waiver Policy

A waiver of this first-year student parking restriction is available for:

  1. Existing local employment (jump to details)
  2. Existing medical conditions (jump to details)
  3. Lack of long-distance travel options (jump to details)
  4. Transfer students (jump to details)

All waivers are reviewed on an individual basis by a Waiver Review Committee (consisting of a representative from Champlain Transportation, the Career Collaborative, the Office of Accessibility, and the Office of Admissions). The waiver must be reviewed and approved prior to bringing the vehicle to campus. Any citations incurred prior to the approval will be the responsibility of the citation recipient.

Champlain Transportation reserves the right to deny parking privileges to any applicant who has incurred parking citations prior to his/her approval for campus parking. This includes, but is not limited to, the accumulation of citations incurred as a permit holder. The Waiver Review Committee shall make these decisions.

Your request will be reviewed by the Waiver Review Committee within two weeks of application. Please allow enough time for this review. A denied request will only be reconsidered if new information becomes available.

Please note that waiver applications for the above criteria will be the only applications considered. The following are NOT an acceptable basis for requesting a waiver:

  • transportation to and from home for parents' or student's convenience
  • cost of long distance transit (bus and train) option
  • time limitations
  • medical appointments
  • illnesses (personal, friends or family)
  • financial constraints
  • house-sitting
  • to continue hobbies/sports
  • unpaid internships
  • volunteer work

If another student attempts to purchase a parking permit for someone who is ineligible to park on campus, the purchaser is falsifying information. Falsified information on the permit application will lead to suspension of parking privileges, referral to the Office of Community Standards, and towing the vehicle. No refunds are issued to anyone involved in this activity.

Waiver Details

  1. Existing Local Employment Waivers

    Champlain College considers the on-campus living experience an integral and necessary part of the total education of students. First-year students typically live on campus, where the College offers a large number of employment opportunities. For these reasons, only EXISTING employment (where the student has worked PRIOR to coming to Champlain) within commuting distance (50 miles) to the College will be considered. Employment located on (or within 10 minutes walk of) any city transit route will require you to utilize those forms of transportation (which are free to Champlain students).

    • Students will not be granted parking privileges to look for employment, to access employment obtained AFTER arriving at Champlain, or to prepare for subsequent employment.
    • Students working less than 10 hours a week will not be eligible for a waiver.
    • Students with jobs of "on-call" status (low and inconsistent hours) will not be eligible for a waiver.
    • Students citing cash payments or non-taxed income will not be eligible for a waiver.
    • If you are self-employed, you must have been so for a minimum of one year and provide a copy of the most recent year's income tax return.
    • Your employer may be contacted to verify on-going employment or unclear employment situations. Should your employment terminate, you will need to return the parking permit to Champlain Transportation within 5 business days following the last day of employment and remove your vehicle from campus. Failure to do so will result in citations, removal by towing, and may result in the suspension of future parking privileges and referral to the Office of Community Standards.
    • You will need to provide a recent pay stub when you apply for the waiver.
  2. Existing Medical Waivers

    Students requesting a waiver due to an existing medical condition (which necessitates a vehicle for mobility) shall first provide medical documentation to the Office of Accessibility to set up a case file. No waiver will be considered until the Office of Accessibility is satisfied they have enough information to make an informed decision. Documentation can be sent via email to accessibility@champlain.edu.

    This medical documentation to the Office of Accessibility shall be from the physician providing care. To maintain confidentiality, the reviewer at the Office of Accessibility will review the documentation and then communicate their recommendation directly to the Waiver Review Committee. For privacy purposes, the Transportation Office does not (and will not) review your medical documentation.

  1. Lack of Long-Distance Travel Options

Students who live in locations that are more than two hours from a major transportation corridor, a long-distance carrier route (such as Amtrak, Greyhound, Megabus, etc.), or a connection hub may be eligible for the waiver. This will be considered for only the most remote home locations. See these routes and providers on our Long-Distance Travel page.

  1. Transfer Students

Transfer students in their first year at Champlain must provide proof of two post-high school, full-time semesters at another higher education institution. This can be in the form of a transcript from the other institution or correspondence from the Registrar's Office. Credits or degrees obtained while still attending high school do not meet this criteria.


Parking Restriction Waiver Application

If you believe you satisfactorily meet the criteria outlined above for a First-Year Parking Restriction Waiver, please complete this waiver application online.

Approved Waivers

If your waiver is approved, your information will be added to the parking permit database and you will be able to order a parking permit online at champlain.thepermitstore.com starting the first week of August. Permits are issued per semester, so a new permit will need to be ordered for the Spring semester starting the first week of December. To be re-approved for the waiver for Spring based on existing employment or medical condition, a recent pay stub or further recommendation from Office of Accessibility will be required in November.

Parking will be in Zone 2 at 115 Lakeside Avenue. Some parking is available in Zone 5 for those who work past 11:00 PM at least one day per week (this will be based on the work schedule information you provide in the application) or for medical reasons.

You will be notified of the Waiver Review Committee's decision via the email address provided at the time of application for the waiver. Incomplete waiver requests will not be considered.

Questions?

If you have any questions concerning the waiver process or your waiver request, please contact Eliana Fox, Sustainable Transportation Coordinator at efox@champlain.edu.