In late July, the California State University System announced that coronavirus vaccines would be required for on-campus students.
Ahead of Cal Poly's fall quarter, 700 students have indicated they will apply for a vaccine exemption.
The school expects fall enrollment to be about 22,000 students, which means about 3% of the student body will be requesting exemption.
The CSU vaccine mandate allows students to apply for medical or religious exemptions.
Fall quarter begins on Sept. 20, and the on-campus move in day is Sept. 14.
Per the mandate, on-campus residents have until Sept. 14 to be fully vaccinated. Students who commute to campus will have until Sept. 20 to show proof of vaccination.
The university has asked students to disclose their vaccination status or plans to seek an exemption by Aug. 23.
Because students may still plan to seek an exemption and fall quarter has yet to start, a Cal Poly spokesperson noted that the numbers may change.
Students who get an exemption will need a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their arrival on campus and another test when they arrive. They will also have to take part in twice-weekly COVID-testing.
