Future Penn State Students
- How do I request on-campus housing?
- What happens when housing is full?
- I added my name to the Waitlist. When will I hear that I have housing?
- I paid the housing deposit fee, but did not accept the Housing Contract. Will I get my money back?
- Do I have to have a meal plan to live on campus?
- When do I find out where I will live?
- When I filled out the Housing Contract, I didn’t have a roommate preference. I know someone I want to live with now. How can I request him/her as a roommate?
- I already completed the University-required Health History Form online, but received notification that I must also submit a meningitis form. Why do I have to submit two forms?
- My room assignment says “space reserved” – what is that?
- I am assigned to supplemental housing – what is that?
Current Penn State Students
- How do I request housing for next year?
- How do I cancel a request?
- How can I get a single room?
- Why can’t I move rooms during the first two weeks of the semester?
- What do I do about a roommate conflict?
Food Services FAQs
- How does the A-La Board meal plan work?
- Why don’t I get 65 percent off everything I buy?
- How do I choose a meal plan?
- How do I add points to my meal plan?
- How do I change my meal plan?
- What should I do if I lose my id+ card?
- I am a commuter student. Which meal plan is best for me?
- How can I get a printout of my meal plan usage?
Incoming Students
How do I request on-campus housing?
When you accept the offer of admission online using MyPennState, you will be informed if on-campus housing is available before you pay your acceptance fees. If housing is available, you can indicate that you are interested in housing. You must then pay the $100 nonrefundable housing deposit fee along with your general admissions fees and accept the offer of admission. Then, upon accepting the offer of admission, a Housing Contract offer will be created for you. You have approximately seven days to accept the Housing Contract using eLiving or the offer will be forfeited.
If you pay your acceptance fees in person or via mail, you can request a Housing Contract by logging in to eLiving. You will not be able to login to eLiving until your offer status has been updated. This may take 2-3 days after your information has been received by Penn State. Once you are able to login, you may then request a Housing Contract, but an offer will not be made until you have become paid accept (you have accepted the offer of admission and paid the acceptance fees). You will be billed for the $100 nonrefundable housing deposit at a later time.
What happens when housing is full?
When you accept the offer of admission online using MyPennState, you will be informed if on-campus housing is full. If on-campus housing is full, you will be informed of your options. These may include adding your name to the Waitlist, seeking off-campus housing, or changing admission to another Penn State campus.
I added my name to the Waitlist. When will I hear that I have housing?
Adding your name to the Waitlist does not mean that you will receive a Housing Contract offer. There is no way to predict how many students on the Waitlist will actually be offered a Housing Contract. Offers are only made as students cancel their Housing Contracts.
I paid the housing deposit fee, but did not accept the Housing Contract. Will I get my money back?
The housing deposit fee is a nonrefundable fee. Since you indicated that you were interested in housing and paid the housing deposit fee, an offer was made to you. Housing and Food Services is not obligated to refund the fee if you did not accept the Housing Contract offer. If you are still interested in living on campus, you must contact the Housing and Food Services office. If space is available, then another offer will be made to you.
Do I have to have a meal plan to live on campus?
Yes, all students living on campus are required to purchase an A-La Board Meal Plan.
When do I find out where I will live?
Room assignments are not completed until early summer, and will be posted on eLiving around mid-July. Students will be notified when room assignments will be available.
When I filled out the Housing Contract, I didn’t have a roommate preference. I know someone I want to live with now. How can I request him/her as a roommate?
Incoming freshman students can modify roommate preferences using eLiving until May 1. After that date, Housing and Food Services staff will begin making room assignments and will be unable to accommodate further requests.
I already completed the University-required Health History Form online, but received notification that I must also submit a meningitis form. Why do I have to submit two forms?
The University Health Questionnaire is a University requirement; the meningitis form is a Housing and Food Services form. Due to FERPA regulations, we are unable to receive information from the Health History Form and are required by Pennsylvania law to have a completed Meningococcal Vaccination Certification Form on file for all on-campus students.
My room assignment says “space reserved” – what is that?
To accommodate the high number of requests for on-campus housing, Housing and Food Services overbooks space in the residence areas. As other students cancel, students in space reserved are assigned to a permanent room. When that happens, you will be notified of your room assignment.
I am assigned to supplemental housing – what is that?
To accommodate the high number of requests for on-campus housing, Housing and Food Services overbooks space in the residence areas. As other students cancel, students in supplemental housing are moved to a permanent room. This generally occurs a few weeks into the semester. Students living in supplemental space are offered the same amenities as students assigned to permanent space.
Current Students
How do I request housing for next year?
Students must use eLiving to request housing for the following year. The request process generally begins around Thanksgiving until mid-January. Offers will be made when the request process closes.
How do I cancel a request?
During the request process, you can cancel your Housing Contract request. After you have accepted the Housing Contract, you will need to contact the Housing and Food Services to request a cancellation. There may be a financial penalty for canceling the Housing Contract.
How can I get a single room?
When you complete your Housing Contract, you will be able to indicate if you are interested in a single room if they are available. However, due to the high demand for housing, we may be unable to accommodate requests for single rooms. The room rate is also higher for a single room.
Why can’t I move rooms during the first two weeks of the semester?
During this time, Housing and Food Services needs to determine who has actually arrived on campus. Some students don’t inform us if they have changed their plans about living on campus, and we need to determine what space is available. If space is available, we need to offer Housing Contracts to any student that is on the Waitlist before we can allow current residential students to switch rooms.
What do I do about a roommate conflict?
Most roommate conflicts are natural, whether you are living with a friend or a new roommate. It is important that you discuss issues as they arise before they become problems. If you need assistance, contact Residence Life in your building. They are experienced in dealing with these matters and are trained to help you resolve matters.
Food Services
How does the A-La Board meal plan work?
All menu items have a cash price, which includes the food cost and the base cost of operation (dining facility mortgages, labor, supplies, maintenance, and utilities). Because you pay the base cost up front for the entire semester, you receive a discount off the cash price at the food court. Items that are prepared in-house are discounted 65 percent off the cash price. Branded items that are delivered into the operation are discounted 10 percent off the cash price. If you are paying for your friends or family, a 30 percent discount off items you purchase for them will be given, with the exception of the 10 percent items. Items purchased at coffee shops are only given a 10 percent discount.
Why don’t I get 65 percent off everything I buy?
The 65 percent discount only applies to menu items that are prepared in-house by Housing and Food Services employees. The discount is a reflection of the base cost that is incorporated into the price of the item, which is paid at the beginning of each semester. Since branded items are not prepared in-house, it costs much more to provide them. That’s why we are only able to offer a 10 percent discount off the cash price for those items.
How do I choose a meal plan?
All on-campus residents are required to purchase one of the six A-La Board meal plan options. Each option includes the base cost, but the options vary by the number of points that are available to use for actual purchases. The more meals you plan on eating in campus dining facilities, the more points you will need. If you are unsure which meal plan to select, we recommend that you select a lower meal plan. If you run low on points during the semester, you can always add points. Any extra points remaining from fall semester will be carried over to spring semester. Points remaining at the end of spring semester will be forfeited.
How do I add points to my meal plan?
You can add points to your meal plan at any time online. To pay with cash or check, visit a cashier’s station or the Housing and Food Services Office. You can also add points using a MasterCard or Visa at id+ Online.
Visit id+ Online to manage your account online, or stop by the Housing and Food Services Office to request a change. You may change the size of your meal plan anytime during the semester until 14 days before the last day of final exams. If you need a larger plan, we recommend that you add points to your current meal plan rather than increase your meal plan. No refunds are given for unused points at the end of the semester.
How do I change my meal plan?
Visit id+ Online to manage your account online, or stop by the Housing and Food Services Office to request a change.
What should I do if I lose my id+ card?
Immediately report the loss to the Housing and Food Services Office. You can also deactivate your card services by visiting id+ Online. The University is not responsible for any loss or expense resulting from the loss, theft, or misuse of your card.
The id+ Office will issue a new card at the current replacement fee, which can be paid by cash or check—or charged to your student account.
I am a commuter student. Which meal plan is best for me?
We suggest you take advantage of LionCash+ where you can deposit funds directly onto your id+ Card. Many Penn State Food Service operations offer a 10 percent discount off of most food and beverage purchases when you use LionCash+. The A-La Board meal plan is a good choice only if you plan on eating a minimum of 14 meals a week on campus.
How can I get a printout of my meal plan usage?
Visit id+ Online to manager your account.
