Manage Your HFS Contract

Penn State values diversity and feels strongly that living with others from different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnic groups serves to enhance the college and residential experience. We are committed to equal access and maintain an environment free of harassment and discrimination against any person.

We do not utilize a roommate matching survey or ask questions about student living habits; instead, students who have not identified someone as a potential roommate will be assigned randomly with another student.

One way students like to learn more about their roommate is through social media. But keep in mind, things are not always what they appear. Don’t be quick to judge a person based on a picture or news feed. Reach out to your roommate and get to know each other before arrival. Your roommate just may end up being your best friend!

If you find comfort in determining a roommate ahead of time, there are Penn State Class of ## groups on Facebook and roommate apps, like Roomie or Roomsurf, that you might want to check out. Penn State does not endorse or have a relationship with any of these apps.

No matter how you get your roommate, don't forget to complete a Roommate Agreement Form - having that difficult and uncomfortable conversation early will help if any issues pop up later. It will provide a tool to have that conversation and a baseline of expectations.

If you're interested in rooming with a friend, both of you should indicate each other as roommate preferences on the HFS Contract. Verify that the correct student has been chosen before your preference modification deadline - only mutual requests will be processed, either during online room selection or when assigned by staff.

Here are some examples to help guide you:

• Non-mutual listing: Amari lists Chris, but Chris lists Chen. Amari and Chris are not assigned together.
• A mutual listing with online room selection: Amari lists Chris, Chris lists Amari. Amari and Chris will be assigned together when the first of them chooses a room.
  • If either of them chooses a different room afterward, only the person making the change will move; the other will stay in the first room.
• A mutual listing with preference contract: Jamie lists Chen, Chen lists Jamie. Jamie and Chen will be assigned together so long as their building/room preferences do not conflict.
  • Preference conflicts occur if Jamie and Chen have listed each other but both choose the location or Special Living Option (SLO) as the most important preference and they've chosen different locations or options. Both Jamie and Chen will be assigned to their preferred location or SLO and will not be roommates.

Penn State strives to provide a safe, inclusive, comfortable, and supportive living environment for all students residing on campus. Gender-inclusive housing (commonly known as gender-neutral housing) is an option for students who identify as transgender* and gender non-conforming* and provides the ability to select a room assignment that meets individual needs or request a roommate of any gender.

If you're interested in a gender-inclusive room assignment, we will work with you in a personal and confidential manner to discuss your options. Contacting us as early in the process as possible will enable us to offer the widest range of housing options. There is no guarantee that particular space will be available.

McKeesport Hall is a traditional residence hall, with double rooms and community bathrooms. Single rooms are the most frequently chosen option for students interested in gender-inclusive assignments. If choosing a double room, a student may request an assignment with a random or known student of any gender.

To discuss your interest and options available, please contact one of our staff members:

• Tracy Walker, Assistant Director Housing and Food Services 814-865-7862
• Meeghan Hollis, Senior Associate Director Residence Life 814-863-1710
• Sonya Wilmoth, Director, Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity 814-863-1248

Additional resources are available for students through the University's Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity.

*Definitions:

For the purpose of gender-neutral housing, gender non-conforming is a term for individuals whose gender expression is different from social expectations related to gender. Gender expression is the external manifestation of one's gender identity, usually expressed through "masculine", "feminine", or gender variant behavior, clothing, haircut, voice, or body characteristics. Transgender is a term for people whose gender identity, expression, or behavior is different from those typically associated with their assigned sex at birth, including but not limited to transsexuals, cross-dressers, androgynous people, genderqueers, and gender non-conforming people.

Definition Source: National Center for Transgender Equality; Mara Keisling, Executive Director http://transequality.org.

Penn State strives to accommodate student preferences when making room assignments; however, we also provide options for changing rooms, both before and after arrival. Not all rooms are available for room exchanges; students in supplemental rooms or approved for medical accommodations, in particular, cannot exchange rooms on the eBoard or participate in Open Room Change.

• Room Exchange eBoard:

Students can see their room exchange options in eLiving by choosing My Info > Room Exchange eBoard.

• My eBoard Postings:

This section allows you to manage your room posting so that other students may see where you live and where you are interested in moving. You may indicate if you are looking for a room to accommodate you and your roommate. Keep in mind that when you process a room switch, your roommate won’t be moved automatically and must process a room switch as well. If you do complete a room exchange, any remaining eBoard postings will become inactive.

• View eBoard Postings:

This section displays other students’ eBoard postings. To view the postings, you must first add your own eBoard posting.

Postings will include information about where a student currently lives, what type of room they are assigned, and whether they want to move with their roommate. If you find a student whose assignment you would like, you can view that posting by clicking on the student’s Access ID. You can review their room assignment and room rates associated with the assignment. If there is a difference in the room rate, the increase/decrease will be indicated. To complete the request, click on the “Submit Room Switch Request” button and eLiving will send an email to the student, giving them 48 hours to respond to your request. During that time period, you will not be able to send out other requests (you may cancel any pending requests). If the student is interested in your assignment, they will accept the request. The system will automatically make the room assignment change, and any room rate adjustment necessary will be applied to your student account.

• My Room Switch Requests:

This section displays the status of your Room Exchange postings.

If you receive a request to switch rooms, the request will be displayed in this section. You can decline or accept a room switch request. If you have initiated a request and later decide you don't want that room, you can use this section to cancel the request.

• Switching with a Known Student:

If you know a student who you want to switch rooms directly, you do not need to post your room assignment but can submit a direct room exchange using this screen. Enter the student’s Penn State Access Account ID, and the system will submit the request to them directly. They will have 48 hours to respond to your request. During that time period, you will not be able to send out other requests (you may cancel any pending requests). If the student is interested in your assignment, they will accept the request. The system will automatically make the room assignment change, and any room rate adjustment necessary will be applied to your student account.

Once A Room Change Has Been Made:

If your room assignment has changed but you haven't arrived on campus yet, simply check into the new room when you arrive.

If you move from one room to another during the semester or between fall and spring semesters, you must change rooms within three days of the date the change was processed. This includes going to the HFS Office to check out of your old room and into the new room.

• Arrange for a check-out inspection of your current room by HFS staff. We're available to conduct inspections between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Come to the HFS Office to sign a check-in form.
• We'll assign you a new mailbox.
• Once you've moved into your new room, submit the eLiving Room Inspection Form within seven days of check-in, noting any damages or problems so that you're not charged for them.

Conditions of Break Access / Holiday Housing:

During break periods, staff will be available to assist with emergencies but academic year services may be limited or unavailable. Students assigned to Break Access will be charged an additional fee for this service. No refunds are processed if a student does not stay for all or any part of the break periods. Once accepted, the Break Access HFS Contract cannot be canceled.

The HFS Contract is a legally binding contract that once accepted cannot be cancelled unless the student is no longer attending the University. A student acknowledges this condition when accepting the HFS Contract; at any time, students can view the terms they agreed to at acceptance by logging on to eLiving and choosing Contracts > Summary. Click on the appropriate contract and then "View the PDF version of the HFS Contract".

Cancellation vs Release

A student must be enrolled in classes at Penn State to be eligible to LiveOn. Cancellation is defined as the routine termination of an HFS Contract due to a student's ineligibility. Release is defined as the termination of an accepted HFS Contract when a student is still eligible to live on campus but no longer wishes to do so.

Students requesting cancellation or release from their HFS Contract should complete a Contract Cancellation Request in eLiving at Contract > Request Contract Cancellation. The request will route to staff for review and processing. Students who are no longer eligible for the indicated semester will have their HFS Contract cancelled; eligibility reasons include but are not limited to:

• Graduation
• Withdrawal
• Leave of Absence
• Study Abroad, Co-Op, Internship, or Student Teaching
• Transfer to another Penn State campus
• First-Year Student Declining Admission Offer

If the HFS Contract is cancelled for a student for eligibility reasons but the student later schedules classes during the contracted term, the HFS Contract cancellation will be revoked and the HFS Contract will be reinstated. The student will then be obligated to fulfill the HFS Contract and pay housing and dining fees for the original term.

Students who remain eligible for on-campus living will not have their HFS Contract cancelled and will instead be sent an email with instructions for requesting a release.

Off-Campus Leases

A student will NOT be released from the HFS Contract to move off-campus. If a student accepts a lease for an off-campus apartment without receiving confirmation that the request to be released from the HFS Contract has been approved, the student will be liable for housing and dining charges for the HFS Contract AND the fees associated with the lease. Penn State is not obligated to release a student from the HFS Contract because a student accepted an off-campus housing lease and is making double payments for housing.

Requests for Release due to Medical Reasons

Students requesting release for medical reasons will be directed to the Housing Accommodations process; their request will be reviewed and a determination made as per those guidelines.

Requests for Release due to Financial or Personal Reasons

Students requesting release for financial or personal reasons will be instructed to complete and submit a Contract Release Request form (Word document).

• Students requesting release due to financial hardship must demonstrate the change in their financial situation since the date that they accepted the HFS Contract. Documentation may include a copy of the Financial Aid package from LionPATH or other documentation with pertinent details. Students should also provide their housing plans for the HFS Contract term, including a copy of any apartment lease and living expenses.
• Students requesting release due to marriage must submit a marriage license, wedding announcement, or other material to verify marriage has occurred or will occur during the HFS Contract term. If the marriage date is during the HFS Contract term, the release date will be effective at the time of the marriage.
• Students requesting release for other reasons must submit documentation supporting the reason given.

Once the form and supporting documentation has been submitted to the office noted on the Contract Release Request form, a committee made up of the campus Housing and Food Services director and representatives from Housing and Food Services and Residence Life administration will review and made a determination within 7-10 business days. If a release request is granted, the determination will indicate the penalty fee associated with the release (if any).

Appeals

A student has the right to submit an appeal if the HFS Contract Release Request is denied. Directions for appealing will be provided in the student's denial email. Appeals will be reviewed by a team of Housing and Food Services regional directors and the Senior Director for Residence Life. Students who appeal a denied HFS Contract Release Request will receive an email with the ultimate decision within 7-10 business days.

The HFS Contract, once accepted, obligates a student to live on campus. The University offers an option for a student to transfer their obligation to another eligible student during the identified timeline. The University is not obligated to offer this option but provides this process to support students as they finalize their semester plans.

A student who transfers the obligation of the HFS Contract will have a $100 administrative fee applied to their LionPATH account once the transfer is processed. 

CONDITIONS OF AN HFS CONTRACT TRANSFER OF OBLIGATION

1. The option of the HFS Contract Transfer of Obligation may be suspended without advance notice.

2. The student wishing to cancel the HFS Contract is responsible for locating an eligible replacement student.

3. The replacement student accepting the HFS Contract Transfer of Obligation must be in good standing with the University.

4. The replacement student cannot have already signed an HFS Contract for the same contract period. 

5. The replacement student will not receive the transferring student's room assignment. The replacement student will be assigned to any available space and have the ability to add their name to a Waitlist for other housing options.

6. The replacement student must accept the HFS Contract through eLiving. If the semester has already begun when the transfer is completed, housing and food charges will be prorated for both students as necessary.

7. If the replacement student does not take occupancy or withdraws from the University before taking occupancy, the student initiating the HFS Contract Transfer of Obligation remains liable for the financial obligation of the HFS Contract.

8. It is a violation of University policy to sell or attempt to sell an HFS Contract. The replacement student cannot offer, and the transferring student cannot accept, any form of compensation for the HFS Contract Transfer of Obligation. Any student who is found to have sold or purchased an HFS Contract will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response (OSACR).

9. Housing and Food Services may deny an HFS Contract Transfer of Obligation request if is determined that the transaction is not in the best interest of the University or the student requesting the transfer.