First-Year Students: Accepting a Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract

Instructions for Incoming first-year students attending University Park. 

Overview

The Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract will be accepted by an incoming first-year student through the MyPennState system when accepting the offer of admission. 

  • Residency Requirement: All first-year students admitted to University Park are required to reside in the University housing as part of the offer of admission to Penn State, for the admitted semester (summer, fall-spring, or spring).
  • Residency Exemptions: A student may submit an exemption request from the residency requirement for specific conditions.

HFS Contract Information:

  • The student agrees to HFS Contract legal terms and the Terms, Conditions, and Regulations.
  • The HFS Contract cannot be cancelled unless the student is no longer attending Penn State. All first-year students are required to live on campus as part of the offer of admission to Penn State.
  • The HFS Contract is for the entire academic year, both fall and spring semesters, and summer session if the student is accepted for that session.
  • A $100 non-refundable housing deposit is required when accepting the HFS Contract. The $100 housing deposit will be applied as a credit to the room rate charge on the first billing statement generated from the Office of the Bursar through LionPATH. 
  • Any preferences indicated on the HFS Contract are not guaranteed. 
  • View Room and Board rates.

After accepting the offer of admission through MyPennState, the student can then access the eLiving system to indicate housing preferences until 12:00 p.m. (noon) May 15. 

Selecting Preferences

Preferences indicated on a student's HFS Contract are not guaranteed. Preferences indicated will be used when a room assignment is processed, but the student may not be assigned to a requested housing area due to space limitations.

Residence Area: 

You may indicate a preference for a housing area. First-year students will be assigned to any of the housing areas (North, South, East, West, or Pollock). 

Room Type:

The majority of students will be assigned to a double room, traditional residence hall. Other options include a double room, renovated residence hall; single room, traditional residence hall; quad; triple; two-bedroom/four-person suite (North); and supplemental housing. There are limited singles, triples, and quads available. 

Roommate Preferences:

Penn State does not utilize a survey to match roommates; Penn State values diversity in its student population and feels strongly that a living with other students from different backgrounds, cultures, and ethnic groups serves to enhance the college experience. The Housing Assignment Office does not have access to ethnic, racial, religious, or any other similar information about students that could have a detrimental influence on our process.

A student may indicate another student as a roommate request. Roommate requests must be mutual, and the Housing Assignment Office will assign students together within the established policies for roommate requests.

To indicate a roommate request, enter the student's Penn State Access ID (example, abc1234). Roommate requests may be modified until 12:00 p.m. (noon) May 15. If a roommate request is not indicated, the Housing Assignment Office will place another first-year student in the space. 

Living Learning Community (LLC) Preferences:

University Housing offers Living Learning Communities (LLCs) as an opportunity for students with common interests and goals to live and learn together. Living Learning Communities are coed and open to all residents. Students are not required to select an LLC option. Please note, some LLCs require a secondary application to the sponsoring College.

Campus Meal Plan Level Selection:

The Campus Meal Plan offers three levels, with each level providing different amounts of dining dollars. Dining dollars are what you will use to purchase meals in on-campus dining facilities. The HFS Contract will default to level two (2). 

Room Assignments

Room assignments will be posted in eLiving around mid-July. Once room assignments are posted, students may use the Room Exchange eBoard to "swap" assignments with other students, unless notified that the eBoard is not available or an option based on a student's HFS Contract.