Room Change Picture
Apr 01

Contract Transfer of Obligation Process for 2024-2025

Current Penn State students who participated in the LiveOn Housing Process and accepted a Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract are obligated to live on campus for the 2024-2025 academic year. The HFS Contract is a legally-binding contract and cannot be cancelled if a student wants to move into off-campus housing. HFS Contracts may be cancelled for students who are no longer attending Penn State University Park.

The University understands that some students may wish to seek alternative housing arrangements and therefore provides a limited opportunity for the student to complete a Contract Transfer of Obligation (CTO). This process allows the student to find an eligible replacement who will accept the HFS Contract obligation. 

Contract Transfer of Obligation (CTO) Process Information

  • CTOs can be processed April 1 - 30.
  • The student with the accepted HFS Contract is responsible for finding an eligible replacement student to complete the CTO. The student can also send an email to [email protected] to indicate their interest in completing a CTO while they also look for an eligible student.
  • The eligible replacement student must be a current Penn State undergraduate student without an accepted HFS Contract. Incoming first-year students are not eligible for a CTO.
  • The student with the accepted HFS Contract will incur a $100 CTO administrative fee, which will be charged to the student's LionPATH account, upon completion of the transaction.
  • The replacement student will receive an HFS Contract offer for supplemental housing, regardless of the housing option that the original student accepted. Supplemental housing is offered since all other housing options were filled during the LiveOn Housing Process and there is a Waitlist of students interested in being reassigned.
  • Any student who accepts a HFS Contract for supplemental housing will automatically be considered for reassignment to a double-occupancy room in a traditional residence hall as vacancies become available.
  • Once the replacement student accepts the HFS Contract for supplemental housing, they are eligible to add their name to one Housing Option Waitlist to be considered for reassignment. 

CTO Process

Both students should send an email to [email protected] from their Penn State account and include this information:

  • The original student should identify the replacement student and acknowledge their agreement that they will be charged the $100 CTO fee upon completion of the transaction.
  • The replacement student should identify the original student and acknowledge their understanding that they will receive an HFS Contract off for supplemental housing.

To ensure a timely transaction, students should send the emails at the same time, within one hour of the other. 

Once both emails are received, the replacement student will receive an HFS Contract offer for supplemental housing. Once the student accepts the HFS Contract offer, the HFS Contract for the original student will be cancelled and the $100 CTO fee will be added to their account. 

If the replacement student does not accept the HFS Contract offer, the original student is still responsible for the HFS Contract and obligated to live on campus.