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Drone photo of Penn State Altoona campus in early autumn
LiveOn

Altoona

Welcome to on-campus living at Penn State Altoona, located in beautiful central Pennsylvania and only 45 minutes from University Park.

Whether you plan to finish your degree here or move on to University Park or one of Penn State's 19 other campuses, you'll love the close-knit community, award-winning faculty, and opportunities for leadership and athletic participation at Altoona.

With an on-campus population of just over 900 students, on-campus living at Altoona adds to the student experience and provides more opportunities for involvement and leadership. Housing, Food Services, and Residence Life are thrilled to provide the convenience, engagement, and unmatched "We Are" spirit to those who choose to LiveOn at Penn State Altoona!

Where to Live

Where to Eat

Request Housing

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Incoming Students

Incoming first-year and transfer students, we can't wait to welcome you to Penn State.

Students visit with one another while seated in the lounge at Oak Hall

Current Students

Current students, explore your options and sign up for space next year. 

Calendar

11:00 am - 02:00 pm
Port Sky Cafe

Take a bite of our March Sandwich Madness event! We're offering up incredible sandwiches and delicious sides for our one-day-only...

12:00 pm

Online room selection for upper-class students will no longer be available after Friday, March 29 at noon.

04:00 pm - 08:00 pm
Port Sky Cafe

Celebrate Holi with our special menu featuring Indian Cuisine. Try featured specials including Channa Saag, Vegetable Korma, Aloo Chaat, Basmati...

News & Announcements

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person using laptop and paper tablet

Delegate Access update for Housing and Food Services

Housing and Food Services is excited to announce that a student can now indicate a delegate with whom staff can discuss their Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract details.

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The words "spring break" written in sand

2024 Spring Break - University Housing Closedown

University Housing will CLOSE for Spring Break at 12:00 p.m. ET (noon) on Saturday, March 2.
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image grid of students in their residence hall room

2024-2025 Housing Preferences Modification Deadline (for incoming first-year students)

University Housing has extended the deadline for incoming first-year students to indicate housing preferences from May 15 to 12:00 p.m. (noon) on Monday, May 20.
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fall break housing closure

Fall Break Closing

University Housing will CLOSE for fall break on Saturday, November 18 at noon. Students who do not have a Break Access/Holiday Housing HFS Contract are expected to vacate by noon. Students who are unable to leave campus for fall break may request to stay via eLiving.
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a student using her cell phone to tap and pay for a drink

Penn State students donate more than $34,000 to 'Swipe Out Hunger'

During Earth Week this past April, Penn State students set a new record and raised more than $34,000 for the Student Emergency Fund by donating extra dining dollars from their campus meal plans.

Contact Us

Housing Operations

814-949-5713

Dining Operations

814-949-5400

Residence Life

814-949-5710

 

Get Connected 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Contracts

General

How do I choose a space and accept the HFS Contract?

Current students who receive an email with the invitation offer:

  • If you receive an invitation, log on to www.eLiving.psu.edu and select “View Invitation” under My Contracts. 
  • Select your invitation to view all housing options. Not all options may be available based on when you are invited into the process. 
  • Select the housing option you desire and click ‘Continue’. 
  • Add a friend’s Penn State Access ID who you want to receive a Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract offer and click ‘Continue’. It's not required to add a friend, and not all housing options allow for a roommate. 
  • Review your selection and click ‘Create Contract’ to be offered the HFS Contract for your selected housing option.
    • If a roommate was listed, this student will also be offered the HFS Contract. 
  • To accept the HFS Contract offer, select the Shopping Cart icon and view the offer. 
  • Click the ‘Begin Acceptance Process’ button to view and read the HFS Contract and Terms, Conditions, and Regulations (TCRs).  Check mark the box to indicate that you have read and agree to abide by the TCRs.  Type your name to electronically sign the HFS Contract. Click the ‘Accept Contract’ button.  All done!

You are not obligated to live on campus until you accept the HFS Contract; once accepted, the HFS Contract cannot be cancelled (unless you are no longer enrolled at Penn State).

What housing options are available for upper-class students at Altoona?

Upper-class students at Altoona have various housing options to consider. Review the available housing options and the associated room rates to determine which housing option meets your needs and fits your budget. Room rates for each academic year are approved by the Board of Trustees in the spring prior to the fall semester start; yearly rate increases are traditionally between 3-5%.

When invited to view available housing options, students will see the number of currently available spaces for each option. These numbers will fluctuate as students make their choices, and spaces are added to or subtracted from the total. If a housing option is not shown, all allocated spaces in that option have already been taken. You may choose another option, and then add your name to the Waitlist for your first choice. 

24-25 Housing Options Location(s)
Break Access / Holiday Housing Cedar
Open Gender Housing^ Cedar, Spruce, or Oak
Renovated Double Oak
Suite Double Cedar or Spruce  

^must fill desired space; roommate matching is not available. View complete terms and required form here.

Recipients of the LiveOn Student Success Grant may choose from any available option.

A student who chooses an option for which they are determined to be ineligible will be changed to the Suite Double housing option and may add their name to any available housing option Waitlist.

What is Online Room Selection?

Online Room Selection (or self-assigning) is an option for current students and select first-year groups to log on to eLiving and choose the specific room in which they'd like to live. This option may not be offered to all groups or at every campus; students who are not able to participate in Online Room Selection enter contract preferences and are assigned by staff.

Timelines for Online Room Selection vary but usually occur in mid-spring for the fall semester. A second selection period may be offered in early summer if additional housing options become available.

Students who are able to participate in Online Room Selection will receive an email reminder with more detailed instructions before their selection period begins. Selection periods are also found in the Contract Summary in eLiving and posted online.

View Online Room Selection dates for your campus.

Request Process

Are incoming first-year students eligible to Request Housing in eLiving?

No, the Request Housing process in eLiving is specific to current first-year and upperclass students. Incoming first-year and transfer students can choose on-campus housing, if available, when they accept their offer of admission through MyPennState or can add their name to the On-Campus Housing Waitlist afterward. Find out more information about the incoming first-year process.

Waitlists

I accepted an HFS Contract, but I want to live in another housing option. What can I do?

If you are interested in another housing option, you can add your name to one Housing Option Waitlist in eLiving once they are available. Adding your name to a Waitlist does not guarantee that you’ll be reassigned to that housing option. Waitlists may not be available for all housing options.

What is a Waitlist?

There are two types of Waitlists:

  • On-Campus Housing Waitlist is for students who did not participate in the Request Process and want to live on campus
  • Housing Option Waitlists display after a student accepts a HFS Contract and is interested in another housing option (such as a Living Learning Community, single room, etc.)

When a student logs on to eLiving and chooses Waitlist from the Contracts menu, they will see the appropriate Waitlists based on their campus and contract status.

Students who have an accepted HFS Contract are eligible to enter only one Housing Option Waitlist. As staff processes cancellations and vacancies occur, students will be removed from the Waitlist into specific housing options based on their specific waitlist. 

For example: A student has accepted a double room, traditional residence hall HFS Contract. They are interested in a suite, so they add their request for Nittany Hall Suites Waitlist. When a suite opening becomes available, staff will move students from the waitlist to a suite option. If online room selection is available, the student will be able to choose a suite instead of a traditional residence hall.

Students can remove their name from a Waitlist at any time by going back into the Waitlist and selecting 'remove' from the Waitlist they previously selected.

Dining

Food Allergies / Special Diets

Are gluten free options available on campus?

Yes, numerous gluten-free options are available at each of the five dining commons locations. The online menu is a great resource for determining whether menu items align with a gluten-free diet. Allergens found in menu items are indicated on the online menu as well as on entree cards at the point of service. The top eight allergens, which includes gluten, are represented by individual icons on entree cards if found within a menu item.

Additionally, each dining commons offers a variety of supplemental, gluten-free items such as breads, pastas, cereals, snacks, and pizza. For more information, please visit the Gluten Free page and contact the Registered Dietitians Office through [email protected].

Housing

General

Do upperclass students also live on campus?

Yes! All residential campuses welcome students to live on campus beyond their first year. Many students find the greatest convenience is saving time – to and from classes, activities, events, clubs/organizations, recreation and study, meetings, common and green spaces, dining, bookstore, project collaboration, faculty offices, and so much more! We do have space for you to #LiveOn. There are also many Living Learning Communities (LLCs) created especially for you!

In order to #LiveOn students will need to Request Housing during the housing process timeline. 

What housing options are available for upper-class students at Altoona?

Upper-class students at Altoona have various housing options to consider. Review the available housing options and the associated room rates to determine which housing option meets your needs and fits your budget. Room rates for each academic year are approved by the Board of Trustees in the spring prior to the fall semester start; yearly rate increases are traditionally between 3-5%.

When invited to view available housing options, students will see the number of currently available spaces for each option. These numbers will fluctuate as students make their choices, and spaces are added to or subtracted from the total. If a housing option is not shown, all allocated spaces in that option have already been taken. You may choose another option, and then add your name to the Waitlist for your first choice. 

24-25 Housing Options Location(s)
Break Access / Holiday Housing Cedar
Open Gender Housing^ Cedar, Spruce, or Oak
Renovated Double Oak
Suite Double Cedar or Spruce  

^must fill desired space; roommate matching is not available. View complete terms and required form here.

Recipients of the LiveOn Student Success Grant may choose from any available option.

A student who chooses an option for which they are determined to be ineligible will be changed to the Suite Double housing option and may add their name to any available housing option Waitlist.

Where can I pick up my mail and packages?

Mailboxes are located near the Housing and Food Services Office; packages can be picked up at the Housing and Food Services office in Port Sky between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please be prepared to show your id+ Card or mobile credential.

When you receive a package and it's ready for pick-up, you'll receive an email from eLiving saying that a package is waiting for you. Please wait until you receive this email before trying to pick up a package; additional processing time is required once packages are dropped off from the shipper.

 

Request Process

When can I request housing?

For the academic year, students can Request Housing beginning mid-October through the end of January. The Request Period will be extended if upperclass space is still available.

Meal Plans

General

How do I check my meal plan balance?

There are several ways a student can check their meal plan balance:

  1. Online idcard.psu.edu/manage-accounts 

  2. Transact eAccounts app, downloadable through Google Play or Apple App Store

  3. eLiving > My Info > My Meal Plan

  4. Penn State GO app > Dining > Penn State Eats mobile app *

  5. Penn State Eats web ordering *

* balance will only be displayed when an order is processed

The Campus Meal Plan level can be managed on eLiving > My Info > My Meal Plan through 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET the last day of finals for the spring or fall semester. The system will display whether the student's account is eligible to be increased or decreased to a different meal plan level.

When a student's dining dollar balance runs low, add funds to the student's LionCash account instead of increasing the meal plan level. Campus Meal Plan account holders can use LionCash and receive the same discounted rate that the Campus Meal Plan offers for qualifying purchases. Indicate Campus Meal Plan when checking out, and the system will transfer the required funds to cover the cost of purchase. 

How does my meal plan work?

The Campus Meal Plan provides easy purchasing and savings for students who regularly eat meals on campus. 

The Campus Meal Plan account is accessed via your Penn State id+ Card. Each time you visit a dining facility operated by Penn State Housing and Food Services, simply present your id+ card to the cashier, who will swipe the card through a reader. The reader will access your account, deduct the proper purchase amount, and display your new account balance.

Is the meal plan required, can I cancel it?

The Campus Meal Plan is a required purchase for students living on campus for summer (if applicable), fall, and spring semesters and cannot be cancelled. Students who live in on-campus apartments are not required to purchase the Campus Meal Plan.

The Commuter Meal Plan is available for students living in off-campus housing or living in an on-campus apartment. Any student who needs to make a change to their Commuter Meal Plan should contact their Commonwealth Campus Housing and Food Services Office, or the id+ Office at University Park.

Students who withdraw or end their relationship with the University after the semester has started may be eligible for a refund of remaining dining dollars and, for the Campus Meal Plan, a prorated refund of the base cost, within the timeframe outlined in the HFS Contract Terms, Conditions, and Regulations. Any refund will be credited to the student's LionPATH account or to the credit card used to purchase the meal plan.

The meal plan cannot be transferred or assigned to another individual.

What are the different meal plan discounts?

Campus Meal Plan account holders have access to the greatest discounts in on-campus dining:

  • 65 percent off cash meal price at all-you-care-to-eat dining commons at University Park and Behrend

  • 65 percent off cash price on prepared items* at residential food courts

  • 10 percent off campus price on prepared items* at specialty fast casual operations, such as Soup & Garden, Grate Chee, and Blue Burrito in HUB Dining at University Park, Bruno's at Behrend, The Outpost at Harrisburg, and coffee shops at campus locations.

The Commuter Meal Plan and LionCash offer a 10 percent discount off cash price on the items and  locations listed above. Additional LionCash discounts may be available at off-campus participating locations.

*prepared items are meals, snacks, and beverages that are made by Campus Dining staff. No discounts are offered on purchases made at nationally branded restaurants and cafes or packaged items.

What happens to my leftover dining dollars?

Campus Meal Plan

Dining dollars remaining at the end of summer session carry over to fall semester and dining dollars remaining at the end of fall semester carry over to spring semester, provided the student has an active Campus Meal Plan for the fall and spring semester, respectfully. Any dining dollars remaining at the end of the spring semester expire. The Campus Meal Plan is a required purchase for both fall and spring semesters.

The Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract defaults to level 2 of the Campus Meal Plan, and can be managed on eLiving > My Info > My Meal Plan through the last day of finals for the semester. The system will display whether the student's account is eligible to be increased or decreased.

When a student's dining dollar balance runs low, add funds to the student's LionCash account instead of increasing the meal plan level. Campus Meal Plan account holders can use LionCash and receive the same discounted rate that the Campus Meal Plan offers for qualifying purchases. Indicate Campus Meal Plan when checking out, and the system will transfer the required funds to cover the cost of purchase. 

Commuter Meal Plan

Commuter Meal Plan funds carry over from fall to spring regardless of whether a spring commuter meal plan has been purchased. At the end of spring semester, any funds remaining will expire.

LionCash

LionCash funds carry over year-to-year and available to spend while the student is an active Penn State student.
 

What meal plan options are available?

We offer three different meal plan options: Campus Meal Plan, Commuter Meal Plan, or LionCash funds. Review our meal plan comparison to choose the plan that best suits your needs. 

Where can I use my meal plan?

Campus Meal Plan dining dollars can be used at ALL Campus Dining locations any Penn State Campus*, as well as at popular destinations at University Park such as Beaver Stadium, Bryce Jordan Center, Pegula Ice Arena, and Berkey Creamery.

Commuter Meal Plans can be used at ALL Campus Dining locations any Penn State Campus*.

LionCash can be used at ALL Campus Dining locations any Penn State Campus* and any participating merchant throughout Pennsylvania.

*Penn State Campuses offering Campus Dining locations:  Abington, Altoona, Beaver, Berks, Behrend, Brandywine, Dubois, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, Harrisburg, Hazleton, Mont Alto, New Kensington, Schuylkill, Scranton, Shenango, University Park, Wilkes-Barre, and York

Living Learning Communities

General

What housing options are available for upper-class students at Altoona?

Upper-class students at Altoona have various housing options to consider. Review the available housing options and the associated room rates to determine which housing option meets your needs and fits your budget. Room rates for each academic year are approved by the Board of Trustees in the spring prior to the fall semester start; yearly rate increases are traditionally between 3-5%.

When invited to view available housing options, students will see the number of currently available spaces for each option. These numbers will fluctuate as students make their choices, and spaces are added to or subtracted from the total. If a housing option is not shown, all allocated spaces in that option have already been taken. You may choose another option, and then add your name to the Waitlist for your first choice. 

24-25 Housing Options Location(s)
Break Access / Holiday Housing Cedar
Open Gender Housing^ Cedar, Spruce, or Oak
Renovated Double Oak
Suite Double Cedar or Spruce  

^must fill desired space; roommate matching is not available. View complete terms and required form here.

Recipients of the LiveOn Student Success Grant may choose from any available option.

A student who chooses an option for which they are determined to be ineligible will be changed to the Suite Double housing option and may add their name to any available housing option Waitlist.

Gender-Inclusive Housing

General

What housing options are available for upper-class students at Altoona?

Upper-class students at Altoona have various housing options to consider. Review the available housing options and the associated room rates to determine which housing option meets your needs and fits your budget. Room rates for each academic year are approved by the Board of Trustees in the spring prior to the fall semester start; yearly rate increases are traditionally between 3-5%.

When invited to view available housing options, students will see the number of currently available spaces for each option. These numbers will fluctuate as students make their choices, and spaces are added to or subtracted from the total. If a housing option is not shown, all allocated spaces in that option have already been taken. You may choose another option, and then add your name to the Waitlist for your first choice. 

24-25 Housing Options Location(s)
Break Access / Holiday Housing Cedar
Open Gender Housing^ Cedar, Spruce, or Oak
Renovated Double Oak
Suite Double Cedar or Spruce  

^must fill desired space; roommate matching is not available. View complete terms and required form here.

Recipients of the LiveOn Student Success Grant may choose from any available option.

A student who chooses an option for which they are determined to be ineligible will be changed to the Suite Double housing option and may add their name to any available housing option Waitlist.

Campus Photos