2017-18LIVING ON CAMPUS
Altoona
Living on campus at Penn State
Altoona makes you part of a close-
knit community where you can
form life-long friendships with
fellow students, faculty, and staff.
You’ll enjoy the benefits of being
just steps away from classes,
recreational areas, dining services,
and on-campus parking.
As an on-campus resident,you can easily take advantage of nearby recreational areas, such as the athletic fields, track, and the volleyball,
tennis, and basketball courts. We are proud to offer 16 NCAA Division III varsity sports teams, along with
intramural programs for team and individual sports. The campus boasts more than 85 clubs and organizations,
such as student government and Lion Ambassadors. Plus, the campus area often features dances, movies, guest
speakers, and other special events. There are also numerous employment opportunities available on campus.
Imagine all this, right in your on-campus neighborhood.
Where to find us:Penn State Altoona
Housing and Food Services3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601-3760
• Only 15 minutes off Interstate 99
• Downtown Pittsburgh is only 2 hours away
• Less than one hour from Penn State University Park
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Living EnvironmentThe Housing, Food Services, and Residence
Life staff is committed to providing you with an
environment that is safe, secure, comfortable, and
conducive to academic success. We understand the
college experience should foster personal and social
development as well. With that in mind, we promote
a concept of community in which each student is
responsible for respecting their neighbors’ rights.
Within this framework, the student’s right to choose
his or her own lifestyle is supported.
Penn State Altoona offers a variety of housing to meet
the needs of a diverse student body. Oak and Maple
Halls are traditional residence buildings housing
two students per room with one common bathroom
on each floor. Spruce and Cedar Halls have two-
bedroom suites with a semi-private bathroom, and
accommodate four upperclass students.
Residence Area Amenities
• Expanded cable television service
• High-speed internet connections and WiFi
• Secure keyless entry
• TV lounge in each hall
• Computer lab in each hall
• Laundry facilities in each hall
“The feel of the campus got me hooked.”For Karly Bish, a junior majoring in business
administration, it was love at first sight when she
visited Penn State Altoona. “The small-town feel got me
hooked,” she says. “I didn’t even take a campus tour—
I just walked around and loved it.”
Bish, who has lived in both Spruce and Maple residence
halls, enjoys the community feel of living on campus.
“It’s really convenient, and I love that you just happen
to bump into people in the hallway,” she says. There
are so many community spaces and opportunities to get
out of your room. You can look out the window at the
intramural fields and go join a pickup game.”
Events in the residence halls, such as a recent “Around
the World” experience, keep life interesting, Bish says.
“For ‘Around the World’ each residence hall decorated
their lobby to represent a different country. We had food
and costumes, and people could do things like karaoke
or learn calligraphy or try sushi. It brings an educational
aspect into the halls. You’re living and you’re learning
and you’re socializing, all in this community space.”
Bish also appreciates the variety, convenience, and
flexibility of the campus meal plan. “And this is coming
from someone who loves to cook!”
“My home away from home.”Grant Mauro, a first-year student at Penn State Altoona
majoring in electrical and mechanical engineering,
appreciated the welcoming atmosphere of campus
as he began his college career. “I thought if this was
going to be my home away from home for the next four
years, I could be happy here,” he says. “I knew the first
year could be tough, trying to find things and get your
bearings, so it’s nice to be on a small campus.”
Mauro enjoys the camaraderie in the residence halls
that makes it easy to meet new people. “You can
walk into any one of the residence halls and almost
everyone’s door is open. There’s this general feeling
of ‘Come on in, come hang out, relax.’ I’ve met a
lot of people that way and have made a lot of good
connections.”
Game nights that feature friendly pool and ping-pong
competitions and board games are Mauro’s favorite way
to take a break. “In the basement game room there’s
lots to do—or if you want to just relax and hang out,
there are lots of couches and TVs. I really enjoy going
down there with friends.”
Assistance for Individuals with DisabilitiesHousing accommodations are available if you require
special assistance. Contact the Housing and Foods
Service office at 814-949-5713 to discuss the
available options.
Residence Hall Safety & SecurityEvery residence area has live-in professional staff
responsible for ensuring a safe, secure, and comfortable
living environment. University Police officers are
also available to address specific safety concerns. All
residence area buildings are locked 24 hours a day
and residents use their Penn State id+ Cards to enter.
Closed-circuit cameras monitor the building entrances.
Our residence halls are routinely inspected and
comply with safety regulations. The buildings
are equipped with a modern fire safety system,
including sprinklers. Penn State prohibits smoking
in classrooms, administrative buildings, eating
establishments, sports facilities, and residence areas.
Food for ThoughtPort Sky Café, the on-campus food court, offers
something for everyone:
• Enjoy Starbucks®, Penn State Berkey Creamery ice cream, and Penn State Bakery specialties at Shake, Bake, & Brew.
• Build your own salads at Lean & Green.
• Get made-to-order breakfasts at Sunrise Sunset.
• Stop by On A Roll for a deli sandwich.
• Visit Flippin’ for grilled specialties.
• Start your day at Jump Start for breakfast.
• Head to All Fired Up for specialty pizzas, paninis, and other Italian specialties.
Coasters Coffee Bar, located in the Hawthorn
Classroom Building, serves Starbucks® coffee,
tempting desserts, and a variety of snacks. It is the
perfect place to stop on the way to and from class.
Common Grounds, found in the Slep Student Center,
offers convenience store items, such as bottled
beverages, packaged snack items, dairy products,
health and beauty items, school supplies, and frozen
products. Grab ‘n go sandwiches, salads, coffee, and
pastries are also available.
The Dining Car Downtown is located in the Aaron
Building at the Penn State Altoona downtown
complex. It offers student favorites like Starbucks®
coffee and other beverages, tempting desserts,
sandwiches, salads, and snacks.
Campus Meal PlanThe Housing Contract features the convenience of the
Campus Meal Plan. Dining dollars are deposited into
a declining balance account and are accessed by the
Penn State id+ Card. Simply present your id+ card to
the cashier and the purchase amount will be deducted
from the account.
The meal plan has two components— base cost and
dining dollars. The base cost covers all non-food costs
for operating food services, such as labor, supplies,
maintenance, and utilities. Dining dollars are used to
make purchases at on-campus food service facilities. All
menu items have a cash price that includes both the food
costs and the base cost of operation. Since meal plan
members pay this base cost up front, on campus dining
purchases are significantly discounted with each visit.
Meal plan members receive 65 percent off the cash price
of prepared food purchases. For certain items, such as
prepackaged vendor items, no discount is given.
Level Options
The meal plan offers three level options, with varying
dining dollar amounts available to purchase meals.
Meal plan levels can be adjusted until seven days
before the end of the semester by visiting
eLiving.psu.edu, or funds can be added online by
visiting idcard.psu.edu or with cash/check/MasterCard/
Visa at the cashier station in any
Penn State Food Service operation.
Benefits of the Campus Meal Plan
• Access to the account at any dining facility
operated by Penn State Housing and
Food Services
• Easy, cash-free spending with the id+ Card
• 65 percent discount for members
Penn State Commuter Meal PlanThe Commuter Meal Plan is designed specifically for students who live
off campus. All the delicious food and healthy choices your residence hall
friends enjoy can be yours too.
Here’s how it works:
• Two levels to choose from
• Charge it to your Bursar Account
• 10 percent discount on Food Services prepared items at on-campus locations
• Accessed conveniently with your Penn State id+ Card
• Available for the fall and spring semesters
Getting the PlanThe Commuter Meal Plan can be
purchased at eLiving.psu.edu and
charged directly to your Bursar
Account. The plan can be added to
your semester bill only until your
bill is generated by the Bursar. Fall
bills are prepared beginning in
mid-July and spring bills in early
November. Refer to
bursar.psu.edu/paybill.cfm for more
information regarding your bill.
Missed a Due Date?LionCash+ shares the same benefits
as the Commuter Meal Plan. It can
be used for both on- and off-campus
purchases. Visit idcard.psu.edu/
lioncash for more information.
LionCash+LionCash+ is an online, prepaid flexible spending
account accessed with the Penn State id+ Card.
Just deposit money into your account and enjoy
the convenience of making cash-free purchases
at participating locations. LionCash+ is also the
method used to pay for on-campus laundry. Funds
can be added at any time, and family and friends
can make deposits at idcard.psu.edu.
LionCash+ also complements the Campus Meal
Plan. If you run out of dining dollars, on-campus
dining registers will automatically default to your
LionCash+ account. If there are enough to cover
the purchase, funds will be withdrawn from the
LionCash+ account and processed at the meal plan
rate. LionCash+ is accepted on campus at the Penn
State Bookstore and on-campus food locations, as
well as at other Penn State campuses and select
off-campus merchants. To learn more and view the
complete list of participating merchants, visit
idcard.psu.edu.
Special DeliveryA perfect surprise for any occasion, Housing and
Food Services offer the Special Delivery program,
allowing parents and family members to purchase
treats such as decorated cakes, fruit baskets, pizza,
and more for their special Penn State student.
Available online at hfs.psu.edu/special-delivery.
The Housing ProcessFirst-year students accept their offer of admission
by logging on to MyPennState using their Friends of
Penn State (FPS) account. You’ll be able to see if on-
campus housing is available at that time. If housing
is available, you must accept the offer of admission
and pay a $230 non-refundable general deposit fee
as well as a $100 non-refundable housing reservation
fee, for a total of $330. Then you must agree to the
Terms, Conditions, and Regulations of the Housing
Contract and the housing and financial statements.
After completing those steps, you’ll have successfully
accepted your offer of admission and the Housing
Contract. A confirmation email will be sent to the
address on file.
The Campus Meal Plan will automatically be
defaulted to level three; to modify the meal plan level
or add housing preferences (building, roommate, etc.),
log on to eLiving using your FPS account. You can
change your preferences until May 15.
Please note, housing fills quickly — even though you
have until May 1 to accept the offer of admission,
housing can be full by late winter. Unfortunately,
we’re not able to accommodate all students who
want to live on campus.
If housing is full when you accept your offer of
admission, you have other options. These may include
adding your name to the Waitlist (although adding
your name does not guarantee an offer will be made),
seeking off-campus housing, or changing to another
Penn State campus that still has
housing available.
Contact InformationHousing and Food Services
Penn State Altoona
3000 Ivyside Drive
Altoona PA 16601-3760
altoonacampusliving.psu.edu
facebook.com/psaahfs
Food Services
814-949-5400
Housing
814-949-5713
Penn State Altoona
altoona.psu.edu
Admissions 814-949-5466 or
toll-free 800-848-9843
admissions.psu.edu
Academic Affairs
814-949-5090
Advising Center
814-949-5084
eLiving
eLiving.psu.edu
LionPATH
lionpath.psu.edu
Friends of Penn State
(access account information)
fps.psu.edu
Penn State Housing and Food Services is a caring organization, providing quality food, housing, and customer service while supporting the University’s mission.
This publication is available in alternative media on request.
The Pennsylvania State University is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to programs, facilities, admission, and employment without regard to personal characteristics not related to ability, performance, or qualifications as determined by University policy or by state and federal authorities. It is the policy of the University to maintain an academic and work environment free of discrimination, including harassment. The Pennsylvania State University prohibits discrimination and harassment against any person because of age, ancestry, color, disability or handicap, national origin, race, religious creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Discrimination or harassment against faculty, staff, or students will not be tolerated at The Pennsylvania State University. Direct all inquiries regarding the discrimination policy to the Affirmative Action Director, The Pennsylvania State University, 328 Boucke Building, University Park, PA 16802-5901; Tel 814-865-4700/V, 814-863-1150/TTY.
U.Ed. Aux 16-99
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