Housing Information: Penn State Altoona

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

[email protected]

[email protected]

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

[email protected]

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

[email protected]

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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