University Park 2026 Fall
Welcome to Penn State!
We’re thrilled to have you on campus. Our goal is to make your move-in day smooth and stress-free.
Plan ahead: review move-in info, complete your to-do list, and pack smart. Central PA weather has a personality of its own, and it’s been known to rain during Arrival. Dress in comfortable layers and bring a rain jacket.
Enjoy the excitement, visit our dining locations or convenience stores for a snack, take some photos, and embrace this milestone moment. Your Penn State journey starts here—make it memorable!
Once room assignments are posted, students can Schedule Move-In on eLiving for their planned arrival day. Students can select the date that works best for them - no pre-approval is required. The availability of dates/times depends on each student's assigned building. White Course Apartments and Pollock Halls residents must review the special arrival instructions before arriving.
Important 2026 Fall Arrival Dates
- Fall semester room assignments post in eLiving at 12 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 28, 2026.
- The Room Exchange eBoard is available in eLiving from 12 p.m. ET Tuesday, July 28 through 12 p.m. ET Monday, Aug. 10, 2026.
- Schedule Move-In is available for selection after room assignments are posted. One-hour time slots are available on Monday to Wednesday, and 30-minute time slots on Thursday to Saturday.
Arrival To-Do List
- Schedule Move-In through eLiving for your planned arrival date.
- Review the special arrival instructions for White Course Apartments and Pollock Halls before arriving.
- Activate your Penn State Mobile id+ card to access your building and room.
- Upload immunizations to myUHS.
- Download the Penn State Go app.
- Apply for a parking permit and bicycle registration through Transportation Services.
- Assign a delegate in LionPATH who can discuss your Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract details with staff.
Packages may be shipped in advance of your arrival, but cannot be received prior to Aug. 10, 2026. Learn more about your mailing address and how to receive mail and packages.
Storage Squad offers the Room Direct service, which ships items directly to your room.
"Living on campus allows me to have more Penn State experiences beyond myself. With all the members on your floor, in your residence hall and conversations in the dining hall, you get to hear all the amazing things happening around Penn State."
- Cassandra Z., Kinesiology
Arrival Day
Follow these steps for a smooth Arrival:
- Verify your Schedule Move-In on eLiving and complete self-check-in up to 2 hours before that time to activate your access to your building, room, and dining plan. Pollock Halls residents must check in at the Pollock Commons Desk.
- Proceed to your designated residence hall Unloading Zone and activate the unloading timer in eLiving.
- Visit the Cart Tent to sign out a moving cart.
- Proceed to your room and unload your belongings within the designated time. Follow the digital locks instructions.
- Move your vehicle to long-term parking at Jordan East Parking Lot by the Bryce Jordan Center.
- Complete the room inspection form on eLiving within 7 days of moving in.
Special Instructions
Pollock Hall Residents with Physical Keys (Beaver, Hartranft, Mifflin, Porter, Shunk)
After entering the unloading zone and activating your timer, students must go to the Pollock Commons Desk to officially check in. Family members should remain with the vehicle and begin to unload while the student checks in.
Residents assigned to Ritner and Wolf Halls can utilize the self-check-in feature.
White Course Apartments
Undergraduate students with an HFS Contract assigned to Dunham, Garban, and Grubb Halls can utilize the self-check-in feature.
Graduates and students with families who have a White Course Apartment Lease will check in at the Weston Community Center between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, based on their lease begin date.
Vehicle and Unloading Information
Students must be in the vehicle when entering the Unloading Zone. Vehicle hazard lights must be on at all times. Fall parking permit holders may park in their designated lot starting at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23. For more information about parking, visit Transportation Services.
| Housing Area | Residence Halls | Directions Link |
|---|---|---|
| East Halls | Brumbaugh, Earle, Hastings, Martin, McKean, Pennypacker, Snyder, Stone, Stuart, Tener | East-1 (IM Service Drive) |
| Bigler, Curtin, Geary, Packer, Sproul, Pinchot | East-2 (East Parking Deck) | |
| Pollock Halls | Mifflin, Ritner, Shunk, Wolf | Pollock-1 (Pollock Building) |
| Beaver, Hartranft, Porter | South-1 (McKean Road) | |
| South Halls | Chace, Cross, Ewing, Haller, Lyons, McElwain, Simmons | South-1 (McKean Road) |
| Atherton | Atherton Service Drive | |
| Cooper, Hibbs, Hoyt, Stephens | South-3 (Redifer Parking Lot) | |
| North Halls | Beam, Holmes, Leete, Robinson, Runkle | North (Robinson Lot) |
| West Halls | Hamilton, Irvin, Jordan, McKee, Thompson, Watts | West (Burrowes Road) |
| Eastview Terrace | Brill, Curry, Harris, Miller, Nelson, Panofsky, Young | Eastview (Linden Road) |
| Nittany | All apartments, Nittany Hall | Nittany (McKean Road/Millennium Drive) |
| White Course Apartments | Dunham, Garban, Grubb, Patterson | White Course (Weston) |
Parking FAQs
What do I do if I have more than one vehicle?
Only one vehicle is permitted in the residence hall Unloading Zone for one trip only during peak arrival times (9 a.m. - 6 p.m.). If you have a second vehicle, it must be parked at the Jordan East Parking Lot.
Can I go through the unloading zone more than once?
You may re-enter the Unloading Zone after 6 p.m. and can reactivate the unloading timer for one hour.
How much time do I have to unload my vehicle?
Navigate to your designated residence hall Unloading Zone on your mobile device. You have 30-minutes to unload your vehicle while in the Unloading Zone. Hazard lights must be turned on while unloading.
Upon entering the Unloading Zone, you will be instructed to use the "unloading timer" feature in eLiving to add your vehicle information and start your 30-minute unloading session.
Where do I go after I am finished unloading my vehicle?
After unloading, your vehicle must be moved to the Jordan East Parking Lot. Passengers can walk or use the shuttle to the housing area.
How should I unload my U-Haul or oversized vehicle?
For safety, large vehicles/U-Hauls/trailers/RVs are not permitted in the residence hall Unloading Zones and must remain in the Jordan East Parking Lot.
I am arriving in an Uber/Lyft/Taxi. Can they come into the unloading zone?
If you will be using an Uber/Lyft/Taxi, or will be dropped off without needing to unload, please have the driver follow the same directions to the appropriate unloading zone. Parking staff will allow the vehicle to enter, drop off, and exit.
Commons Desks Operations
If any assistance is required, stop by the indicated Commons Desk Operation, which is open 24 hours a day. Students assigned to a Pollock residence hall that has a physical room key must visit the Pollock Commons Desk to pick up their key and complete their check-in process.
| Housing Area | Residence Halls | Commons Desk |
|---|---|---|
| East Halls | Bigler, Brumbaugh, Curtin, Earle, Geary, Hastings, Martin, McKean, Packer, Pennypacker, Pinchot, Snyder, Stuart, Sproul, Stone, Tener | Findlay Commons |
| Pollock Halls | Beaver^, Hartranft^, Mifflin^, Porter^, Shunk^, Ritner, Wolf | Pollock Commons |
| South Halls | Atherton, Chace, Cooper, Cross, Ewing, Haller, Hibbs, Hoyt, Lyons, McElwain, Simmons, Stephens | Redifer Commons |
| North Halls | Beam, Holmes, Leete, Robinson, Runkle | Warnock Commons |
| West Halls | Hamilton, Irvin, Jordan, McKee, Thompson, Watts | Waring Commons |
| Eastview Terrace | Brill, Curry, Harris, Miller, Nelson, Panofsky, Young | Redifer Commons |
| Nittany | All apartments, Nittany Hall | Pollock Commons |
| White Course Apartments | Dunham, Garban, Grubb, Patterson | Weston Community Center |
^indicates residence hall that have physical room keys
Late Arrival & Move-In
Residents arriving on or after August 24, 2026, should use the closest parking deck to their residence hall. Please be aware that some parking decks have height restrictions, and you may need to pay a parking fee upon exiting the deck.
Once you are in the Commons Building, proceed to the Commons Desk to officially check in for housing.
| Housing Area | Buildings | Commons Desk |
|---|---|---|
| East Halls | Bigler, Brumbaugh, Curtin, Earle, Geary, Hastings, Martin, McKean, Packer, Pennypacker, Pinchot, Snyder, Sproul, Stone, Stuart, Tener | Findlay Commons |
| Pollock Halls | Beaver, Hartranft, Mifflin, Porter, Ritner, Shunk, Wolf | Pollock Commons |
| South Halls | Atherton, Chace, Cooper, Cross, Ewing, Haller, Hibbs, Hoyt, Lyons, McElwain, Simmons, Stephens | Redifer Commons |
| North Halls | Beam, Holmes, Leete, Robinson, Runkle | Warnock Commons |
| West Halls | Hamilton, Irvin, Jordan, McKee, Thompson, Watts | Waring Commons |
| Eastview Terrace | Brill, Curry, Harris, Miller, Nelson, Panofsky, Young | Redifer Commons |
| Nittany | All apartments and Nittany Hall | Pollock Commons |
| White Course Apartments | Dunham, Garban, Grubb, Patterson | Weston Community Center |
What's in Your Room
Laundry rooms are available in every residence hall, and machines accept
Residence Halls
- Twin bed with mattress (purchase XL bedding - 80" x 36")
- Bookshelf
- Bulletin board (available in traditional residence hall rooms only)
- Chest of drawers
- Closet or wardrobe
- Desk with chair (Note: not all desks are equipped with a task light)
- Wi-Fi service
- Mirror
- Window treatment
- Microfridge (refrigerator/freezer/microwave unit - one per room)
- Smoke detector (one per room)
- Trash can (one per room)
Nittany and White Course Apartments
- Bedroom includes: XL twin bed with mattress (some Nittany Apartments offer an XL full-size bed with mattress), carpeting or vinyl plank/laminate flooring, chest of drawers, closet, desk and chair, smoke detector (one per room).
- Living/Dining includes: carpeting or vinyl plank/laminate flooring, coffee table, couch, two easy chairs, two end tables, one floor lamp, two table lamps, table and four chairs.
- Kitchen includes: garbage disposal, refrigerator, oven and microwave.
- General includes: Wi-Fi service, carpeting or vinyl plank/laminate flooring, window coverings (curtains or roller shades), and heating/central air conditioning.
- Laundry: washer and dryer units are provided only in White Course Apartments. Nittany Apartments has a laundry facility available in the Nittany Community Center.
What to Pack
Items available for check-out at the Commons Desks:
- Cleaning Supplies
- Recreational Equipment (basketballs, Spikeball, volleyballs, ping pong paddles, pool cues, etc.)
- Vacuum cleaners
- Tool Kit
Please visit your residence hall building page or the Room Decoration Guidelines in the Terms, Conditions, and Regulations to learn more about what product to use to hang items in your room.
- Baskets for toiletries and storage
- Cleaning supplies and paper towels
- Computer, printer, and cables
- Desk lamp, desk supplies
- Fan (portable), box fan for window
- Financial items (checking/savings account, credit/debit card, health insurance card, Social Security card, driver's license, etc.)
- First-Aid kit (band-aids, cotton balls, cotton swabs, cold/cough medicine, aspirin, thermometer)
- Food items (can opener, bottled beverages, coffee maker with automatic shutoff, one set of silverware/plates/bowls/glasses, snacks, dish detergent/towel)
- Games (cards, board games)
- Game consoles and cables
- Hangers
- Laundry bag/basket and detergent
- Padlocks for desk, laptop, and bike
- Room decorations
- Sewing kit/safety pins
- Sheets, pillow, and blanket - for extra-long twin bed (80" x 36")
- Toiletry items
- Towels
- Umbrella, rain boots
What to Leave Behind
Smoking is prohibited in all residence halls, common areas, and dining facilities. Alcohol is prohibited on campus, regardless of the resident's age.
- Air Conditioning units, including portable units and "swamp coolers"
- Alcohol
- Appliances: air fryers, griddles, instapots, rice cookers, toasters, toaster ovens, etc.
- Ashtrays
- Candles and incense
- Ceiling fans
- Firearms
- Fitness Equipment
- Grills
- Halogen lamps
- Heaters
- LED strip-lighting
- Pets (small fish tanks up to 5 gallons are allowed)
- Pianos
- Skates, skateboards, and scooters
- Vacuum cleaners (available for check out at the commons desk)
- Window Treatments (blinds, draperies)
- Wireless Routers
Please refer to the HFS Contract Terms, Conditions, and Regulations for more detailed information. Since only one vehicle per student is permitted to unload, be careful not to overpack.
Beyond Arrival. Welcome to your new home.
Living with a Roommate and In a Community
Living with a roommate is a great experience and helps you learn more about yourself and how to communicate and relate effectively to others. Knowing how to take responsibility for yourself and how to respect others are valuable skills in all relationships. Living in a community also brings a responsibility to residents - safety and security are very important, and you play an important part in keeping yourself and your community safe. If you see something, say something. University Police are available by calling 814-863-1111.
To support the mission of providing a safe, comfortable, secure, and nurturing living-learning environment that is conducive to students' academic pursuits and personal growth while fostering a sense of community, civic responsibility, and an appreciation of diversity, the University offers Residence Life staff in every residence hall and apartment area. Residence Life staff include student and professional staff members who live in the community and are available 24/7 to provide information and resources, offer help and support, plan social and educational activities, and address residents' concerns.
Resources for Living On Campus
Contact Us
Share your Arrival experience and enter to win a tin of cookies from the Penn State Bakery.
Get Connected Follow Us
Get connected with us on social networks!