If you choose to attend Penn State Altoona (and we hope you will!), log in to your MyPennState account and select the "Click here to accept your offer of admission" button to take the next step.
When you accept your offer of admission, you will be asked to submit a non-refundable $230 enrollment deposit, which is payable online.
Transfer students should call the Penn State Altoona Housing Office at 814-949-5713 after receiving an offer of admission to discuss the availability of on-campus housing.
If housing is available, Housing and Food Services staff will verify that you accepted your offer of admission and paid the enrollment fee before offering you a housing contract. You must log on to eLiving and accept the housing contract within the required timeframe. You will then need to submit a non-refundable housing fee via check or money order payable to Penn State. You cannot submit the housing fee until the Housing Office offers you a contract and you accept that contract online.
If housing is not available when you accept your offer of admission, you may choose to be placed on the housing waitlist or secure private, off-campus housing.
Students are not required to live on campus, and there are several off-campus housing options available, many within walking distance of campus. Information about off-campus living is available on the Off-campus Living page.
Students may choose between three meal plan levels. When you purchase one of the meal plan levels, you are doing so for an entire semester. Your Housing and Food Service (HFS) Contract defaults to level 2, and you can change the level at any time in eLiving until the last day of the semester. Any remaining dining dollars at the end of the contracted period are non-refundable. Each time you visit a dining facility operated by Penn State Housing and Food Services, simply present your Penn State ID to the cashier to pay.
If you plan to live on campus, the meal plan is a part of the Housing and Food Service Contract, and you do not need to submit a separate contract.
If you live off-campus, you can purchase a meal plan on eLiving and charge it directly to your Bursar Account.
You can access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online after December 1.
The priority filing deadline for Penn State is January 1, but students may still send in the FAFSA after this date.
Students will begin to receive their aid award notifications in early April. Aid award notifications will be posted to the student’s MyPennState account.
Whether you are still thinking about Penn State or have already accepted your offer of admission, we encourage you to attend our Accepted Student Program during the spring semester.
Check the Visit Us site for the date and to register.
The Transfer Student Orientation (TSO) process will become available to you in March once you have accepted your offer of admission. We'll email you at the address used on your Penn State application, so be sure to check often!
Our TSO Task List is a comprehensive list of all the action items you must complete before starting at Penn State, such as submitting required communications and taking the ALEKS Math Assessment, if applicable. Whether you will be required to take ALEKS will depend on your prior coursework and the major to which you are applying.
While participation in Transfer Student Orientation (TSO) is not required, we strongly encourage it! TSO is how you will prepare for scheduling with an academic adviser.
In early August, an electronic bill (eBill) will be emailed to your official University email account, if activated, with instructions to view and/or pay the bill via LionPATH. The payment options will be explained, and any awarded financial aid will show as “Estimated Financial Aid.” Please note that no paper bills will be mailed.
Parents and Guardians: Become an Authorized Payer
Parents and guardians whose student gives them authorized payer access through LionPATH will receive a message that the bill is available. Parents and guardians can log in to view the bill.
Signing your financial Responsibility Statement is the step that finalizes your course registration and ensures that your name appears on class rosters. This information can be found in your “To-Do List” in LionPATH.
Penn State requires all undergraduate students who have accepted their offer of admission to provide documentation showing their high school completion status. Be sure to submit your official high school transcripts stating the date of graduation.
Transfer students who applied while a semester was in progress will be required to submit official college transcripts with the final grades.
May 1 is the nationally recommended date for students to accept their offer of admission for summer and fall admission.
All students are permitted to have a car on campus. Student parking fees and registration can be found online on the Parking website.
Penn State Altoona students have free access to all Amtran bus routes with their student ID. Buses run between the Ivyside and downtown campuses and throughout the Altoona area, including various shopping plazas, restaurants, and movie theatres.
Move-in for transfer students living on campus is typically the Friday before the first day of classes, which is typically a Monday in late August.
We can’t wait to see you on campus!
