On May 7, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Council of Trustees reviewed three expanded capacity housing styles and approved adjusted rates for the expanded capacity housing.
The housing styles and rates will be available for students for fall 2026.
The recommendation was developed by IUP Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Segar and presented to the Council of Trustees by IUP President Michael Driscoll.
“We’ve seen sustained and increased demand for on-campus housing over the past four years,” Vice President Segar said. “We have worked hard to make on-campus housing both affordable and more appealing, through programmatic changes and the tiered housing scholarship model. “Students have responded very positively to on-campus living, including for the second, third, and fourth year,” he said.
“Data clearly shows that students who live on campus are more involved in university activities and organizations, have a stronger sense of community, and have higher grade point averages compared to students who live in off-campus housing,” Vice President Segar said. “We want to do everything we can to increase the number of beds available for students who want to live in on-campus housing,” he said.
New first-time students have a two-semester residency requirement. Exceptions are made for students who commute within 50 miles from the home of a parent or guardian, are married, have dependent children living with them, are veterans, are 21 or older, or who are culinary graduates.
As of April 1, there were 2,518 students who submitted on-campus housing contracts; historically, the university has seen up to 900 additional requests for on-campus housing throughout the summer to the beginning of the fall semester, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Valerie Baroni said. IUP has around 3,300 beds available in on-campus housing.
The current contracting rate has outpaced historical patterns, resulting in more housing contracts than anticipated, with high projections for continued housing contracting, especially among new students, Baroni said.
Because students in these expanded capacity spaces for three and six students will have reduced personal space, the rates for these expanded capacity spaces are reduced from the established rates for the same spaces shared by two and four students.
These new configurations and rate adjustments (per student and per semester) are:
- Reconfiguring a two-person shared semi-suite to a three-person shared semi-suite. The cost will be $3,400 for the expanded capacity space; the cost for two students in a two-person semi-suite is $4,150.
- Reconfiguring a two-person shared suite to a three-person shared suite. The cost will be $3,990 for the expanded capacity shared suite; the cost for two students in a two-person shared suite is $4,490.
- Shifting a four-person shared suite to a six-person shared suite. The cost will be $3,990 for the expanded capacity space; the cost for four students in a four-person shared suite is $4,490.
The three-person shared semi-suite and three-person shared suite are the two most popular new options for students; as of May 1, 130 students have selected these expanded capacity spaces.
Students in the expanded capacity housing will be charged a per diem rate for the amount of time they are living in these spaces to ensure that their cost is reflective of the living environment.
“We anticipate that as we begin the fall semester, many of the students in the expanded capacity housing will be able to move to the traditional two-person, or four-person housing spaces if they choose to do so,” Baroni said.
A total of 3,008 students were in university housing on the Indiana and Punxsutawney campuses this fall, up from 2,842 students living in university housing in fall 2024.
This number includes a record-breaking percentage of students who lived on campus during the 2024–25 academic year who returned to on-campus housing for 2025–26.
A total of 47.3 percent of students who lived on campus during the 2024–25 academic year have returned to on-campus housing, up from 42 percent of students who lived on campus during the 2023–24 academic year and returned to campus housing for 2024–25.
Currently, 40 percent of all students living on campus are continuing students, and 60 percent are new students.
More than $2.5 million in housing scholarships have been given annually to students, for a total of more than $10 million in housing scholarships since 2021.
Under the university’s tiered scholarship plan, approved by the IUP Council of Trustees in fall 2024, the university continues its $1,000 housing scholarship ($500 each semester) to students living in one of IUP’s eight suite-style residence halls for the first year.
Starting in fall 2025, students choosing to live in university housing for a second year receive a housing scholarship of $1,500 ($750 per semester), and students choosing to live in university housing for a third or fourth year receive a $2,000 housing scholarship ($1,000 per semester).
While housing styles and fees vary, with the housing scholarships plan in place, housing costs average $7,950 for first-year residents, $7,450 for second-year residents, and $6,950 for third- and fourth-year residents.
In addition to the expanded capacity housing, IUP’s housing includes a number of suite arrangements for one, two, or four students in its eight buildings.
The current buildings are part of IUP’s $245-million, four-phase Residential Revival and include Susan Snell Delaney Hall and Donna D. Putt Hall, opened in fall 2007; the Suites on Maple East, Major General Rodney D. Ruddock Hall, and Northern Suites, opened in fall 2008; Gealy W. Wallwork Hall and the Suites on Pratt, opened in fall 2009; and Andrew W. Stephenson Hall, opened in fall 2010.
The Foundation for IUP owns the buildings, which are managed by the university.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary during the 2025–26 academic year and through the Impact 150 comprehensive campaign, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking to its next 150 years of student success, innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.