Housing for International Students

YSU does provide housing over break periods for students who live in the residence halls. If you are a student with an Academic Year contract (encompassing Fall and Spring semesters), you can request housing over winter break by visiting the Housing Contract Extension Request webpage to complete and submit your request. 

If you are a first-time undergraduate international student, you are required to live on campus in a YSU residence hall.   

• Fall-arriving students: Required to live on campus for the full academic year (Fall and Spring).

• Spring-arriving students: Required to live on campus for the Spring semester.

Note: J-1 exchange students and English Language Institute (ELI) participants must live in university housing for the duration of their program.

Any incoming undergraduate F-1 student who is enrolled as a full-time YSU student. Transfer, J-1, ELI and graduate students are not eligible to receive this scholarship.

The University will not disperse the scholarship funds to the student account until confirmation that official transcript has been received.  The University recommends enrolling in the University payment plan as the method of payment in case there is a delay in the scholarship being applied.  Once the scholarship funds are applied, future payments will automatically reflect the updated total. 

No.  The scholarship is only available for a period of two semesters for a student arriving in the Fall OR a one semester for a student arriving in the Spring. 

Yes. Housing scholarships awarded to international students who meet criteria for award do require tax reporting and withholding.  The withholding rate for students with F-1 or J-1 immigration status is 14%.  Scholarships awarded to students of other immigration status are subject to up to 30% withholding.  Recipients of taxable scholarships will receive a year-end tax form, IRS form 1042-S no later than March 15 of the following calendar year.  This form will then be used to file a tax return with the IRS by April 15. 

Your student account will feature your tuition AND your housing charge. Students may pay their YSU bill online through the Penguin Portal. The payment options are credit card, debit card, and electronic check. If a student is paying with a credit or debit card, there is a 2.85% convenience fee for each transaction. 
For complete directions on how to make payments through your Penguin Portal, please visit the Penguin Service Center | Pay Bill webpage. 

Payment Plan 

The university offers a payment plan to all YSU students. A payment plan allows students to divide their total account balance into equal monthly payments throughout the semester. There is also a $50 enrollment fee due with the first payment. The monthly payment installments are based on the total account balance divided by the number of remaining due dates for the semester (either four, three, or two). 
For more information about how to enroll into payment plan, please visit the Penguin Service Center |Enroll in Payment Plan webpage. 

Flywire and Transfermate 

Students needing to pay by international wire may also consider using Flywire or Transfermate. It should be noted that these options can take some time to process, so international students should plan accordingly by organizing payment prior to their travel to campus for move-in. 

For more information about how to pay through Flywire, please visit the University Bursar | How to Pay Through Flywire webpage. 
For more information about how to pay through Transfermate, please visit the University Bursar | How to Pay Through Transfermate webpage. 

Bank Drafts 

All bank drafts must be drawn on a US bank. If you wish to bring a bank draft, it should not exceed the total amount that is currently owed on your student account. If you bring a bank draft that is less than the full amount of your student account balance, you must have a plan for payment for the unpaid remainder of your balance, using one of the above methods. 

Students who wish to utilize the bank draft option, should upload a copy of their check for cashiers to view AHEAD of their arrival here in Youngstown: University Bursar Secure Document Upload (Please note, this will not initiate payment, but will provide the cashiers an opportunity to screen your bank draft ahead of your arrival) 

If you do not have plans to arrive on campus during business hours that the Cashiers Window is open, (M-F, 8am-2pm) the University urges you to consider a different payment method, as you will not be able to make payments upon your arrival outside of this timeframe. 

PLEASE NOTE: Cash is NOT an accepted method of payment for student accounts. 
 

For Additional Financial Resources for International Students to Consider, please visit the PNC International Students webpage. 

• Youngstown State University recognizes that some students may have valid reasons to request exemption from the international housing requirement. Exemption criteria have been established and students may request exemption by submitting a completed exemption form. The exemption application and documentation will be reviewed by Associate Vice President of Student Experience and Executive Director, International Programs.  

• Deadline to request exemption from the academic year contract: August 1  

• Deadline to request exemption from Spring only contract: December 1

• It is strongly recommended you do not make alternative housing arrangements until you have received written notification that your request for exemption has been approved.

• Inability to afford YSU housing will not be considered as grounds for an exemption as students must document sufficient liquid funds for one year’s academic and living costs in order to receive an I-20.

• Per International Program Office policy, students who will not reach 17 years of age by the time of enrollment are not eligible for admission, nor housing at the University 

• The student has resided in the region prior to enrolling at Youngstown State University for minimum of 6 months.  

• The student’s parents or other immediate family members reside in the region  

• The student is married or has a dependent

• The student has thirty or more transferred credits earned beyond high school graduation

• The student is over age 23

• The student has medical or other condition, subject to documentation and review

• The student has dietary restrictions that dining services cannot accommodate. Before submitting a request for exemption based on dietary restrictions, a student must complete this form to communicate their dietary needs to dining services.

• The student has extraordinary circumstances as determined by the by the Associate Vice President of Student Experience and Executive Director, International Programs. 

International Student Housing Requirement: Click Here to Access the Exemption Form

You are able to complete a housing contract online via your Housing Portal. 

Housing & Residence Life will make every effort for you to check directly into your assigned room. 

Official Spring 2026 International Move-In Date:
International students can begin moving in (at no extra charge) on December 30 — the same day the airport shuttle service (coordinated by ISSS) is available.

Early Arrival Info

If you are planning on arriving on December 30, here’s what to expect:

• You must request and be approved for early move-in.

• You’ll only be allowed to check in early if you’ve met all move-in criteria.

When You Won’t Be Allowed to Check In

To avoid surprises, here’s how to know if you’ll be denied check-in:

Arriving before December 30?
You’ll need to stay in a hotel.

Haven’t completed your housing application?
You’ll need to stay in a hotel until it’s submitted and approved.

Haven’t met move-in criteria?
This includes:

• Paying your full student account balance OR

• Enrolling in the University payment plan
  You’ll need to stay in a hotel until everything is complete.

Recommended Hotel

If you need a place to stay, the University suggests:

DoubleTree by Hilton Downtown
44 East Federal Plaza, Youngstown, OH
Call for reservations: +1-866-568-0896

Move-In Checklist

Before you arrive, make sure you’ve:

• Completed your housing application

• Paid your student account in full or enrolled in a payment plan

• Met all other move-in requirements

Students will receive their housing assignment and any roommate information via their YSU email.  Original roommate assignment and/or assigned roommate may ultimately change due to many factors; if this is the case, the Housing & Residence Life team will do their best to communicate updates to you prior to your arrival 

In the event that you would like to change rooms, please note room assignment requests must be received no later than the preferred application deadline for that term. A room freeze period is in effect the first two weeks following the start of classes for each semester and no request will be considered during this time.

After the room freeze period has ended, you should reach out to your RA and Housing Coordinator (the professional staff member who manages your residence hall).  Inquiries will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 

The cost to live on campus includes a full meal plan.  Meal plans for residential students are mandatory.  To review permitted items (cooking appliances, etc.) please review the resident handbook. All residence halls have kitchens which you are welcome to use outside of eating in the dining hall and other campus dining locations. 

There are washers and dryers available in every residence hall basement. Using the washers and dryers is free for all residents. 

• You are urged to comply with federal and state laws. 

• YSU is a tobacco free campus, use of tobacco products are prohibited within the residence halls.  

• Additionally, the residence halls are alcohol-free locations and residents are not permitted to consume alcohol (or any other drugs), regardless of their age. 

If you're a first-year international student, you're required to live in university housing — unless you've been officially granted an exemption.

If you don’t comply, here’s what could happen:

• You might be administratively withdrawn from the university (this means you could lose your enrollment).

• You could be charged residence hall fees for the semester(s) you were supposed to live on campus but didn’t.

If the Director of Housing & Residence Life finds that you didn’t live in university housing as required, they will notify university leadership. Once approved, you’ll either be withdrawn or charged the appropriate housing fees.