Find answers to frequently asked questions regarding Pitt Arrival and the student move-in process below. Please be advised that answers to our frequently asked questions could change.
Have another question? Contact us!
Move-in Dates & Times
Yes. To accommodate a high volume of student arrivals, you will receive a specific move-in date and time via your Pitt email address. You can also view your move-in date and time on our website.
You will receive your move-in date and time in mid-July in an email titled “Notice of Housing Assignment” via your Pitt email address. You can also view your move-in date and time on our website.
If you are not able to move in on your assigned date, please move in on one of the other designated Arrival days. You do not need to contact Panther Central to change your date and time. Please note that your date and time have been chosen with your safety and convenience in mind, and please try to move in at that time.
All early move-ins before August 18 (that are not associated with a Pitt-sponsored program) must receive prior approval from Panther Central. If you would like to request an early move-in, please contact Panther Central as soon as possible. If you wish to move in on or after August 18, you do not need to contact Panther Central to change your date and time. Instead, please move in on one of the other designated Arrival days. Please note that your date and time have been chosen with your safety and convenience in mind, and please try to move in at that time.
No, you do not need to follow the instructions in your Notice of Housing Assignment email if you are affiliated with a Pitt-sponsored program. Instead, follow the move-in dates and instructions provided by your program manager(s).
Housing
We are unable to offer in-person building tours due to summer programming. However, you can take a virtual tour of campus and your residence hall at your leisure.
View our University Housing pages for a complete list of amenities located in your room and residence hall.
Pack for Pitt
Prepare for Pitt by packing appropriately! Review our packing list to ensure that you are not bringing prohibited items and are only packing the essentials.
Volunteers
The benefits of volunteering for Pitt Arrival include, but are not limited to, moving in early, receiving a free t-shirt, receiving a free meal during your shift(s), gaining invaluable leadership and customer service experience, and making new friends.
The volunteering requirements range from 12 hours for both Volunteer and Supervisor positions to 40+ hours for Assistant Pitt Arrival Coordinator positions. Learn more about the different Pitt Arrival volunteer positions here.
There are three different Pitt Arrival volunteer positions: Volunteer, Supervisor, and Assistant Coordinator.
Volunteers are responsible for assisting students and families moving into on-campus housing by staffing cart rental stations, carrying boxes, coordinating short-term parking, and completing other duties as assigned. All Student Volunteers work three, four-hour shifts requiring a total commitment for 12 hours. No prior experience with Pitt Arrival is required.
Supervisors are responsible for taking attendance of Volunteers and ensuring that Volunteers are aware of their duties at the beginning of each shift. Supervisors assist students and families moving into on-campus housing by staffing cart rental stations, helping students activate their IDs, carrying boxes, coordinating parking efforts, and completing other duties as assigned. All Supervisors work three, four-hour shifts, requiring a total commitment of 12 hours. No prior experience with Pitt Arrival is required.
Assistant Coordinators are responsible for assisting Pitt Arrival Coordinators throughout the entire week of Pitt Arrival. Each Assistant Coordinator will be assigned to an area on campus that they are in charge of overseeing. Assistant Coordinators are responsible for taking attendance from Supervisors, ensuring that Volunteers and Supervisors are aware of their duties at the beginning of each shift, training Volunteers and Supervisors as necessary, and resolving issues that arise in their designated area. Assistant Coordinators are required to work each day during the week of Pitt Arrival, with exact hour requirements detailed at a later date. Select applicants for this position will be contacted for an interview with Arrival Coordinators prior to acceptance. No prior experience with Pitt Arrival is required.
The volunteer application for Pitt Arrival 2024 is now closed. Stay up to date with information regarding volunteer positions and applications for Pitt Arrival 2025.
Staff and faculty can sign up online to volunteer as a Welcome To Pitt greeter during Arrival. Greeters allocate carts, distribute parent/helper wristbands, and hand out welcome gifts.
Panther Card (Student ID)
Your Panther Card, also known as your Pitt ID, is the tool that every student, faculty, and staff member needs on their first day to access essential campus services. The magnetic strip on your Panther Card is programmed to give you access to your residence hall, meal plan, transportation, and much more.
Panther Central does not accept walk-in appointments for ID photos. All Pitt students, faculty, and staff who need an official ID are required to pre-submit a photo. Follow our photo guidelines and pre-submit a photo for your Panther Card today.
If you submitted your photo by the deadline, your Panther Card will be mailed to your home address. If you missed the deadline, you will need to pick up your card at Panther Central in Litchfield Towers BEFORE checking in at your Arrival welcome station.
Your Panther Card will be mailed to the address we have on file. You can verify or update your address here.
Contact Panther Central if you do not receive your Panther Card prior to your scheduled move-in date and time.
Contact Panther Central immediately if you missed the deadline to pre-submit your photo for your Panther Card.
Parking
Download and print your official 2024 Pitt Arrival Parking Pass. Place it on your dashboard as you approach Oakland so our volunteers can easily identify you as a new arrival and direct you to the most convenient parking location.
Due to a limited number of available on-campus parking spaces, we are only able to provide one Pitt Arrival parking pass per student.
View a list of our parking locations to find one closest to your residence hall.
Some parking locations will require you to move your vehicle to a long-term parking location after one hour to allow for other students and their helpers to move into your building. However, your helpers are welcome to relocate their vehicle to long-term parking to finish helping you unpack.
View a list of our long-term parking locations to find one closest to your residence hall.
Pitt Eats
Your meal plan begins on August 18, 2024. Check out the Pitt EATS hours for Arrival week and our recommendations for where to eat during Arrival.
You can find hours for all on-campus dining locations by visiting the Pitt Eats website.
Pitt Eats offers various options for students with food allergies. Pitt Eats also provides students with access to a licensed dietician. To learn more about these services, visit the Pitt Eats' website.
Yes, you can find fresh and prepared foods along with pantry staples at Forbes Street Market, our on-campus grocery store.
Dining Dollars are attached to your meal membership and can be used at participating off-campus vendors, while Panther Funds are pre-loaded cash amounts that can be used at a wide variety of both on and off-campus eateries and merchants.
Yes, 25% of your Dining Dollars funds are reserved for use at select off-campus vendors. Find a list of participating vendors here.
Pitt Mobility
You can use Pittsburgh Regional Transit and Pitt Shuttle transportation services for free as soon as you move into your on-campus accommodation. For routes and schedules, visit the Pitt Mobility website.
Yes, all Pitt students, faculty, and staff have unlimited, free access to 30-minute rides via Pitt’s partnership with POGOH. Learn more about POGOH at Pitt.
SafeRider is a complimentary transportation service available to Pitt students, faculty, and staff during the evening and early morning hours for special non-emergency needs. SafeRider has a 25-trip maximum each semester. Learn more about SafeRider.
Visit the Pitt Mobility website to learn more about their services.
Ship2Pitt
Ship2Pitt allows incoming campus residents to ship up to five boxes of personal belongings to their residence ahead of move-in.
Each student will receive five pre-paid shipping labels to ship their belongings to campus in no more than five boxes.
No, items shipped to your campus address from retailers, like Amazon, Target, and Walmart are not considered Ship2Pitt packages.
Each of your Ship2Pitt boxes can weigh no more than 50 lbs.
You can start shipping your packages as early as July 9. You will be able to generate your Ship2Pitt UPS labels from July 9 through July 31, and we encourage you to ship your packages by July 22.
Packages received after August 16, will be delivered to our central facility and will then be delivered to your mailroom. You will receive an email for further pick-up instructions. Please expect a 2-3 day delay in receiving packages that are shipped after August 1.
Yes, your Ship2Pitt packages will be conveniently delivered directly to your room. Any package received after August 16 will be delivered to your residence mailroom.
Note: Only Ship2Pitt packages will be delivered directly to your residence. All other packages will be sent directly to your mailroom for processing.
Bring your discarded cardboard boxes to the nearest Green Team member located at your Welcome Station. If one is available, place your boxes in the recycling bins located in your residence hall’s trash room
Contact your building’s RA if you have trouble locating your residence hall’s trash room.
General Questions
You can learn more about campus resources by visiting our resources page.
You can learn more about New Student Orientation here.
You can find the Welcome Week schedule here.