Campus Life

Time is running out for students to order required COVID-19 tests

All students must have a negative COVID-19 test result from a University-provided test on file

Credit: Patrick Mansell / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As the Feb. 15 return to in-person instruction approaches, all Penn State students at all campus locations are reminded that they must have a negative COVID-19 test result from a University-provided test on file prior to, and within 72 hours of, their return to their campus community.

All students are urged to log in to the “Know Your Status” portal immediately to make sure they have completed the testing requirement, and to get started with ordering a test from Vault Health if they have not done so already. Vault Health self-test kits will be provided to students at no cost.

This requirement applies to all undergraduate and graduate students, including international students and students who remained on campus or in their campus community over the winter break, as well as students taking a fully remote or online course load (including World Campus students) if they are residing in Centre County or live within 20 miles of a Penn State campus.

Students who do not fulfill the testing requirement will not be able to move in to on-campus housing and/or participate in on-campus activities until they complete the testing process. 

Students who did not leave their campus community over the winter break should request and complete a test now. Students who are returning to their campus communities should plan ahead so that their test results are on file prior to their return. For help with planning, students can use the COVID-19 Testing Requirements Checklist.

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days of their planned return do not need to complete the testing if their positive result is on file in the “Know Your Status” portal. Positive results from University testing will automatically be recorded in the portal. Students can upload a positive result from a third-party PCR test from the last 90 days via myUHS.

Learn more about how to get started with this required testing in this Penn State News article, and by visiting the testing and support page on the University’s official coronavirus information website.

Last Updated February 2, 2021