If your apartment complex or house has parking spaces included (or at least available), consider yourself blessed. For the rest of us, finding long-term parking near downtown State College is nothing short of a miracle. Here’s our official guide to parking options on campus and downtown.

On-Campus Parking

Even if you’re not living on campus, parking on campus lots might be the easiest choice for those living in the downtown area. Permits for long-term storage parking cost $180 per semester right now.

If you’re living in a campus residence hall, you can purchase a parking spot near your dorm cluster for $320 per semester. This includes Eastview Terrace, Nittany Apartments, South Halls, Pollock Halls, East Halls, North Halls, and West Halls. Those living in White Course Apartments and Remote Residents can secure similar parking permits for just $144.

You need to complete at least 28 credits to be eligible for any on-campus parking. Basically, if you’re a freshman, you can’t have a car on campus.

Off-Campus Parking

Like we mentioned above, the easiest way to find parking downtown or even farther from campus is through your realtor. If you can’t get parking through your rental, this is where things could get interesting…and expensive.

You could take the traditional approach and ask your Class of 20XX Facebook group if anyone is subletting a parking space for the semester. We’ve seen mixed results with this option. Students and permanent residents also use Craigslist to advertise open parking spots they’re trying to lease for the semester or the year, but be wary of anything that may seem like a scam.

For an added option, Parking Bee is a startup from Penn State alumni who went through the Happy Valley LaunchBox accelerator program. There aren’t many available spots listed now, but we imagine the majority of spots become available right before the fall semester.

You can also find a spot through some of the landlords downtown, even if you don’t rent from them. Westside Village offers their spots to both residents and non-residents throughout State College, as does the Apartment Store.

There’s perks to keeping your whip in State College with you, but it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the hassle of parking. Happy hunting!