Although about 1,533 students are still waiting for on-campus housing contracts for the next academic year, Penn State is not planning on additional accommodations for the future.

Lynn DuBois, associate director of housing, said there are no plans to add on-campus housing, because contributing factors, such as first-year student enrollment and high school graduation rates, vary each year.

"We're not responding to something today that might be a blip that won't affect the future," she said.

Paul Ruskin, Office of Physical Plant spokesman, also said there are no immediate plans for on-campus housing construction in the near future.

DuBois said if a new housing facility is built and student interest in on-campus housing decreases, the costs for amenities will still need to be covered for the new building. She added that payment for amenities, such as heat, repairs and water, do not come from tuition or state appropriations, but entirely from student housing costs.

Housing contracts for regular and supplemental rooms were released last week through a lottery system.

Fourteen students did not receive housing contracts last year, while 1,533 were denied contracts for the 2006-2007 year. Those who did not receive contracts were put on a waiting list.

Housing officials have previously attributed the 1,500-person increase to a larger demand for on-campus housing and the renovations in North Halls.

DuBois said students can place their names on the waiting list if they still desire to live on campus next year. The waiting list is accepting names and constantly being updated.

DuBois said the only way the 751 men and 782 women will receive an offer to live on campus is if another student gives up his or her contract after finding other housing arrangements. She added the students on the list could remove their names without penalty if they find other housing.

Housing does not have statistics to predict how many of the 1,500 students on the waiting list could receive contracts, DuBois said.

Jessica Silko (freshman-journalism) said she did not receive a contract and was put on the waiting list, so she got a last-minute apartment lease.

Silko said she wished she were notified sooner about not getting a contract to avoid the last-minute rush at the end of January.

"I was afraid of not getting anything, especially close to campus," Silko said.

James Calvert (sophomore-architectural engineering), another student who rushed to find housing for next year, said he thought he received a contract, but it was a housing mistake.

"They are not holding themselves responsible for their actions," Calvert said.

DuBois said as far as she knows, no mistakes were made while giving housing contracts. However, if mistakes were made, students should notify housing.

DuBois said to help students find housing for next year, residence areas will host off-campus information workshops starting Thursday to give students help in finding off-campus housing.

Mary Frantz, chief operating officer at The Apartment Store, 444 E. College Ave., which owns 40 buildings downtown, said there are a limited number of three-bedroom apartments available and several one and two-bedrooms available at University Terrace, on Bellaire Avenue.

She added that Park Hill Apartments, 478 E. Beaver Ave., sold out yesterday, but there they still have one-bedroom apartments and efficiencies at different locations.

According to its Web site, GN Associates, 119 S. Burrowes St., is still accepting applications for one-bedroom apartments for next year.

Kristen Holzwarth, property manager at Associated Realty Property Management, 456 E. Beaver Ave., was not available for comment yesterday. In a Jan. 13 article in The Daily Collegian, Holzwarth said its properties are usually about 90 percent rented by the end of January.

Continental Real Estate Management Inc., 333 S. Allen St., declined to comment.