Penn State Harrisburg’s student ID cards will be going through a major change in the 2022-2023 school year. The change comes as part of Penn State’s One Penn State 2025 initiative, which aims to connect the various Penn State campuses in new and innovative ways by 2025. The new design and functions mark the first time the cards have had a massive change since long before the pandemic.

Contrary to the current ID cards, the new ID cards are horizontal instead of vertical. The cards are overall lighter in color with a wavy background. Instead of the Nittany Lion Statue, the Nittany Lion mascot appears, holding his finger up in a “#1” gesture. The back remains relatively unchanged.

The cards also have multiple brand new features, the most exciting of which is touchless payment. This allows students to make purchases with Lioncash with a touch instead of a swipe, ensuring that purchasing food at Stacks goes a little bit smoother and a little bit faster. Other campuses like University Park have also started implementing contactless entry to buildings and classrooms, but information has not been released about whether or not these features will be added to Harrisburg’s campus.

Dora Kong, a freshman studying film, is one of the students who has already received the new ID. “Comparatively, (the touchless payment) is more convenient. Like, when you have a bunch of stuff in Stacks, it’s easier to touch it instead of swipe.”

At the moment, the new cards are only being printed in case of need due to lack of supply. If you need to have your card replaced because it was broken, stolen, or lost, it’s a $20 charge. However, Housing and Food Services has stated that once the new cards are ready, all students will be able to change out their cards for free. An email will be sent to the student body once the new cards are available.