State of Pa Programs

PHEAA State Grant

The Pennsylvania State Grant Program is administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and provides grant assistance to undergraduate students enrolled in at least a two-year program and who are Pennsylvania residents. Students must be enrolled at least half time (at least 6 credits) in order to qualify for the program as well. Eligibility is determined by PHEAA, and awards range between $200 and $4,120. Recipients must also be high school graduates or have a Pennsylvania GED. Receipt of the PHEAA State Grant assistance may not exceed the equivalent of eight semesters of full time award for a four-year program or four semesters of full time award for a two-year program. The FAFSA must be filed each year prior to May 1 in order to be considered for eligibility.

Online Courses
Students who may be eligible for a PHEAA state grant and are interested in taking on-line courses must keep in mind that in order to receive the state grant you must take an equal number of on-line credits and classroom credits during an academic year. For example, if a full time student takes 12 credits on-line during an academic year, they must take 12 credits in the classroom. The same rules apply for part time students.

If during the spring semester your registrations for both fall and spring of that year indicates that you have taken more online classes then allowed you will be deemed ineligible for the entire academic year.

Summer PHEAA State Grants
PHEAA State Grants for summer courses are available and require a separate application which becomes accessible through “Account Access” on www.pheaa.org about mid-April. Students interested in taking at least six credits during the summer are encouraged to complete the application. Please keep in mind as you register that you must take at least 50% of your credits in a classroom setting during the summer if you plan on including on-line courses in your registration.

Note: First time applicants will need to complete a "Status Notice". This form is available through "Account Access" at PHEAA.org.

New Economy Technology Scholarship (NETS)

The SciTech Scholarship and the Technology Scholarship are both awarded through the New Economy Technology Scholarship (NETS) Program. These scholarships make financial aid available if you are an undergraduate studying in approved science or technology fields.

The goal of this program is to help address the critical need to educate and retain a workforce of highly trained technology experts that will help Pennsylvania attract and support new employers. Recipients of these scholarships must agree to work full-time in Pennsylvania following graduation, one year for each year that a scholarship award is received.

These scholarships are not based on your financial need. First priority for awarding funds under this program will be given to renewal applicants. Thereafter, funds under this program will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Pennsylvania Chafee Education and Training Grant Program (ETG)

PHEAA is pleased to announce that it will administer the Pennsylvania Chafee Education and Training Grant Program for the 2010-2011 academic year on behalf of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare. This program is authorized under the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 as amended by the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Amendments of 2001.

The Chafee Education and Training Grant Program offers grant assistance to Pennsylvania undergraduate students aging out of foster care who are attending a postsecondary institution approved for the Federal Title IV student financial assistance programs.

Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program

The Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Program is a federally funded program offering a merit scholarship for outstanding high school seniors who have been accepted at an institution of higher education. The Byrd Scholarship Program rewards academic excellence in high school and encourages students to continue their education. The federal government allocates the funds that determine the amount of the scholarship award.

To be considered for a Byrd Scholarship you must:

• Be a high school graduate during the same academic year in which the scholarship is awarded.
• Be accepted for enrollment at an eligible institution of higher education.
• Be a resident of Pennsylvania.
• Be a U.S. citizen or national, or be able to provide evidence of permanent residency.
• Expect to be a full-time freshman student enrolled at an eligible institution of higher education, in the continental United States, following high school graduation.
• Submit a letter of acceptance from the school or college with the application. (It does not have to be from the institution of your final choice.)
• Must meet the following three educational standards:
  
  
  1. Rank in the top 5 percent of your graduating class, or hold a ranking of 1, 2 or 3 in classes of 60 students or less
  2. Grade point average of 3.50 or above on a 4.00 (unweighted) scale
  3. SAT = 1150 combined critical reading and math only; or ACT = composite score of 25 or above; or GED = score of 3550 or above. TOEFL = not accepted.

The scholarship is renewable for three additional years and is based on full-time enrollment, maintenance of satisfactory academic progress as defined by the institution and federal funding.