PHEAA Awards $13 billion in PA State Grant Aid
Harrisburg – The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has announced that Jacob Zemanek, a Journalism student at Pennwest Edinboro, is the recipient of the PA State Grant Program's $13 billionth in program aid.
The need-based PA State Grant Program has provided awards to more than 2.9 million Pennsylvania students since the program was created by an act of the General Assembly in 1966. Funding for the program is established each year with an appropriation in the state budget. PHEAA administers the program on behalf of the Commonwealth at no charge, ensuring that every dollar designated to the PA State Grant Program goes directly to students.
“The PA State Grant Program has made it possible for generations of Pennsylvania's students to achieve their dream of higher education,” said Senator Wayne D. Fontana, PHEAA Board Chairman. “The General Assembly recognized the importance of an educated workforce nearly 58 years ago and my colleagues and I have continued that support. I am proud to be part of a program that continues to be a success for the future of this Commonwealth.”
For the 2023-24 academic year, the program is making approximately 109,500 awards with a maximum award of $5,750.
“At PHEAA, we are so proud to be awarding the $13 billionth in PA State Grant aid,” said James H. Steeley, PHEAA President & CEO. “The program is as important today as it was in 1966, when the General Assembly recognized an important need in this Commonwealth. We've been administering the program, at our own expense, ever since to ensure all the appointed funding reaches our students and aids them directly.”
To determine eligibility for a PA State Grant, students and their families must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a PA State Grant Form
(SGF) through Grantus, PHEAA'S modernization project that is streamlining application processes for students and families, modernizing award processing, and centralizing PHEAA systems used for program administration.
The PA State Grant deadline is May 1 immediately preceding the academic year for all renewal applicants and new applicants who plan to enroll in an undergraduate, degree program and those in college transfer programs at 2-year public or junior colleges.
August 1 is the PA State Grant deadline immediately preceding the academic year for first-time applicants
who plan to enroll in a business, trade or technical school, a hospital school of nursing, or a 2-year nontransferable degree program of study at a community, junior or 4-year college.
For information on the higher education financial aid process, schedules for upcoming financial aid nights and FAFSA Completion Sessions, reminders of financial aid deadlines, and more, visit Educationplanner.com andmysmartborrowing. org and follow PHEAA on Facebook and X. PHEAA can also be found on Instagram, Youtube, and Linkedin.