Grants

What are grants?

• A grant is gift aid and does not have to be repaid.
• Grants are awarded based on financial need, enrollment status, expected family contribution, and cost of attendance.
• Recipients must maintain certain eligibility requirements.
• Penn State undergraduate students who complete a FAFSA are automatically considered for the grants listed on the menu. No separate applications are required.

Federal Pell Grant Program

• Federally funded student gift aid that does not need to be repaid.
• Awarded to undergraduate students who have high financial need and are working on their first bachelor's degree.
• Awarded based on expected family contribution and the number of credits you have scheduled.
• May be awarded to students who are less than half-time (six credits).
• Once students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they are automatically considered for the grant.
• Recipients must meet federal financial aid eligibility requirements.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

• Federally-funded gift aid awarded by Penn State to undergraduate students with exceptional financial need who are working on their first bachelor's degree.
• Recipients must be enrolled for at least half-time (6 credits).
• Once students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they are automatically considered for the grant.
• Recipients must meet federal student aid eligibility requirements.

Penn State Tuition Assistance Grant (PSTAG)

• University-funded gift aid awarded to undergraduate students with high financial need who are working on their first bachelor's degree.
• The student must be enrolled full-time (12 credits) in a degree program and must have a GPA of at least 2.0.
• Once students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they are automatically considered for the grant.
• Recipients must meet federal student aid eligibility requirements.

Pennsylvania State Resident Grant

• State-funded gift aid awarded by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to undergraduate Pennsylvania residents who demonstrate high financial need.
• Awarded based on financial need and enrollment status: full-time (12 or more credits) or half-time (6 credits) for a maximum of 8 semesters to students enrolled in a four-year program and a maximum of 4 semesters to students enrolled in a two-year program.
  Note: If students choose to apply for a Summer PHEAA State Grant, it will be counted towards the maximum semesters of eligibility.
• If PHEAA receives a student's FAFSA information by May 1, they are automatically considered for the grant.
• Recipients must meet student aid eligibility requirements.
• PHEAA Grant regulations state that, for an approved program of study, at least 50% of the coursework for the minimum program length must be taken through classroom instruction in order to remain eligible for PHEAA Grant consideration. This does not include online or independent learning courses.

Non-Pennsylvania Resident Grant

Non-Pennsylvania residents from certain states may receive state grants from their respective states. Please access our list of state grants for out-of-state students.