Due to extended delays in both the availability and the processing of 2024-25 FAFSAs as well as PHEAA’s (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) implementation of its new GrantUs platform, PHEAA delayed the release of 2024-25 PA State Grant eligibility information. However, PHEAA began the release of PA State Grant award and eligibility information to students and colleges during early October and PHEAA plans to notify via email all students eligible for a PA State Grant award by October 21. The email will direct Pennsylvania resident students to login to their GrantUs account.

All PA State Grant applicants should closely monitor their email address on the 2024-25 FAFSA, which PHEAA will use for communication.

Once Penn College receives its Fall 2024 semester disbursement roster from PHEAA, expected to happen during the evening of October 31, the Financial Aid team will begin required reviews for students eligible for PA State Grants. Barring any unexpected delays, this timeline means that many students eligible to receive stipends (refunds) from Fall semester PA State Grants should have them by the middle of November.

Please understand that students initially identified by PHEAA as eligible for PA State Grants must satisfy all requirements for eligibility such as, but not limited to, PA State Grant Satisfactory Academic Progress, and the Financial Aid team must notify PHEAA of students who are ineligible; PHEAA then cancels those students' awards and sends an email to impacted students to check GrantUs.

There remain students who have not activated their GrantUs account or have not provided PHEAA with the information it requests and PHEAA cannot determine their eligibility. If you are a Pennsylvania resident who completed a 2024-25 FAFSA earlier this year and do not receive an email notification from PHEAA by the end of October 21 you should login to your GrantUs account to determine what action you may need to take. Use the ‘Forgot Password?’ option if you have not yet activated your account.

• First-time college students, after activating their GrantUs account, are prompted to complete their PA State Grant Form and their High School Form.
• Learn more about the PA State Grant application process from PHEAA’s GrantUs Student and Family Resources site.
• FAQs about GrantUs from PHEAA. 

The maximum full-time PA State Grant award is $2,630 per semester and the maximum part-time (6 to 11 credits) award is $1,315 per semester. 

To be eligible, you’ll need to meet specific requirements. You must:

• Be a Pennsylvania resident
• Be enrolled in a major which is at least two full years and 60 credits in length
• Take at least six credits per semester
• Meet other eligibility requirements including satisfactory academic progress (as defined by PHEAA)

You’ll need to complete the FAFSA to be considered for PA State Grants. Your FAFSA information will be electronically transmitted to PHEAA. 

Students will also need to create a GrantUs account. First-time applicants will also need to complete the PA State Grant Form and High School Form after creating their GrantUs account.  Returning students may receive emails from PHEAA, requesting information; these should be addressed quickly and thoroughly.

If you received a PA State Grant last year, you need to reapply for the next academic year. Submit next academic year's FAFSA well before May 1. 

If your college and/or housing information changes, you’ll need to update that information on PHEAA's records. Here’s how:

• Sign in to Account Access from AES.
• Click 'View the Status on my PA State Grant' from the menu on the left side of the screen.
• Select the correct academic year (if more than one year is listed) and click 'View Details'.
• Select 'Update School Information.'
• Make needed changes to your college of attendance (and housing status) on the 'Change of School Information Form;' click 'Submit' to complete your update.
  Note: There is no winter term at Penn College.

Beginning in March, you can complete your Pennsylvania Summer State Grant Application at PHEAA's Account Access website. There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.

• Your summer courses must extend for a total of five or more calendar weeks.
• Full-time PA State Grant assistance covers a maximum of four semesters for most associate-degree students or eight semesters for bachelor-degree students. If, for example, you have only two full-time semesters of eligibility remaining, using a summer PA State Grant will mean you have only one full-time semester remaining after summer.
• PHEAA does not determine awards until late May or June, which may be too late to help cover your Penn College eBill for summer classes.

Certificate programs may be covered by a PA State Grant, but it depends on the program. PHEAA's policy states that an eligible program must be a minimum of 60 credits and at least four semesters. Therefore, only the following certificate program is eligible for PA State Grants:

• Aviation Maintenance Technician

If you take distance education classes, you are eligible for a PA State Grant as long as you satisfy all other PA State Grant eligibility criteria. Students taking more than 50% of their credits online per semester will be considered for PA State Grants, provided they satisfy all eligibility criteria. 

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Developmental courses may cause a decrease or removal of PA State Grant aid. PHEAA requires students' schedules to consist of at least 50% regular (non-developmental) credits. PHEAA also limits the number of semesters that developmental credits can be considered as part of enrollment status for grant eligibility. PHEAA refers to these semesters as 'remedial exceptions' and limits the number to two full-time semesters or four part-time semesters. If, for example, you previously used two remedial exceptions, and are enrolled as a full-time student but have fewer than 12 regular credits, you will only receive a part-time PA State Grant.

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