Grants and Other Gift Aid

Grants and Other Gift Aid
Grants are free money that you do not need to repay. These funds come from a variety of sources including the college, the state and federal governments and outside organizations. Although you are not required to repay these funds, you may need to meet certain criteria in order to maintain eligibility for grant money, including making satisfactory academic progress. Grant programs include the following:

Federal Pell Grant

• Funded by the Federal government.
• Eligibility and awards are determined by the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as well as enrollment status and college costs.
• For the 2012-2013 academic year, if the EFC is between 0 and 4995, the student may be eligible for a Pell Grant.
• Award amounts for 2012-2013 range from $287 to $5550 per year.
• Students are notified of their eligibility on the Student Aid Report (SAR).
• Students apply for the Pell grant by completing the FAFSA.

Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Grant (PHEAA)

• Funded by the state and administered by PHEAA.
• Students must be a PA resident for at least 12 months prior to completing the 2012-2013 FAFSA in order to be considered for the PHEAA grant.
• Eligibility and awards are determined exclusively by PHEAA. For 2012-2013, awards range from $200 to $3978 per year.
• Award eligibility is determined by a student’s enrollment status, housing status, college costs and academic progress.
• Students must be enrolled for at least 6 credits to be considered for the PHEAA state grant. Students apply for the PHEAA grant by submitting the FAFSA before May 1.
• The PHEAA grant is offered to undergraduate students who have not completed a four year degree. Students are limited to eight semesters of PHEAA grant.
• PHEAA will send official notification of eligibility to students in mid-May.