The Office of Student Aid administers all federal, state, institutional, and private funds throughout Penn State for the undergraduate, graduate, law, and medical students.
Students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and meet Federal and Penn State Student Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements will receive a financial aid notification via email from Penn State’s Office of Student Aid. Your financial aid notification will provide you with instructions on how to access your Financial Aid Offer, which will list all the student financial aid (loans, grants, work-study, and scholarships) for which you qualify, based on your eligibility.
Once you have completed your FAFSA, your Student Aid Index (SAI) is calculated through a formula established by federal law. The formula takes into account many variables including your (and your parents' if you are a dependent student) such as:
Your cost of attendance minus your SAI equals your financial need. Your SAI does not vary from school to school regardless of the actual cost of the institution you are attending. However, your financial need will vary according to each school's cost of attendance.
Review eligibility requirements for financial aid.
*Some grant programs require full-time enrollment, which is indicated in each grant's eligibility section.
We will monitor your Financial Aid Offer throughout each semester to ensure your student aid does not exceed your financial need or your costs. If this occurs, a hold will temporarily appear on the homepage of your LionPATH account indicating that you have an “Overaward of Financial Aid”. Our office will review and adjust your aid as appropriate to remain within federal guidelines.
We must also monitor to be sure that you have not used your Federal Aid eligibility at another school during the same academic period. If this occurs, a hold will temporarily appear on the homepage of your LionPATH account indicating that you have been flagged for “Transfer Monitoring”. If you have aid pending at another school, you will want to contact them to have it cancelled. Our office will review and adjust your aid as appropriate to remain within federal guidelines.
Take the next step towards a future at Penn State by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Penn State's SAP Policy outlines the federal regulations we must follow to monitor student progression toward completion of degree and certificate programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree levels.
Need Additional support? Find answers to common questions students, parents, and counselors have about the financial aid process.
Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in determining the types of aid for which you are eligible. Once you have completed your FAFSA, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) 2023-24 or Student Aid Index (SAI) 2024-25 is calculated through a formula established by federal law.
The formula takes into account many variables including your (and your parents' if you are a dependent student):
Your cost of attendance minus your EFC/SAI equals your financial need.
Your EFC/SAI does not vary from school to school regardless of the actual cost of the institution you are attending. However, your financial need will vary according to each school's cost of attendance. For most students, financial aid only meets part of their financial need.
The Data Direct Exchange is the recommended Method for submitting your parent and/or student tax information. This tool is the fastest, most accurate way to input tax return information into the FAFSA form. Go to the Federal Student Aid site's FAFSA page, select the "Make FAFSA Correction" link and then the "Financial Information" tab. Continue through the screens until you click "Submit". You can view the Federal Student Aid tutorial here.
You can also provide a legible, signed copy of page one and two of IRS Form 1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, a tax return from Puerto Rico or a foreign income tax return filed for the specified year. Note: Foreign tax returns must have each line translated to English.
Once you have been selected for verification a hold is placed on your federal financial aid. Your financial aid will remain on hold until documentation is received, reviewed, and corrections are transmitted to the Department of Education (i.e. we will submit an updated copy of your FAFSA based on the information that you have submitted). If you or your parent do not comply with the verification request, we cannot disburse your federal financial aid. Your aid may eventually be canceled if you do not comply with the verification request. If canceled due to non-compliance, there are no guarantees that we will be able to reinstate your financial aid if you comply with the request after your due date or the end of your enrollment period. You will be responsible for any unpaid charges that remain on your student account as a result of your aid being cancelled.
Tuition rates may vary year-to-year. Review our to update rates and to and explore our tools for estimating cost at Penn State.
Per federal regulations set forth by The Higher Education Act of 1965 (amended in 2008), educational institutions are required to disclose specific consumer information about the school and the availability of student financial aid to prospective and continuing students.
In most cases, Penn State does not process student financial aid for you if you attend another college or university.
The Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act requires co-educational institutions of postsecondary education that participate in a Title IV, federal student financial assistance program, and have an intercollegiate athletic program, to prepare an annual report to the Department of Education on athletic participation, staffing, and revenues and expenses, by men's and women's teams. The Department uses the information to prepare its required report to the Congress on gender equity in intercollegiate athletics.
Click the link to visit Penn State Student Affairs where you can view data at a glance via infographic and explore our dashboard links.
Information you discuss with, or provide to, the Office of Student Aid is generally considered confidential. Please note, however, that Student Aid employees, in accordance with Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law (Title 23 Pa. C. S., Chapter 63) and Penn State Policy AD72 on Reporting Suspected Child Abuse, are required to file a report with the PA Department of Human Services if there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child (a person who is currently less than 18 years of age) has been the victim of child abuse. More information about reporting requirements is available at the Penn State Office of Ethics and Compliance.
The Office of Student Aid, the University's academic colleges, and the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses offer a variety of scholarships to eligible students. Eligibility for the awards varies and is typically determined based on merit, financial need, or a combination, as defined by the specific scholarship program. Typical scholarship awards may range from $1,500 per year to $7,000 per year, with an average value of $2,500. Students may be identified and selected to receive a particular scholarship on the basis of their prior or current academic performance, other accomplishments, or financial need.
Students should also research available scholarships through their campus or college of academic enrollment. All of these scholarships are competitive as each year Penn State enrolls many outstanding academically talented students who qualify for these awards. We encourage you to complete your admission application and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) early in order to receive full consideration for all available scholarships.
In addition to university scholarships, we encourage you to explore and apply for scholarships through external organizations and other private funding sources. Additional guidance and information on where to search for outside scholarships can be accessed through external scholarship opportunities.
Our office also regularly posts external scholarship opportunities on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.
Penn State participates in the major federal and state grant, loan and work-study programs. These funding sources make up the majority of all student aid funding with education loans being the largest program. Eligibility is determined based on information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Student aid funds are awarded based on each applicant’s relative financial need.
Grants, such as the Federal Pell Grant or the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) program for PA residents, are applied to meet tuition and other direct expenses and do not require repayment. Federal Work Study funding is earned through campus-based jobs and is received via paycheck for hours worked.
Federal student loan programs offer students the most affordable loans through competitive interest rates and repayment is deferred until after graduation. In addition to the loans available to students themselves, parents who request further assistance may consider the Federal Parent PLUS Loan Program. Parents who qualify for this program can borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any aid that is available to their student.
As a public university, Penn State relies on state appropriations funding to help manage the cost of tuition. While the University continues to build its scholarship endowment, with an undergraduate enrollment across Penn State campuses that exceeds 70,000 annually, available funds do not yet reach all deserving students.
Even though student aid, including education loans, can help defray some of the costs incurred in earning a college degree, students and their parents will bear a significant responsibility for paying the necessary educational expenses. Therefore, we encourage that a financial plan be developed in order to make this important investment, and to assist in determining the level of education loan debt that both student and parents are willing to incur to acquire a Penn State education.
To provide additional assistance for families to manage tuition and other costs, Penn State offers an installment payment plan to spread the payments over several months of each semester.
Penn State's Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center offers a variety of online self-study modules to help with making informed decisions about money management. These and other financial planning resources include:
The Office of Student Aid is committed to working with students and their families to determine the funding options that might work best in making a Penn State education possible.
