$5,750 maximum award for 2022-23: largest in program’s history
BETHLEHEM, PA, July 14, 2022 – PHEAA President & CEO James Steeley joined with higher education leaders at Northampton Community College to urge certain Pennsylvania students to submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) by August 1, 2022, to qualify for a PA State Grant Award.
The August 1 deadline applies to anyone planning to enroll in a community college, a designated Pennsylvania Open-Admission institution, a business, trade, or technical school, a hospital school of nursing, or a 2-year program that is not transferable to another institution. That encompasses about 104 schools throughout Pennsylvania and tens of thousands of students with financial need who could financially benefit from PA State Grant award.
“The PA State Grant Program – which offers a $5,750 maximum award for 2022-23 – is an important first step toward achieving an affordable education while avoiding costly student loan debt,” said James Steeley, PHEAA President & CEO. “Unlike student loans, grant awards do not need to be repaid, which is more important than ever as families across the Commonwealth struggle with today’s difficult economy.”
Despite a growing need for affordable college funding, and likely due to the Covid pandemic and other factors, FAFSA applications by community college students have dropped by 8.3 percent from this time last year.
“I commend PHEAA for supporting Pennsylvania community college students through the PA State Grant Program and for working to increase FAFSA submissions,” said Elizabeth A. Bolden, President & CEO of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. “I want to remind students statewide – from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia and everywhere in between – how vitally important it is to complete the FASFA application before the August 1 deadline. Don’t leave money on the table that could have gone to your education and a better future for you and your family.”
To determine eligibility for a PA State Grant, applicants must complete the 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), which can be accessed online at PHEAA.org/FAFSA or StudentAid.gov.
In addition to completing the FAFSA, first-time applicants must also submit a PA State Grant Form (SGF). First-time applicants who submit the FAFSA online will be automatically redirected to the SGF by following the onscreen prompts on the confirmation page. First-time applicants who have already submitted their FAFSA but have not completed the SGF will receive an email directing them to PHEAA’s secure Account Access site for completion. Both applications are free to submit. Information provided by applicants when submitting an online FAFSA is automatically applied to portions of the SGF to increase accuracy and convenience.
In April, PHEAA’s Board of Directors approved the 2022-23 PA State Grant Program awarding formula that will increase the maximum grant award from $5,000 to $5,750 – the largest maximum award in the program’s history.
PHEAA’s Board reevaluates the awarding formula annually by reviewing several factors, including tuition costs, the effect of inflation on family incomes, the number of expected applicants, and the final appropriation amount. The approved 2022-23 PA State Grant awarding formula maintains this year’s $5,000 maximum award while providing up to an additional $750 pandemic inflation adjustment to help alleviate some of the increased financial pressure that students are experiencing in today’s challenging economy.
Students and families are encouraged to visit PHEAA on Facebook, Twitter (@PHEAAaid), and LinkedIn, where they can learn more about the higher education financial aid process, reminders of financial aid deadlines, and information pertaining to planning for higher education. Additionally, video tutorials explaining the student aid process and types of aid available can be found at YouTube.com/PHEAAstudentAid.
About PHEAA
Created in 1963 by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has evolved into one of the nation’s leading student aid organizations. Today PHEAA is a national provider of student financial services, serving millions of students and thousands of schools through its loan guaranty, loan servicing, financial aid processing, outreach, and other student aid programs.
PHEAA’s earnings are used to support its public service mission and to pay its operating costs, including administration of the PA State Grant and other state-funded student aid programs. As the only major federal loan servicer with a nonprofit public service mission, PHEAA devotes its energy and resources to help ease the financial burden of higher education for its primary stakeholders – Pennsylvania students and families.
