I have an outside scholarship form that requires costs and financial aid information. What should I do with the form?

Outside Scholarship Form Policy When you apply for scholarships through an outside agency, they often require you to provide information about your costs, aid offer, and FAFSA. You can print this information directly from LionPATH. Student Self-Service You can find the links to view your Financial Aid Budget and Financial Aid Offer Letter in your LionPATH Student Home Base under the Financial Aid Offer. You will need to print the information and submit it to the scholarship agency. Certification of Forms by our office In the event that the scholarship agency is unwilling to accept the information that you have printed from LionPATH, requests to complete scholarship forms can be reviewed on a case by case basis with the understanding that the form can only be provided to the student for submission to the respective agency. Similar consideration may be given to students who need to submit their scholarship forms before the information is available in LionPATH.

Should I consider a Parent PLUS loan or a private education loan?

Federal student loans, such as the Federal Direct Loan and the Parent PLUS Loan, generally have more favorable terms and conditions than private loans. We recommend using all federal loan eligibility before turning to private loans. The Direct Parent PLUS loan is a federal loan available to the parents of dependent undergraduate students. The Direct Parent PLUS Loan offers flexible loan limits and a fixed 9.08% interest rate for the 2024-25 school year. Eligibility is determined by the applicants credit history. Private education loans are managed through private lenders, issued in the student’s name, and require a co-signer. Eligibility, rates, terms, and conditions vary.

How do I view my loan borrowing history?

View your loan history through the National Student Loan Data System, the U.S. Department of Education's central database for student aid information. National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) is the U.S. Department of Education's central database for student aid and provides aid information, including Title IV loans and Pell Grants. NSLDS tracks this information from the financial aid approval stage through the closure stage. Data is transmitted to NSLDS from schools, agencies that guaranty loans, the Direct Loan program, the Pell Grant program, and other U.S. Department of Education programs. You can view your NSLDS information by logging into studentaid.gov. Your profile will provide personalized information like your federal student loan balance, disbursement dates and contact information. You can also view information on your federal loan servicer(s). Log into studentaid.gov.

Policies and Limitations for Federal Work-Study Positions (for managers)

Employment policies: Supervisors must verify student eligibility prior to hire. All FWS positions require a documented job description. Students must know whom their immediate supervisor is and who to contact if the supervisor is not available. If the Office of Student Aid is reviewing a student's FAFSA information for accuracy, the student must stop working until the verification process is complete. Students are responsible for communicating this information with their supervisor and complying with any verification “to-do” items within their LionPATH account. A student's aid may not exceed their demonstrated federal financial need as determined by the FAFSA and as indicated on the Student Aid Summary in LionPATH. FWS will be reduced if the student's financial aid exceeds their demonstrated federal financial need. Students are encouraged to communicate with their supervisors regarding any changes to FWS. Conditions and limits of all FWS positions: FWS positions must not displace employees or impair existing service contracts. FWS positions must not involve constructing, operating, or maintaining any part of a building used for religious worship or sectarian instruction. FWS students cannot operate a vehicle as a condition of the job. Students are not permitted to work in FWS positions during scheduled class times, with few exceptions. Any exceptions must be approved and documented. Please contact the Office of Student Aid for details. Site Supervisors should establish a procedure for recording and verifying hours worked for all FWS students. Submitting falsified time sheets is considered fraud against the University and the federal government; legal action may be taken against the student. Federal regulation 34 CFR 668.16(g) requires the University to report to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General if a school has credible information that a student may have committed fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with his or her application or eligibility for federal student aid. Therefore, instances of student misconduct involving falsification of timesheets must be reported to the Penn State Office of Student Aid to ensure the University’s compliance with this federal reporting requirement.

What happens if my work study funding Is reduced or removed?

You are responsible for monitoring your balance and communicating with your manager. Should you lose your funding or eligibility it is your responsibility to communicate with your supervisor/manager. Should your funds be exhausted, you will need to cease working as a federal work-study student. Additional opportunities for continued employment in your position would be at the discretion of the manager/supervisor as any future earnings would be their department’s responsibility.

How does federal work study work?

An offer of Federal Work Study does not guarantee a job position is available. Penn State offers work-study positions both on-campus and off-campus. Typical offer is $4000 for undergraduate and graduate students. Federal work study funds are applicable only to the term in which they are offered. Any funding not earned cannot be deferred or applied to a subsequent academic term. Work study must be accepted and students must complete all onboarding tasks prior to earning. Student earnings are directly-deposited into their bank accounts - not reflected in their Bursar account. Earning totals are reflected in LionPATH. Notifications are sent to STUDENTS at 50% and 75%, and after each pay-period beyond that. Increases can be requested - pending eligibility review and funding availability. If you were not offered work-study and are interested, please contact the Office of Student Aid to request a review

Scholarship Thank You Letter Tips

Scholarships are made possible through generous donations. A well-written "thank you" letter is an important way to acknowledge the funding you have received and gives the donor the opportunity to learn about you. The following tips and sample letter may be helpful for writing your own letter. Tips for writing your "thank you" letter: Begin your letter with Dr., Ms., Mr., or Mrs. as appropriate. Do not address the individual by their first name. Only use “Dear Donor” or “Dear Benefactor” in cases where the award letter instructs you to do so, such as when writing to an anonymous donor. Acknowledge the scholarship you have received by referencing the full name of the scholarship in your first sentence. Include your mailing address and email address if you would like to give the donor the opportunity to respond. Do not include your Penn State Student ID number. Make it personal. Donors believe that both they and you are making a difference in the world. They are interested in hearing about you. Avoid confrontational topics such as political, religious, spiritual, or cultural viewpoints. Do not assume that the donor’s viewpoints/preferences are the same as yours. Proofread! We ask that you write a new "thank you" letter for each year that you continue to receive a scholarship. If you receive funding from the same donor in previous years, update them on your academic plans, your extracurricular activities, and your career goals. Let them know what you have accomplished this year and how their funding helped make that possible.

Why Didn't I Get Federal Work-Study?

All students who have submitted their FAFSA by the University’s recommended deadline and have indicated an interest in work-study on the FAFSA will be considered during awarding. Penn State does not require a separate application for Federal Work-Study. Due to limited funding, not all students who are eligible will receive an offer of Work-Study. If you are offered work-study, it will appear in your Student Aid Summary in LionPATH. Your work-study offer must be accepted.

How Can I Find Scholarships?

Apply for as many scholarship opportunities as possible. They are often available through private companies, nonprofit organizations, local businesses, community organizations, churches, or social organizations. Try these free sources of information about scholarships: A high school or TRIO counselor the U.S. Department of Labor’s FREE scholarship search tool Your state grant agency Your library’s reference section foundations, religious or community organizations, local businesses, or civic groups organizations (including professional associations) related to your field of interest ethnicity-based organizations your employer or your parents’ employers Fastweb Unigo. More information on scholarships from Office of Financial Aid Don’t ever pay for a scholarship search!

How Are Work-Study Positions Funded?

The recommended rate for FWS positions is $12.00/hour for undergraduate students and $14.00/hour for graduate students. FWS positions are funded with a combination of federal work-study funding (75%), University funding (15%). and a departmental share (10%). Errors in the establishment of FWS positions, student ineligibility, or exhausted funding may result in a department’s assumption of 100% of the FWS student’s wages. “Funds from programs sponsored by federal agencies (such as the National Science Foundation or the National Institutes of Health) may be used to pay the departmental share of student earnings, as long as the programs have the authority to pay student wages. Departments should contact the appropriate federal agency to see if the program in question does have this authority. Department's must maintain all supporting documentation.” (Nature and source of FWS institutional share 34 CFR 675.27)

Student Aid

Understanding Your Offer

Understand your Financial Aid Offer in LionPATH. How to navigate and next steps.

Contact Student Aid

Financial Aid Offer

Your financial aid notification will provide you with instructions on how to access your Financial Aid Offer, which will list all of the student financial aid (scholarships, grants, work-study, and loans) for which you qualify, based on your eligibility.

Your financial aid amounts are estimated, subject to change, and non-negotiable.
Federal and state grant amounts are contingent upon final federal funding and state appropriations.
The College Financing Plan, a standardized financial aid notification designed by the federal government, to compare financial aid packages and costs between universities. Access your Financing Plan within your initial 'Financial Aid Offer'.

Penn State is unable to meet the full demonstrated financial need of most students. Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan(s) are offered as part of your financial aid package.

Aid Notification Availability

Viewing your Aid Offer and Budget

Accept, Decrease, or Decline

Next Steps for Parents

Next Steps for Students

Frequently Asked Questions

Need Additional support? Find answers to common questions students, parents, and counselors have about the financial aid process.

Awards administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) are subject to delays. As PHEAA notifies the university of recipients and awards, they will be added to financial aid offers in LionPATH. Students can review award information (PA State Grant, Ready to Succeed, Grow PA, and more) and should ensure that all steps are completed and all information is up-to-date on their GrantUs account. Awards are subject to change due to eligibility, enrollment status, and campus.

Students must have earned micro-scholarships, as entered and tracked on their RaiseMe portfolio, by January 1 of the year they plan to start at Penn State.

Students may earn up to $4,000 per year in Penn State RaiseMe funds, for a total of $16,000 over four years.

Once enrolled at Penn State, students must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, be in good standing with the University, and be enrolled in a degree-granting program to remain eligible for Penn State RaiseMe funds.

The work-study payroll schedule can be found here. Information relating to FWS payroll schedules will be provided to all supervisors via email listserv communication prior to the beginning of each semester. Supervisors are expected to adhere to the established payroll approval schedules. Late payroll approvals should be submitted within 30 days. Processing delayed beyond that point risks a department’s assumption of 100% of the FWS students’ wages.

Understanding Your Offer

Financial Aid Offer

Aid Notification Availability

Viewing your Aid Offer and Budget

Accept, Decrease, or Decline

Next Steps for Parents

Next Steps for Students

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore

Student Support

Quick Links

Resources

Stay Connected

Understanding Your Offer

Financial Aid Offer

Aid Notification Availability

Viewing your Aid Offer and Budget

Accept, Decrease, or Decline

Next Steps for Parents

Next Steps for Students

Frequently Asked Questions

I have questions about the status of my PHEAA award. plus icon

When do students need to complete their RaiseMe portfolios on the RaiseMe app?plus icon

How much financial support can Penn State students earn through RaiseMe?plus icon

How do students remain eligible for RaiseMe funds once enrolled at Penn State?plus icon

Where can I find the work-study payroll schedule?plus icon

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Student Support

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Resources

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