Office of Student Aid : Penn State's Costs : Planning for a Penn State Education

A Message from the Assistant Vice Provost for Enrollment Management and Student Aid

Dear Students and Parents:

As you explore the academic choices Penn State offers, keep in mind that a Penn State education is a high-quality education and an excellent investment in your future. Financing a Penn State education involves a partnership between the Office of Student Aid and you. While federal, state, and institutional student financial aid programs exist primarily to help students with the greatest financial need, the preponderance of educational costs for most students rests with the family.

It is important to note that federal student loans are considered a form of student aid. In fact, reliance on educational loans as a primary source of aid is a common occurrence across the nation. At Penn State the trend is no different. Of all undergraduates who apply for student financial aid, 80% rely on loans--possibly in combination with other student aid programs--to finance their Penn State education. For more information about the Federal Direct Stafford Loan as well as up-to-date and accurate information about the Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan and the most competitive private alternative student loans, refer to our Loan Section.

University scholarship endowments are being developed, and we hope that, in the future, we will be able to make additional University scholarship funding available to more students. We attract many exceptional students, and the competition for Penn State scholarships is strong. Currently, the typical Penn State scholarship award is $1,250-2,000 per academic year. I encourage you to look and apply for outside scholarships in your local community. You may also access several free scholarship search engines from our Scholarships Section.

I am aware of the sacrifices families must make for their students to obtain a Penn State education. I hope that the information presented on the Office of Student Aid Web site is helpful to you as you plan for the future at Penn State.

Sincerely,

Anna M. Griswold
Assistant Vice President
for Undergraduate Education and Executive Director for Student Aid