Office of Student Aid : Parents of Students : Parent Newsletter

Volume 5, Issue 7--November 2007

Private Scholarship Opportunities

Penn State students bring nearly two million dollars in scholarships from outside sources to the University each year. While most students do not rely solely on private scholarships as their primary source of collegiate funding, private scholarships can help offset some educational costs.

The criteria for private scholarship awards vary and are specified by the agency making the award. Criteria can include just about anything--from interests and nationality to scholastic merit and community service. The agency awarding the scholarship, not Penn State, is responsible for selecting the candidate and determining the value of the award.

A complete listing of private scholarship opportunities featured by our office is available on on our Web site along with several national private scholarship search engines.

High-achieving Penn State students can also locate private scholarship opportunities through Penn State’s Undergraduate Fellowships Office.

For more information on searching for private scholarships, access the tips from our September 2007 Parent Newsletter.