Office of Student Aid : Scholarships : Penn State Scholarships : Awarding and Eligibility

Awarding

• The competition for scholarships is strong. Approximately 23% of all undergraduate students at Penn State receive a University scholarship.
• One in five first-year students is awarded a Penn State scholarship.
• Most scholarship awarding begins in early spring. If you are selected to receive a scholarship, you will be notified.
• If you are receiving federal and state student aid, regulations require that scholarships be counted as financial resources in the student aid package. Scholarships you receive typically do not change overall student aid eligibility, but may impact the resources making up a student aid package (e.g., loans and work-study may be adjusted).

Eligibility

• Scholarship decisions are based on the performance information collected from admissions applications or current Penn State academic records.
• Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is strongly recommended. Many scholarships are based on a combination of merit and need.
• Recipients must maintain eligibility requirements.