At Penn State Harrisburg, nearly 80% of our student body receives financial aid in the form of loans, federal and state grants, federal work study, and scholarships. Penn State is committed to lowering our students' burden especially though this last category; the college awarded close to $3.7 million in internal and donor-funded scholarships in 2023-2024.
That said, Penn State Harrisburg enrolls many outstanding and academically talented students each year and therefore cannot assist all deserving students. Since scholarship funds are very competitive and limited, Penn State cannot guarantee an award to every student who may rank at or near the top of their class.
Approximately one in five undergraduates receives a university scholarship. Awards vary and are determined by donor guidelines. The average award is between $1,000 to $3,000 for the academic year. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, financial need, or a combination, as defined by the specific scholarship program.
Scholarship awards can be made by University Park, Penn State Harrisburg, academic college, the Office of Student Aid, or other administrative units.
Penn State cannot negotiate financial aid packages to match grant and scholarship offers from other colleges and universities.
Scholarship Timeline
Generally, students selected to receive a scholarship are notified of their award between February and June, although awarding may occur throughout the academic year.
- First-year students - notifications will be sent in early February.
- Returning students - notifications will be sent during the beginning of June.
Academic Scholarships
Penn State Harrisburg has dozens of academic scholarships available for both undergraduate and graduate students. All incoming and current students with a 3.0 GPA or higher and a current FAFSA on file, will automatically be considered for the majority of these scholarships, directly administered by the Office of Student Aid. Academic scholarships are highly competitive due to limited funding.
Read more about Applying for Financial Aid.
Additional Aid Request
Students may submit a request for additional aid once they have received their initial aid package from the Office of Student Aid to be considered for additional aid such as scholarships, grants, work study, or university loans. Filling out this application will put students on a waitlist for additional aid. It is not a guarantee additional aid will be awarded.
Questions or concerns regarding scholarships at Penn State Harrisburg can be forwarded to [email protected].
