Scholarships

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 $2.72 million in scholarships in 2017-18.

That said, Penn State Harrisburg enrolls many outstanding and academically talented students each year and therefore cannot assist all deserving students. Scholarship funds are competitive and limited and Penn State cannot guarantee an award to every student, even those 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 $2,500 for the academic year. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, financial need, or a combination thereof, as defined by the specific scholarship program.

Scholarship awards can be made by University Park, Penn State Harrisburg, the Office of Student Aid, or other administrative and academic units.

Penn State Harrisburg has dozens of academic scholarships available for both graduate and undergraduate students. All incoming and current students with a 3.0 GPA or higher will automatically be considered for the majority of these scholarships, directly administered by the Office of Student Aid.

Anticipated notification for entering first year students will be early February and returning students during the beginning of June.

Current and returning students seeking additional funding for program-specific scholarships and awards may complete an application for an endowed scholarship.

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.