State Grants
To establish eligibility for a state grant program, the FAFSA (the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) must be submitted prior to the state’s published deadline. Most state grant programs require students to be fully accepted into a degree-seeking program, be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) and be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen as well as a state resident to qualify for a grant. PHEAA State Grants are only available for eight (8) full-time semesters and sixteen (16) part-time semesters.
Pennsylvania State Grant
If you reside in Pennsylvania, you must submit your FAFSA application prior to May 1st. (May 1st of the year prior to the academic year in which you are applying. For example, if you are applying for financial aid for the 2012-2013 school year, you must submit your FAFSA before May 1, 2011.)
For further information on Pennsylvania State Grants, please contact PHEAA (the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) at 1-800-692-7392 or visit their website.
Traditional Undergraduate Students enrolled in Eastern’s College of Arts and Sciences, as well as Esperanza College, will be awarded a State Grant in a traditional Fall and Spring format.
Are you enrolled in a CCGPS Undergraduate Non-Traditional program?
Your eligibility is determined by PHEAA using a different calculation. Your program is defined by 4 fixed academic sessions: APJL, JLOC, OCJA, and JAAP. The length of these sessions, along with your total registered credits within each session, are used when determining your eligibility.
You must take at least 12 credits total between 2 consecutive academic sessions to be considered for a State Grant. Also, for State Grant purposes only, enrollment of 12 credits is considered part-time (not full-time). Please be aware that online courses do impact your State Grant eligibility. Click here to view a helpful handout regarding Financial Aid opportunities available for your program. Please check with the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions.
Non-Pennsylvania State Grant
Many other states, besides PA, provide grants and scholarships to students attending an out-of-state college/university. Contact your state’s Higher Education Assistance Agency for information regarding deadlines, if additional applications are required (applications other than the FAFSA), your eligibility status and if you may use your State Grant at a “Pennsylvania” college/university.
Phone numbers for the Higher Education Office in each state are listed on the inside back cover of the Federal Department of Education’s Student Guide.
Deadlines for all State Grants are listed on the front page of the paper FAFSA application.
