Scam Alert!

Phone and text scams are currently underway targeting Erie residents and possibly other Pennsylvania residents offering “Pennsylvania Loan Forgiveness”. If you are contacted from someone stating:

“We are reaching out to you because your student loan has been flagged for the Pennsylvania forgiveness program. You are eligible to receive full forgiveness. This applies to all Pennsylvania residents. Please call our office back at (717) 573-8721 to be connected to your loan counselor. Again, that number is (717) 573-8721. Thank you.”

This is a scam! You should contact your loan servicer directly for any questions about legitimate loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, if you have been contacted about a loan forgiveness scam, a complaint may be filed with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.

2024-25 PA State Grant Update

We continue to send student account activation emails for PHEAA's PA State Grant System to students who have completed their 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ® ). After activating your account, first-time applicants should complete the PA State Grant application items presented on your Action Items list as soon as possible. Renewal applicants do not need to take any action at this time.

PA State Grant awards for the 2024-25 academic year will be displayed to students and schools by mid-September. Disbursement of funds to postsecondary schools will occur in October and may take additional time to reach your school account.

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  PA State Grant & Special Programs Modernization Project

  The PA State Grant System is now live! After students submit their 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA ® ), we will invite them into the platform. We will invite program partners as we launch specific programs.

  Program Modernization

  In 2022, we embarked on a transformational project, in alignment with our vision and strategy, to reimagine our future-state. Through our modernization project, we began developing a premier solution that will enhance our approaches and administration of the 20+ financial aid programs that we administer for the Commonwealth.

  The PA State Grant System is an off-the-shelf, cloud-based product that is highly configurable and best aligns with our guiding principles. This new PA State Grant System will:

  • Streamline application processes for students and families
  • Modernize award processing
  • Centralize PHEAA systems used for program administration

  Monitor this page over the next few months as we meet our project milestones.

  Students & Families

  Once the student submits their 2024-25 FAFSA ® , they will receive an email from NoReply@grantus.pheaa.org with a link to activate their PA State Grant System account. The account activation link within the email is time-sensitive, so students must take action promptly. Students who completed their FAFSA prior to the launch of the PA State Grant System will receive an email after we process their FAFSA information.

  • First-Time PA State Grant Applicants: After creating an account, first-time applicants should complete the PA State Grant Form and High School Form via the PA State Grant System .
  • PA State Grant Renewal Applicants: After creating a PA State Grant System account, renewal applicants should not need to take additional action. We will email the student if further action is required.
  • Special Program Applicants: After creating a PA State Grant System account, we will notify special program applicants about any additional actions they must take. Students participating in special programs like the PA Targeted Industry Program, Chafee Education and Training Grant Program, etc. should pay careful attention to our communications and follow the instructions.

  NOTE: Federal Student Aid (FSA) will provide 2024-25 FAFSA applicants from Pennsylvania with a link to our Important Information for Student Aid page in place of the API link. This page will be updated to present applicants with information on next steps about applying for the PA State Grant Program and will include supporting guidance for special program applicants.

  Parents or contributors who provided information on the student's FAFSA may need to provide additional information for us to evaluate the student's eligibility. We will notify the student if we need more information from them. They will need to use their unique, valid email address to begin the process. Each user (parent, student, and spouse—if applicable) must use their own individual email address to access the PA State Grant System.

  Organizations

  The PA State Grant System will launch with select functionality for the PA State Grant Program. We will add additional functionality for the PA State Grant Program over the coming months. We will add functionality for special programs over the next year.

  Each program that we administer will migrate into the PA State Grant System using a phased implementation approach. Organizations that do not participate in the PA State Grant Program will be added to the platform at a later date. We will communicate with each organization when we are ready to bring them into the PA State Grant System.

  As we add programs, users may need to navigate new and old systems depending on their unique needs. Once we fully implement the PA State Grant System, we expect the new platform to replace and centralize use of legacy tools like Alec, PageCenterX, Rocket Terminal Emulator (Rocket TE), and others.

  Individual user account activation will begin with the authoritative source for the organization. The current authoritative source at the organization will receive an email from NoReply@grantus.pheaa.org. After they activate their PA State Grant System account, they can begin assigning roles to other staff at the organization. Throughout the PA State Grant System rollout, additional roles may be added for specific programs. That means each organization may need to adjust access levels and permissions in the future.

  Contact Us

  Have questions about the modernization project? Email us at grantus@pheaa.org.