Pennsylvania Student Aid Guide

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) today announced the availability of its annual Pennsylvania Student Aid Guide. Both the English and Spanish versions of the Guide can be found under the College Planning section of PHEAA.org.

The Student Aid Guide is Pennsylvania’s most comprehensive financial aid publication and is available at no cost. The Guide offers in-depth information on the federal student aid process and includes details on Pennsylvania’s aid programs, including the need-based State Grant Program. The Guide is a great resource for finding everything students and families need to know about paying for higher education.

The online version of the Guide is interactive and includes links to web pages of particular interest, including:

• How to qualify for grants and scholarships and other “free” aid that does not need to be repaid
• Information on work-study programs that allow students to earn money to help cover their education costs
• Types of loans that are available to students and parents to help pay for their education
• Career and salary information and access to checklists, timelines applications and forms that families will need to apply for and receive financial assistance

Each high school counselor’s office in Pennsylvania will receive one printed copy of the Guide with instructions to visit PHEAA.org/counselors to order additional printed copies for their students.

The Guide also offers tools to help students and families create a student budget that estimates annual expenses and provides helpful resources and contact information.

While researching and planning for ways to pay for higher education, students and families are encouraged to contact their high school regarding the availability of Financial Aid Nights during the fall. PHEAA’s Pennsylvania School Services Team offers financial aid experts to facilitate these free informational programs, providing an overview of the student financial aid process and offering an opportunity to have individual questions answered.

For information on the higher education financial aid process, schedules for upcoming financial aid nights and FAFSA Completion Sessions, reminders of financial aid deadlines, and video clips offering tips and information pertaining to planning for higher education, students can join PHEAA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pheaa.aid.

PHEAA College Planning Website

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) announced today the launch of its redesigned career and college planning website, EducationPlanner.org.

EducationPlanner has received a complete redesign including new content, improved navigation, and more interactive activities, in addition to a more modern look. Some of the website’s new features include:

• Checklists for career planning, preparing for school and paying for school
• Assessments that identify students’ strengths and weaknesses
• Career videos
• Savings calculators and loan payment calculators
• Opportunities to submit questions and receive expert advice in the “Ask a Counselor” section

EducationPlanner offers links to the best career and college planning resources available on the Web. Students can explore hundreds of careers through O*NET OnLine, get information about hundreds of colleges from the College Board and search for scholarships at FastWeb.

The “Parents” section focuses on their role in helping students transition from high school to college. Parents can find information on saving for college, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and tips for searching for scholarships. The “Counselor” section provides the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Standards for Students, guidance on using EducationPlanner as a classroom tool, information on establishing a job shadow program and guidelines for hosting student aid and FAFSA completion events.

The site is designed for middle and high school students who are thinking about careers and college, but is helpful for returning and non-traditional students as well.

Student Aid Deadline

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is reminding students and families that the application filing deadline for the Pennsylvania State Grant Program is May 1. This deadline applies to all new applicants who plan to enroll in an undergraduate baccalaureate degree program, a college transfer program at two-year public or junior colleges, and all renewal applicants.

To determine eligibility for a need-based State Grant, families must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Applicants can access the FAFSA online at either PHEAA.org/FAFSA or fafsa.gov. Completing the FAFSA online saves time and helps eliminate errors.

In addition to the FAFSA, applicants must complete a Pennsylvania State Grant Form (SGF) which can be accessed directly from the FAFSA on the Web by following the click-through on the FAFSA confirmation page. The SGF collects additional data elements not requested on the federal application and is only required for first-time State Grant applicants.

Students who have already submitted their FAFSA but have not submitted their SGF will be invited by email to visit Account Access through the Secure Sign-in at PHEAA.org to complete their State Grant Form.

The Pennsylvania State Grant Program is administered by PHEAA at no cost to taxpayers, allowing every appropriated dollar to go directly to students. Approximately 185,000 awards were disbursed to students for the 2010-11 academic year.

Students who are first-time applicants planning to enroll in a business, trade or technical school, a hospital school of nursing, or a terminal (non-transferable two-year degree) program at a community, junior or four-year college have until August 1 to file their FAFSA to determine eligibility for a State Grant award.

Students and families with questions about the FAFSA or the State Grant Program can also call toll-free at 800-692-7392.

PHEAA Online Applications

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is reminding students and families that the 2011-12 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available online at PHEAA.org/FAFSA or fafsa.ed.gov.

Completing the FAFSA online helps eliminate errors and offers a quicker processing time. Since most families complete their FAFSA online, the federal government will no longer provide paper FAFSAs. Families have the choice of completing and submitting the form electronically or printing the form and sending it to the U.S. Department of Education via traditional mail. To submit the form electronically, the student and a parent must request a PIN (personal identification number) at pin.ed.gov. They should receive their PIN in about 3 days via email. The PIN acts as their electronic signatures.

The FAFSA determines eligibility for federal grants, the need-based Pennsylvania State Grant, many scholarships, reduced-cost federal student loans, work-study programs, and many school-based student aid programs. It is the most important step that students and families should take when looking for assistance in paying for higher education.

In addition to the FAFSA, first time applicants for a Pennsylvania State Grant are required to submit a State Grant Form (SGF) which contains data elements not included on the FAFSA. Beginning in late January, students will be able to link directly to the SGF from the FAFSA on the Web, providing applicants a “one-stop-shop” for both federal and state aid.

Since schools have different financial aid deadlines, it is recommended that families complete and submit the FAFSA to the federal government before their earliest financial aid deadline. The Pennsylvania State Grant deadline is May 1 for all renewal applicants and first-time applicants in degree and transfer programs but it is recommended that families not wait to complete and submit their FAFSA. Estimated federal income tax information can be used if the family’s actual tax form hasn’t been completed yet.

Help is available for families who have questions or may be having difficulty completing the FAFSA. Frequently asked questions, overviews, as well as links to preparation worksheets as well as the online application, are located at PHEAA.org/FAFSA.

For the latest financial aid information and helpful tips, upcoming deadlines and free financial aid workshops join PHEAA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pheaa.aid.