First Year and Returning Students
Who should apply for aid?
Any first-year or returning student interested in being considered for loans, grants, scholarships and work study should apply for financial aid.
How do I apply aid?
Begin by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for federal and state aid consideration. Students interested in scholarships should be aware of possible separate scholarship applications.
What is Penn State's School Code?
Penn State's school code is 003329. It has come to our attention that the 2024-25 FAFSA form listed a separate School Code for each of our campus locations. As a school, we use one code for all campuses. We have submitted an update to Federal Student Aid but are unsure of how long it will take for the FAFSA to be updated. Please select 003329 or 'Pennsylvania State University (the)'.
What if I submitted FAFSA with the wrong School Code?
If you have already submitted your FAFSA using a campus-specific code other than 003329, we recommend that you log back into your FAFSA and update the code to 003329 at your earliest convenience.
El especialista en inscripción Colin Dempsey brinda instrucciones para enviar la FAFSA a Penn State Scranton para estudiantes de habla español y sus familias.
Enrollment Specialist Colin Dempsey provides instructions for submitting the FAFSA for Penn State Scranton to Spanish speaking students and their families.
When should I apply?
First-year students should submit their FAFSA as soon as the FAFSA becomes available in December and returning students should submit their FAFSA renewal by April 15 of the preceding enrollment year for a maximum consideration of student aid programs. Submitting the FAFSA by the recommended date ensures that Pennsylvania resident students meet the PHEAA state grant deadline of May 1.
Can I get aid for summer classes?
At Penn State, the academic year begins with the fall semester and ends with the summer semester. Many students like to take classes in the summer, to earn extra credits. If you are a continuing or returning student, financial aid options for summer may available to you.
Other resources.
- Alternative Financing Options
- Financial Aid Estimator
- Hope Tax Credit and Life Long Learning Credit
- PLUS
- Scholarships
- Summer Aid
Outside Scholarship Search: College Board
This video is an overview of Penn State's financial aid process and is shown to first-year students and their families during New Student Orientation.
