Federal Pell Grant

Federal Pell Grants are determined by the U.S. Department of Education and are based on demonstrated financial need and full or part-time enrollment at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. To apply for a Federal Pell Grant, students must complete the FAFSA.

The College’s priority deadline is April 1 of each year. Once the College receives your FAFSA and you have received an offer of admission, we will begin to process your application to ensure everything was completed accurately.

To be considered, students must meet the following criteria:

• The U.S. Department of Education determines a student’s eligibility from information gathered on the FAFSA application.
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Awards depend on financial need and enrollment status.
• Funds are disbursed via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to students’ accounts each semester starting after the designated census date. After the initial disbursement, funds are reviewed for disbursement as needed.

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Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Federal grant funds are awarded to our neediest students who complete the FAFSA application early.

To be considered, students must meet the following criteria:

• Federal Pell Grant eligibility based on FAFSA.
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Awarded to students who complete the FAFSA in October of the previous year.
• Preference is given to resident students.
• Awards are generally $3,000 for the year until funds are exhausted.
• Funds are disbursed via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to students’ accounts each semester, starting after the designated census date. After the initial disbursement, funds are reviewed for disbursement as needed.

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Pennsylvania State Grant

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania awards grants to state residents pursuing postsecondary degrees, including associate degrees. To be eligible for a PA State Grant, you must complete the FAFSA by May 1 each year. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) will contact you via mail or email and request additional information to determine your eligibility.

Your grant award will be re-evaluated each year on the basis of continued need, and your academic progress, and to ensure you are taking at least six credits per semester. Credits in remedial courses may be eligible depending on how many regular credits you are taking. They usually will require additional information to determine eligibility.

Funds are disbursed via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to student accounts each semester starting after the designated census date. After the initial disbursement, funds are reviewed for disbursement as needed. Create an account via the PHEAA website to track your PA State Grant eligibility.

To be considered, students must meet the following criteria:

• FAFSA completed by May 1
• Graduate from a high school in Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania resident
• Enrolled at least half-time (6 credits)
• Enrolled in a 2-year program
• Meet satisfactory academic progress (as defined by PHEAA) · Create an account on www.aessuccess.org to view up-to-date PA State Grant information.

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Special Programs Through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)

For all Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) special programs, funds are disbursed via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to students’ accounts each semester starting after the designated census date. After the initial disbursement, funds are reviewed for disbursement as needed.

PA Partnerships for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Program

Students awarded a scholarship or grant by a PHEAA PATH (Partnerships for Access to Higher Education) Program Partner may be eligible for additional aid.

Chafee Education and Training Grant (Chafee ETG) Program

This federally funded program offers grants to Pennsylvania undergraduate students aging out of foster care who are attending an eligible postsecondary institution.

PA National Guard Educational Assistance Program (EAP)

Together with the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, PHEAA administers this tuition assistance program for students who enter into a service commitment with the Pennsylvania National Guard for a period of 6 years.

PA Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver (FosterEd) Program

The Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program provides a waiver for tuition and mandatory fees charged by most postsecondary institutions located in the Commonwealth for youth who are or were in foster care.

This waiver applies only to charges that remain after all other gift aid (i.e. federal, state, and other scholarships or grants) have been applied to the student’s account.

To apply for the waiver:

• File the FAFSA.
• Enroll in a PA postsecondary institution approved by the U.S. Department of Education for Title IV funding.
• You must apply for and be eligible for the Chafee Education and Training Grant (Chafee ETG).
• Mail or fax your completed Chafee ETG application (PDF) to:

PHEAA State Grant and Special Programs
P.O. Box 8157
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8157
Fax: (717) 720-3786

Students who wish to appeal their eligibility determination can do so by emailing: FosterEd@pheaa.org.

Point of Contact at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology:

Emily Smoker
Director of Financial Aid
Phone: 717-391-7206
Email: financialaid@stevenscollege.edu

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Stevens Grant

For more than 100 years, the Stevens Grant has helped thousands of students pursue their dream of an education at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

Grant Eligibility Criteria:

• FAFSA processed by May 1 (late applicants may receive a reduced amount).
• Complete all required paperwork with the Office of Financial Aid.
• Pell Grant eligibility as determined by the FAFSA.
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Enrolled in 12 or more credits and working towards degree requirements. In some cases, students who are taking less than 12 credits but are taking a full load of their program courses according to the model schedule and have fulfilled all general education requirements may be eligible on a prorated basis.
• Complete all PA State Grant paperwork.

The Stevens Grant Covers:

• The remaining costs after the Pell Grant, PA State Grant, outside scholarships, VA benefits, and Student Aid Index (SAI) are taken into consideration.
• If the SAI is greater than zero, students are responsible for the amount of the SAI. A student loan will be awarded as an option to cover all or a portion of the SAI.
• Costs can include, tuition, fees, housing and meal plans (seven-day meal plan for resident students, and five-day meal plan for commuter students).
• Textbooks and tools will be given to students each semester.
• All books must be returned at the end of each semester.
• If a student withdraws or is dismissed prior to graduation, they must return their tools or be charged a replacement fee.

Length of Grant:

• Four-semester maximum
• Pre-majors may receive the grant for six semesters

Additional Information:

• Funds are disbursed via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to students’ accounts each semester starting after the designated census date. After the initial disbursement, funds are reviewed for disbursement as needed.
• If a student withdraws or is dismissed during the refund period, their Stevens Grant will be prorated based on the business office’s refund policy.

Maintaining Grant Eligibility:

• Complete a new FAFSA each year to determine financial eligibility
• Continuous full-time enrollment
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA
• Must abide by the College’s Student Code of Conduct and attendance policy. If the student does not abide by the Code of Conduct and attendance policy, the grant will be lost for the next semester the student is enrolled.

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Thaddeus Stevens Foundation Scholarship

The Thaddeus Stevens Foundation awards more than 50 scholarships annually. You may complete a scholarship application to apply for all of the available scholarships for which you may meet the criteria. The Thaddeus Stevens Foundation determines the scholarship amount.

The application for the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year is open. The deadline to apply for the available scholarships is May 31, 2024. Decisions and notifications of scholarships will be made by the end of July.

To apply, the student will need to go to the following website: https://stevenscollege.scholarshipuniverse.com

1. Log in using your login information for your Self-Service portal.
2. The first time will get an “I’m ready” button; say “Agree/Yes”.
3. Click on ”Dashboard” on the left-hand side, and then in the top green button, “Qualify for more scholarships by clicking here”.
4. Complete the application – the more questions you answer, the more scholarships and/or refined matches you may receive!
5. Find your matches and apply for any scholarships that you choose.

The application for the 2024-2025 Thaddeus Stevens Foundation Scholarships will be available from February to May.

Unless otherwise stipulated, the following general criteria shall apply to all applicants for scholarship consideration:

• Each recipient of a scholarship must meet the academic standards of a 2.0 GPA or above.
• Students with financial needs are given first preference. Financial needs can only be determined by completing the FAFSA. We encourage all applicants to also complete the FAFSA. Consideration for those with academic achievement will be given second preference.
• None of the following forms of discrimination will be used in selecting a qualifying student. Neither race, creed, color, age, nor gender shall be used as a determining factor in awarding the scholarship.
• Scholarship applicants shall be residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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Other Scholarship Opportunities

The Financial Aid Office is pleased to provide the Scholarship Universe as an additional resource for students to apply for other scholarship opportunities. The student will log in using the same login information as their self-service portal, and will click on “Qualify for more scholarships”. Complete the filtering questions to assist in matching scholarships. The more questions you answer, the more scholarships and/or refined matches you may receive. Scholarship Universe website: https://stevenscollege.scholarshipuniverse.com

You are encouraged to apply for scholarships from other sources. However, the Office of Financial Aid is not responsible for these scholarships, so you should confirm with the sponsor any rules or requirements that may apply. Please notify the Office of Financial Aid of any other scholarships you may/will receive, as these scholarships may impact the award/amounts you are federally eligible for. The Office of Financial Aid will complete any paperwork required to assist in the follow-up process. The Office of Financial Aid does not recommend paying a fee to apply for a scholarship.