Important Information for First Year Students
Complete Your 2008-2009 FAFSA
The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the starting point for most need-based financial aid programs. All first year students starting in Fall 2008 are encouraged to complete the 2008-2009 FAFSA on the Web by February 15, 2008. Students and/or parents will need a PIN number to file the FAFSA electronically; you can apply for your PIN any time. Penn State's FAFSA school code for all campus locations is 003329.
Penn State University begins sending out award notifications in mid-March.
Scholarship Opportunities
First year students are automatically considered for most academic scholarships at Penn State Behrend. There are a few scholarships that give priority to students who work (or whose parents work) for various companies. These applications are available and due to the Penn State Behrend Financial Aid Office by February 1, 2008.
Penn State Behrend also awards our NSF-STEM Scholarships to first year students planning on majoring in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. First year students will automatically be considered for these scholarships; the 2008-09 FAFSA is required for consideration.
Attention Parents!
Once your student is enrolled at Penn State Behrend, much of the correspondence regarding financial aid is sent directly to the students via their Penn State email accounts. Make sure YOU stay in the loop by signing up for the Office of Student Aid Parent Newsletter.
What's Next?
If you have already received your Student Aid Award Notification and you would like to pursue additional loan opportunities, you can apply on-line for a Parent Loan (PLUS) or an Alternative Loan after June 1, 2008. All first year students will spend a day on campus to meet with a faculty advisor and schedule their fall courses. During that day there is a Financial Aid and Billing presentation that will help you complete your next steps.
Looking for a job on campus?
Students have many opportunities for college employment. If you have been awarded Federal Work Study, you will want to do a Work Study Job Search on eLion once you receive your Penn State Access Account . If you do not have Federal Work Study, you can still get a job on campus. There are many other student employment opportunities that do not require Federal Work Study. Any student interested in a specific position should contact the supervisor of that position directly.