Stimulus grant adds $30 million to Pennsylvania college aid program

Deb Erdley | Friday, June 5, 2020 10:13 a.m.

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Pennsylvania college students will be eligible for an additional $400 in state grant aid this fall, officials with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) said Friday.

State Sen. Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, vice chairman of the PHEAA board, said an additional $30 millionfrom the federal CARES Act, part of the coronavirus stimulus, will boost PHEAA’s maximum need-based grant from $4,123 to $4,525.

Last year 132,000 students qualified for the grants.

It’s unclear how many students may qualify for grants in the coming year. Last month, citing an 8% decline in grant applications, PHEAA extended the deadline for applications.

Noting the pandemic shutdown forced students across the state into online classes this spring, the state agency for the first time has expanded eligibility for aid and will offer the same level of aid for online students as for those enrolled in face-to-face instruction.

“This pandemic has fundamentally changed how post-secondary schools operate and continues to create uncertainty for many. This will provide students with a stable source of student aid funding as they decide how to participate in higher education going into the upcoming year,” Fontana said.