PA Partnerships for Access to Higher Education (PATH) Partner FAQ

HOW DOES PHEAA EVALUATE PATH NOMINEES?

PATH eligibility is based on need. When we receive your nomination list, we first consider whether each student is eligible to receive a PA State Grant and is attending a school in Pennsylvania. Students who meet these requirements will have their unmet need calculated using this formula:

  • Cost of Attendance (COA) — Student Aid Index (SAI) = Need
  • Need — All other grants and scholarships = Unmet Need

Formula Definitions:

  • COA is determined by the institution and includes, but is not limited to, tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, and board.
  • SAI is calculated by a federal formula based on the income and asset information that the student provided.

We then process nominees in descending order based on the greatest unmet need and award an estimated PATH award based on the maximum and minimum award amounts. If the total amount of nominations exceeds the partner's allocation, our staff will determine the number of recipients that will meet the partner's allocation. It is important to note that once a student is nominated, the institution will determine final eligibility.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MYFILEGATEWAY USER ID AND THE PAGECENTER USER ID?

MyFileGateway is a web-based product that allows for the sharing and transferring of files between PHEAA and the organization through secure mailboxes.

PageCenter(X) is a secure report repository. Each organization will have its own mailbox within PageCenter(X) through which all reports and listings will be delivered.

Your myFileGateway and PageCenter(X) credential will begin with the letters “PT.” If you have forgotten or lost your credential, contact the PHEAA Help Desk at 1-800-443-0646.

CAN I SEND MY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS DIRECTLY TO THE STUDENT?

No. Scholarship funds that you wish to have matched through the PATH Program must be sent directly from the approved partnering organization to the postsecondary institution and cashed by that institution. We will match partner scholarships that are made payable to only the postsecondary institution, as well as partner scholarships that are made payable to both the institution and the student, as long as the funds are sent directly to the institution. Partners may not provide payments directly to a student.

IF I HAVE A QUESTION FOR A SCHOOL ABOUT ONE OF MY NOMINEES, HOW CAN I CONTACT THEM?

We can provide you with a contact list for schools that are PATH matches for your nominees. Please call us at 1-800-443-0646 or email path@pheaa.org to request a list.

HOW DOES PHEAA DETERMINE PARTNER ALLOCATIONS?

A PATH partner allocation is the funding assigned by PHEAA to approved PATH partners for the purpose of leveraging individual PATH partner scholarships awarded to Commonwealth students for educational expenses.

The PATH Program is funded by an annual Matching Funds appropriation provided by the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The funds approved for the PATH Program are allocated among the approved PATH partners. The minimum allocation per partner is $5,000. The allocation of available funds to participating partners is based on (but not limited to):

  • PHEAA receiving a Matching Funds appropriation through the Commonwealth budget process
  • Approval of Matching Funds allocations by the PHEAA Board of Directors
  • A review of prior year participation and fund utilization
  • The number of PATH partners

We annually send allocations to the PATH partners through an allocation letter after the Commonwealth finalizes its budget. PATH funds are allocated to a PATH partner for use during an academic year (fall, winter, and spring terms); therefore, we can only match partner scholarships awarded during the academic year. We cannot match partner scholarship funds awarded during summer terms.

WHAT IS THE SCHOLARSHIP LIST AND WHY DOES IT NEED SUBMITTED ANNUALLY?

Annually, each PATH partner must provide PHEAA with a complete list of all scholarships funded, administered, awarded, and disbursed by that partner before the announced deadline. Once we receive all partner lists, we compile a master PATH Partner Scholarship List and provide this list to schools for award certification purposes. We cannot match unverifiable scholarships and they may be canceled by the postsecondary institution.

OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BROCHURES AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT REFERENCE THE PATH PROGRAM. IS THIS OK?

Yes. Partners must send a draft to PHEAA for review when they send out any type of correspondence that references the PATH Program to their constituencies, including:

  • Potential or actual scholarship recipients
  • Providing a status or an amount of the PATH match

This review ensures that all materials accurately reflect PATH Program information. PHEAA will not be held responsible for erroneous information provided to your PATH nominees or their families that was not reviewed and approved by PHEAA. Materials can be sent to path@pheaa.org. PHEAA also encourages you to direct students back to our student-facing PATH webpage.

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