Apply or Renew

PA State Grant Deadlines

The PA State Grant deadlines are different for first-time applicants, renewal applicants, and summer-term applicants. Please refer to Federal Student Aid for more details regarding specific federal, college, and state deadlines related to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

Applicant Type Deadlines
First-time applicants

May 1, prior to the academic year—If you plan to enroll in a degree program or a college transferable program at a 2-year private college or other college or university (excludes community colleges and designated Pennsylvania Open-Admission institutions), you must submit the FAFSA by May 1.

August 1, prior to the academic year—If you plan to enroll in a community college; a designated Pennsylvania Open-Admission institution; a business, trade, or technical school; a hospital school of nursing; or a 2-year program that is not transferable to another institution; you must submit the FAFSA by August 1.
Renewal applicants

May 1, prior to the academic year—You must submit a renewal FAFSA by May 1.
Summer-term applicants

August 15, for the summer period you are attending—You must submit the online PA Summer Grant application. If not already on file, you must also submit the FAFSA and, if required, the PA State Grant Form.

Learn More

If you miss the PA State Grant deadline for the academic year, apply anyway. Late applications (for terms other than summer) may qualify for awards if funding permits.

Apply for the PA State Grant Program

Need PA State Grant System Support?

Students and families can check out our resources for the PA State Grant System.

Step Instructions
Step 1

Complete your FAFSA by the appropriate filing deadline.

Step 2

Wait for an email from PHEAA with a link to activate your PA State Grant System account. The email will come from NoReply@grantus.pheaa.org and be sent to the email address you used on the FAFSA.

After submitting your FAFSA, it may take 5-10 business days for us to receive your student data. In some cases, it may take longer. Once we process your FAFSA, we will automatically create your PA State Grant System account and notify you.

Step 3

In your PA State Grant System activation email, use the link and your email address to activate your user account.

To activate your account, you will need to set a password and enable multifactor authentication. You can complete multifactor authentication via email or text message (if there is a phone number associated with your account).

NOTE: If you already set up your account with an authenticator, you can clear your browser cache and reload to see the email and text authentication options.
Step 4

First-Time Applicants: Complete the PA State Grant Form and High School Form.

After logging in to the PA State Grant System, you will see the PA State Grant Form and the High School Form in your Action Items list. Complete both of these forms as soon as possible. If we need additional information, we will email you and direct you back to your PA State Grant System account for next steps.

Complete any requests for additional information as soon as possible.

Renewal Applicants: Most renewal students are not required to complete the PA State Grant Form or High School Form. If we need additional information to determine your eligibility, we will email you and direct you back to your PA State Grant System account.

Complete any requests for additional information as soon as possible.