Issues
Pennsylvania Tuition Relief Fast Facts
What is the Pennsylvania Tuition Relief plan?
A grant program designed to make college affordable for working families by greatly reducing or eliminating reliance on student loans for those attending community colleges and the state system universities whose families make $100,000 per year or less. With savings accounts wiped out for many hard-working families, it is urgent to get tuition relief started this Fall.
How Does it Work?
- Students and their families submit the traditional financial aid form
- Students apply for all federal and state grants for which they qualify
- Students and their families pay only what they can afford, as determined by the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculation of the financial aid form
- If there is any gap between the EFC and all available existing state and federal grant aid, the Tuition Relief Act will fill the gap
- Students who do not qualify for PHEAA grants but who come from families that make less than $100k will receive a grant that is equal to 50% of the cost of tuition.
- Once in the program, students are eligible for total of four years of full-time study (equivalent in part-time study), or until receipt of a bachelor’s degree—whichever comes first.
Note: No matter their EFC, every student in the program has to pay at least $1,000 to ensure that all students are investing in their education.
Who Is Eligible?
Tuition relief can start this fall with first-year students at the State System of Higher Education and community colleges whose families earn up to $100,000 a year. The program will grow over the next four years to include each incoming class until all students are covered. When fully in place, tuition relief will cover an estimated 170,000+ undergraduate students at Pennsylvania’s public community colleges and universities.
Other Participation Criteria:
- Includes all students in degree or certificate programs, no matter how few credits they take each semester
- Students who have some college but have been out of college for a significant amount of time will be eligible
- Students must maintain good academic standing once enrolled in order to continue to receive grants
What Expenses Does it Cover?
State System University students: tuition, fees, room, board, books
Community College students: tuition, fees, books
