Penn College Announces PHEAA Technology/Science Scholarships

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency offers annual scholarships for students who are seeking degrees in technology and science, and Pennsylvania College of Technology's director of financial aid says the New Economy Technology Scholarship Program is worth a look for Pennsylvania residents.

"It is a great opportunity for our students to receive a much-needed boost to assist in their cost of education. Every scholarship a student receives is less they need to borrow in a student loan," Dennis L. Correll said. "It is a win-win situation for the student who is eligible, and eventually for the Pennsylvania employer who hires the graduate. Students just need to apply and meet the requirements."

More than 170 Penn College students are receiving the annual scholarship this year, he said.

The first scholarship program is the SciTech Scholarship, which provides up to $3,000 per academic year to residents enrolled full-time in an approved science or technology bachelor-degree program for a maximum of three years. Recipients must complete an approved internship or relevant work experience in a field directly related to their major, with a company that has operations in Pennsylvania, prior to receiving their undergraduate degree.

The second program is the Technology Scholarship, which provides up to $1,000 per academic year to high school graduates who aren't seeking a four-year education but are seeking an associate degree in a science or technology field. Part-time students may be eligible for the scholarship up to $1,000, or 20 percent of their tuition and mandatory fees, whichever is less.

Both scholarship programs require that recipients be residents of Pennsylvania and high school graduates and maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average on a 4.0 scale through postsecondary study. The student must file the 2007-08 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by May 1 and complete any additional requirements as outlined for the PHEAA state grant.

In addition, recipients must agree to begin working full time in Pennsylvania within one year after graduation one year for each year that the scholarship was awarded and received.

The scholarship filing deadline for first-time applications for the 2007-08 academic year is Dec. 31. Those students who already participate in the program are not required to complete another application, but must complete a 2007-08 FAFSA.

More information about the program is available online or by calling toll-free 1-800-692-7392.