Academic Scholarships

• Must demonstrate financial need, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA must be filed with the Office of Student Aid for consideration of a need-based scholarship.
• Personal statement (maximum of 1,000 words). Help the selection committee learn more about you. Include academic achievements, extracurricular activities, community involvement, leadership examples, career goals, and things that set you apart from others.
• Your résumé. Accepted formats are MS Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe PDF (.pdf) files.

To apply for and maintain a need-based scholarship, undergraduate students must meet the following requirements.

• Maintain a full-time course load at the University Park campus (12 or more credits per semester during the fall and spring only, summers not included). Note: If you are planning to participate in an education abroad experience during the academic year (fall or spring) of desired enrollment, please email lascholarships@psu.edu regarding scholarship eligibility.
• Declare a major or pre-major in the College of the Liberal Arts.
• Maintain a successful grade-point average. A grade-point average of at least 3.00 is required for most scholarships. If you have questions about this requirement, please email lascholarships@psu.edu.
• Maintain a demonstrated financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the Office of Student Aid.
• Continue to meet the specific requirements of the scholarship, which may include, but are not limited to, a desire to pursue public, community, or government services; leadership; or outstanding academics.

Returning and continuing University Park students: The priority application period for first consideration is January 1–April 1 of the calendar year of desired fall enrollment. Non-priority applications submitted after April 1 will be considered in the order they are received, depending on funding availability.

Incoming first-year undergraduate students new to Penn State University Park for fall 2025: Fall 2025 scholarship support decisions for first-year undergraduate students new to Penn State University Park will likely be delayed due to an unknown timeline for FAFSA processing. Scholarship amounts vary from year to year depending on the amount and availability of funding, so we recommend students not make decisions based on anticipated scholarship awards. Request an application for consideration beginning Monday, March 3, by sending your nine-digit Penn State identification number to lascholarships@psu.edu for application eligibility verification. 

Transfer students (from other Penn State campuses or outside of Penn State): All change-of-campus or transfer students must meet the criteria of full-time status at Penn State University Park with at least one declared major or pre-major in the College of the Liberal Arts, a demonstrated financial need based on their FAFSA, and a successful grade-point average of 3.0 or higher at the time of applying. If you receive an error when trying to submit your application, please email lascholarships@psu.edu for assistance.

It is important to note that undergraduate scholarships are not guaranteed upon submission of a scholarship application, nor are they automatically renewed. Students must re-apply and await a decision regarding these scholarships for each year they remain eligible. Scholarship amounts vary from year to year depending on fund availability.

When you visit the scholarship application database, you’ll notice that your basic information has been pulled into the database from LionPATH. Some of this information can be updated in the database, but some of it cannot. Any information that is not editable by you in the database must be updated in LionPATH.

Apply Now for an academic scholarship

If your application is successful, you will be notified about your award via your Penn State email address. Typically, one-half of your award will be credited to your student account in the fall semester, and the second half will be awarded in the spring semester, unless it is a one-semester award. If you do not receive a scholarship notification before the start of fall or spring enrollment, your application will remain on file for the academic year and may be considered if additional funds become available.

• In addition to general scholarships offered through the college, several departments offer academic scholarships. Visit your department’s website to learn about additional scholarship opportunities.
• Liberal Arts students who encounter unexpected financial hardship may apply for Liberal Arts emergency funding. If you have questions about Liberal Arts emergency funding, please send an email to lascholarships@psu.edu. You can also apply for assistance from the University through Penn State Student Affairs for basic needs and support.
• Penn State’s Office of Student Aid lists need-based, merit-based, and external funding opportunities such as loans, grants, and work-study programs.
• Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring may also be a source of additional funding.
• A special program is available to students who find they are unable to afford their final two semesters at Penn State. Visit Complete Penn State for more information about the program.
• Enrichment funding can offset travel and living expenses for out-of-classroom experiences like internships, education abroad, and research. Visit our enrichment funding page or schedule an appointment with the Career Enrichment Network.