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Financial aid is an available resource
to help you meet your educational costs. Although
students and their families are ultimately responsible
for paying all educational expenses, aid programs,
such as grants, scholarships,
loans, and work programs, have been
developed to assist in funding your education.
In addition, there are other
resources available to students. Please note that not always
100% of your educational expenses are covered by
financial aid.
If you
receive a scholarship or grant from a source
other than the federal or state government or
UPT, you are required to report that award to
our office. You can do so by sending a
written statement providing information about
the outside scholarship/grant or by sending us
notification you received from the organization
that made the award. We are required by
the federal government to monitor the total
amount of financial aid each student receives
from all sources.
Grants -
Grants are a
form of financial aid, based on need, which
you generally do not have to repay. You
must complete the FAFSA to determine
eligibility for the following grants:
Federal Pell Grants
Eligible students are awarded grants
from the federal government in amounts ranging
between $523 to $4,731 without repayment
requirements.
All Federal Grants are based on need as
determined by the FAFSA.
State Grants
Every student should apply to his/her
state scholarship program for assistance. For
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania residents, you
can apply for the Pennsylvania State Grant by
completing the
FAFSA.
The necessary information will automatically
be sent to
AES/PHEAA and you will be notified of your
eligibility. Pennsylvania State grant awards
ranged from $400 to $4,200 for the 2006-2007
year. For students from other states, you
should check to see whether your state
provides grant assistance that can be used at
UPT.
Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
– Up to $750 per year available to first year
students that graduate from high school after
1/1/2006 and up to $1,300 per year available
to second year students that graduate high
school after 1/1/2005 and that have a 3.0 or
cumulative higher GPA after their freshman
year. The criteria for eligibility are as
follows: Pell eligible, a US citizen, enrolled
full time, and completion of rigorous high
school program.
National SMART Grant – Up
to $4,000 available to third and fourth year
undergraduate students who major in certain
math, science, technology or certain critical
foreign languages and maintain a 3.0 CUM GPA.
Limited to students who are Pell eligible, a
US citizen, and enrolled full time.
Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
Federal grants awarded to eligible
students without repayment requirements.
Other grant information can be found under
the "Pay for your education" link at
www.students.gov.
Scholarships -
The types, sources, application processes,
amounts and criteria vary enormously for
scholarships awarded outside of UPT.
For information regarding scholarships offered
by UPT click here.
Funding sources and agencies include:
- Civic groups
- Churches
- Charitable foundations
- Fraternal organizations
- Hospitals
- Unions
- Businesses
Students can research scholarships at the
library or a number of free scholarship searches
on the internet. When researching
scholarships be wary of scholarship scams.
Information regarding scholarship scams can be
found on the The Federal Trade Commission's
web-site at
http://www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams.
Suggested web-based scholarship sources
include:
www.fastweb.com,
www.scholarshipexperts.com,
www.brokescholar.com, and
www.schoolsoup.com.
SELF-HELP AID
Loans - a form of financial aid that needs to
be paid back. Click
here for more
information regarding loans.
FEDERAL
WORK STUDY - Need based aid funded by the federal government and the school.
If the student works, money is paid directly to them via a monthly
paycheck. Work study is not deducted from the billing
statement. For For more
information on Work Study, please visit:
http://www.upt.pitt.edu/upt_hr/workstudy.html
*An award of work-study does not guarantee a position; all jobs
are filled through the discretion of individual departments.
OTHER RESOURCES
MILITARY:
Veterans Administration (VA) benefits
are available to all honorably discharged veterans who
contributed to the Montgomery Bill Education Fund during their
enlistment. Applicants must complete an Application for Veterans
Educational Benefits (VA form 22-1999) and submit this form to
the Financial Aid Office, who will certify enrollment with the
VA. (VA forms are available through the Financial Aid Office)
PA National Guard members may be eligible for the PA
Education Assistance Program (EAP). Information regarding
eligibility for the EAP can be obtained through the Personnel
Officer of each National Guard Unit. The Financial Aid Office
will Certify enrollment and complete the necessary paperwork for
the NG members to receive funding.
Army Reserve members also have educational benefits
for which they can qualify, including the Montgomery Bill
Education Fund. The Financial Aid Office will certify enrollment
with the VA.
VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION:
Students with disabilities may qualify for educational
benefits by applying to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
(OVR) serving your community. Application and evaluations are
conducted by OVR to determine eligibility. It is strongly
recommended that applications begin early to allow for
evaluations and counseling by OVR to determine eligibility and
program of study. Funding is determined by OVR based on program
and financial need.
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