Financial Aid Information

DISSA Emergency Loans

Students who encounter unforeseen financial emergencies may be eligible for an DISSA Emergency Loan.

Tuition Grant Information

Penn State University has some scholarship funds that provide a limited number of tuition grants exclusively for currently enrolled international students.

Federal and State Aid

Most forms of financial aid offered at Penn State are provided by the federal or state governments and are available only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.  International students are not eligible for these aid programs.

Private Alternative Loans

International students with a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident as a cosigner may be eligible for a private alternative loan through a U.S. lending institution.  Please refer to information on the Penn State Student Aid Web site.

Graduate Students

International students are eligible for a number of assistantships, fellowships and grants offered by Penn State. The most common of these are graduate assistantships, which provide full tuition, 80% of health insurance premiums and a living stipend in return for service.  Indicate that you wish to be considered for this aid when completing your application for admission.  You will be evaluated in competition with all other qualified applicants.  The Graduate School has additional information which may be useful.

Undergraduate Students

There is, at this time, essentially no financial aid available to international undergraduate students.  Financial aid is typically limited to outside scholarships obtained by you through private sources. There are limited opportunities for you to borrow from a private loan and most private loan programs require a U.S. citizen to serve as a co-signer. See above regarding Private Alternative Loans.  You may want to consider applying to the Schreyer Honors College. All first-year Schreyer Scholars entering from high school receive an Academic Excellence Scholarship of $5,000 per year, renewable for a total of eight semesters, pending good academic standing and fulfillment of all requirements of the Schreyer Honors College.

Non-Degree Students

There are a limited number of private alternative loans available to non-degree students with a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident as a cosigner.  See above regarding Private Alternative Loans.  You will need to be sure to choose a lender that lends to non-degree students.