College Scholarships

To assist students who have the ability and ambition to attend the University, and to recognize the accomplishments of its students, the College of Health and Human Development (HHD) awards scholarships based on academic achievement, financial need, school/community activities, leadership positions, and work experience.

Students must be enrolled in the College of Health and Human Development to receive scholarship support and some scholarships and awards require enrollment in a specific major. The College scholarships and awards are highly competitive due to eligibility requirements and limited funding.

No application required for most college scholarships

All currently enrolled HHD students, currently enrolled Penn State students intending to transfer to the College, and incoming freshmen and students transferring from a college outside of the Penn State system will be automatically considered for all scholarships and awards for which they are eligible.

HHD follows a "no application necessary" process to minimize the burden on students and families. Unless we absolutely require additional information because of donor requirements, we do not ask for any additional forms, essays, or documents to be submitted for HHD students to be considered for college scholarships.

A few select scholarships in HHD academic units require additional information for scholarship consideration as noted in the description. Any additional information will be collected as part of an application. These applications are typically announced in our weekly student newsletter, sent to all HHD students, and then archived and shared on the Web.

In addition, students who are within 30 credits of graduation may want to consider an application for "Complete Penn State". The Complete Penn State program is run by the Student Success Center and provides resources for students who are in their final two semesters of completing their first associate's or bachelor's degree. Complete Penn State supports students who experience a situation that negatively impacts their ability to complete their degree.

Financial Need

The majority of College scholarships and awards require or prioritize financial need. To be eligible, students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Penn State's recommended filing date of December 1 for prospective first-year students and April 15 for continuing students. Visit the Penn State Office of Student Aid for additional student aid related information.

Notification

College Scholarship awarding is an ongoing process. Efforts are made to award scholarships prior to July 1 for the upcoming academic year, but awards may be made throughout the year. College scholarships are not guaranteed nor are automatically renewed after the receipt of an initial award. Scholarship amounts may also vary from year to year depending on fund availability. Students must await a decision regarding these scholarships each year that they remain eligible.

Only those students who are selected to receive a college scholarship will be contacted. Scholarship awardees will be notified by email to their Penn State email address. 

If you are submitting a Thank you note to your donors of your scholarship, please forward a letter (word or pdf) attachment via email to: HHDStewardship@psu.edu. If you have any questions about how to thank your donors please email HHDStewardship@psu.edu for assistance. 

Disbursement Requirements

To disburse a college scholarship/award students must be enrolled in the College of Health and Human Development and be in good standing with the University. In most cases, students will receive half of their award in the fall semester and the other half in the spring semester. All funds are directly disbursed to an individual student’s account (LionPATH) through the Office of the Bursar.

Additional Funding Opportunities

Private Free Scholarship Searches