Robbins: New Program Will Aid High-Achieving PA
Students
Harrisburg – According to State Senator Bob Robbins (R-50), the
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has launched a
new college scholarship, the "Academic Excellence Scholarship Award
Program," which will reward students with both high academic potential
and demonstrated financial need.
Robbins said the program will benefit Pennsylvania students who
qualified for the federal Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Program but did
not receive funding. The Byrd Program rewards academic excellence in
high school with a $1,500 scholarship, renewable for three more years
if the student maintains continuous full-time enrollment and meets
academic progress standards.
More than two-thirds of the qualified Byrd Program applicants who
also have a state grant do not receive awards due to insufficient
funds, Robbins said. Students who were denied funding for their first
year of college are not eligible for Byrd funds in future years, under
Byrd Program regulations.
"It's unfortunate that so many students who qualify for the Byrd
program don't receive help because there is simply not enough funds,"
said Robbins. "Fortunately, the Academic Excellence Scholarship Award
Program will help fill the gap and allow more students to afford
college."
The Senator said that PHEAA expects to award about $1.2 million in
the fall of 2004 to those who demonstrate both academic excellence and
financial need.
Eligible high school graduates must be in the top 5 percent of
their high school graduating class or among the top three students in
a graduating class of fewer than 60 students. The applicant must have
at least a 3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. He or she must have
a minimum score of 1150 on the SAT or an American College Testing
composite score of 25 or higher. If the applicant is a qualifying GED
recipient with a score of 355 or higher he or she must have either an
SAT score of at least 1150 or an American College Testing composite
score of 25 or higher. They must attend a Pennsylvania postsecondary
institution and may not be recipients of the Byrd Program.
The Academic Excellence Scholarship Award Program will begin
providing awards to incoming qualifying freshman at Pennsylvania
postsecondary institutions in the fall of 2004. Qualified Byrd Program
applicants will automatically be considered for the PHEAA Academic
Excellence Scholarship Award Program, so no additional application
process will be required. For students who would like additional
information about this program, they should contact PHEAA at
1-800-692-7392
CONTACT: Mike Hengst (717) 787-1322
