HARRISBURG – Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-39), Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) and Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Scott Martin (R-13) are encouraging college students and individuals seeking career training programs in high-demand industries to apply now for the Grow PA Scholarship Grant Program through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).
The new program offers grants of up to $5,000 per year for in-state students who pursue a degree or certification in an in-demand occupation. To qualify for the grant, applicants must agree to live and work in Pennsylvania in that occupation after graduation.
Grant recipients will be required to live and work in Pennsylvania for 12 months for each year they receive the grant. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the grant converting to a loan that must be repaid.
Courses of study that qualify for the grant include agriculture, computer science, business, education, special education, STEM education, engineering, nursing, allied health, criminal justice and other programs as approved by PHEAA.
Applications for the 2025-26 program are available now at pheaa.org/growpa. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
“The Grow PA program was developed with the goal of reversing Pennsylvania’s decades of economic and demographic decline with young people fleeing the state for better educational and job opportunities,” said Martin, who authored the legislation creating the program. “This program sends a powerful message that if young people are willing to live here, work here and put down their roots here, we’re willing to invest in their future.”
“The launch of Grow PA is an exciting step forward for increasing access to postsecondary educational opportunities, empowering tens of thousands of students,” Pittman said. “By attracting, training and retaining students here in Pennsylvania we are investing in the future strength of our workforce.”
While the Grow PA Grant Program benefits Pennsylvania students, there is also a new program for out-of-state students. The Grow PA Tuition Waiver Program allows eligible non-resident PASSHE students pursuing in-demand occupations to pay tuition at an in-state rate rather than an out-of-state rate. Graduates must meet the same requirements to live and work in Pennsylvania after graduation to qualify for the in-state tuition rates.
For more details on the Grow PA Tuition Waiver Program, visit pheaa.org/growpawaiver.
CONTACT: Jason Thompson (Sen. Martin)
Kate Flessner (Sen. Pittman)
Erica Clayton Wright (Sen. Ward)