Helping to Make Mont Alto Affordable

We know families carefully consider the value of the investments they make, and education is no exception. Penn State Mont Alto prides itself in partnering with students and families to help meet their needs, from academics to student engagement and affordability. 

Students may qualify for financial aid programs that ease the financial burden associated with completing a college degree. There are many University-wide awards and scholarships, as well as Mont Alto-specific scholarships, that help make a Penn State Mont Alto education affordable. In fact, up to 87% of Penn State Mont Alto students receive some form of financial aid. During the 2020-21 academic year, Penn State Mont Alto awarded $572,114 out of its own endowments to 397 students. This was in addition to other University-wide scholarships and awards that our students received.

Young female graduate poses with her father at graduation

The Discover Penn State Award

This newly established award is available to Penn State students from states bordering Pennsylvania (DE, MD, OH, NJ, NY, and WV), as well as the District of Columbia and Virginia. Students from these states may be considered for an award of $6,000 in their freshman and sophomore years, and $7,000 in their junior and senior years. Students who transfer from a community college for their junior year at Penn State Mont Alto may be considered for an award of $6,500 a year for three years to help them earn a bachelor’s degree. The Discover Award will follow a student to another Commonwealth Campus but not to University Park or World Campus. The priority application date for students enrolling for the upcoming fall is November 30.

 

Discover Penn State Award
Nittany Lion Shrine

Provost's Award

The Provost's Award is dedicated to Pennsylvania residents and ranges between $5,000 (for freshmen and sophomores) and $7,000 (for juniors and seniors). The Provost's Award follows a student if the student transitions to another Commonwealth Campus or to University Park.

Provost's Award
Chancellor Francis Achampong

The Chancellor Award

The Chancellor Award ranges between $1,000 and $6,000 with a preference for high-achieving, first-year students who are the first in their families to attend college.

Scholarship donors with student recipient

Mont Alto Endowed Scholarships

Penn State Mont Alto has many scholarship endowments funded by generous donors. Donors specify whether they want these funds to go to students enrolled in a designated major or from a designated County. Endowed scholarships are educational funds that students do not have to pay back. Eligibility for scholarships is often based on merit, and in many cases, financial need. The campus awarded scholarships totaling $572,114 to 397 students from these endowments during the 2020-2021 academic year. We have published an extensive list of Penn State Mont Alto scholarship opportunities for your information.

A female and a male student work in the chemistry lab with their instructor

Yield Enhancement Awards

High-achieving students with multiple college options may be considered for a Yield Enhancement Award to help make Penn State Mont Alto a more attractive option.

Student veteran at Penn State Mont Alto

Other Special Funds and Benefits for Penn State Mont Alto Students

Complete Penn State

The Complete Penn State scholarship helps students who are within 30 credits of graduation (within 15 credits for an Associate Degree program) and are either currently enrolled or who have walked away from their studies due to an unanticipated financial barrier to complete their degrees at Penn State.

Veterans' Benefits

Penn State Mont Alto values its veteran students. We have published a whole page dedicated to explaining Veterans’ benefits in the Veterans' Services section of our website.

Hardship Fund

Penn State Mont Alto also has a Hardship Fund that may offer general, non-tuition assistance to students facing financial hardships that might otherwise interfere with their education. It helps students facing a crisis to stay on track academically. Students can speak with the Student Aid office to discuss need and availability.

Housing Awards

Students from Pittsburgh who have a Pittsburgh Promise Scholarship will be given a $1,000 housing award per semester.

Childcare Subsidy

Eligible full-time, degree-seeking student parents may receive a 75% subsidy for high-quality childcare. Helpful information and an application for this program are available online.

Nittany Lion studies using textbooks

Open and Affordable Educational Resources at Mont Alto

Nationwide, textbook costs have been climbing, however faculty members at Mont Alto have been looking to keep these costs down for students through the use of open educational resources. Currently, openly licensed educational resources that are freely available to the students are being used instead of traditional textbooks in more than two dozen courses across the campus. These include instructor created content, free online textbooks, and collections of freely available materials. Additionally, students may access many free e-books through the university library, and the Penn State Bookstore offer affordable options for students.

A female student helps stock the Lion's Pantry

Lion’s Pantry at Mont Alto

National research shows that students sometimes skip meals because of financial challenges, and that food insecurity can negatively impact student success. To ensure that the success of our students is not hampered by food insecurity, Penn State Mont Alto has established the Lion’s Pantry with financial support from a generous benefactor. Students are free to take what they need from the Pantry with no questions asked.

A female staff member helps students choose career attire

Mont Alto Career Closet

Imagine a family making sacrifices to put a student through college and not being able to provide professional clothes for internships or job interviews. That is exactly what Mont Alto’s Career Closet is for. It is stocked with gently used clothes and accessories donated by the 11/30 Club, which is made up of young professionals in Franklin County. Faculty and staff volunteers give students fashion advice and help them pick appropriate clothing for internships and interviews. What’s more, students don’t have to return what they pick. They get to keep it.

Students get help in the computer lab

Additional Resources to Help Make a Penn State Education Affordable

Knowing that many families are anxious about how to pay for a college education, Penn State's Financial Literacy site provides a wealth of information covering everything from saving to budgeting to loan repayment strategies. The site offers different learning modules and even has a mentoring program to connect alumni with students.

Penn State Mont Alto's Tuition and Financial Aid page pulls together everything that a prospective or current student needs to know about paying for their education and who to contact for help.

Helpful Penn State Mont Alto staff

Want more information?

For more information about these awards, scholarships, and services, please contact our Admissions staff.

Admissions at Penn State Mont Alto