The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has announced the availability of applications for the 2025-26 Grow Pennsylvania Scholarship Grant Program. The program, commonly referred to as the Grow PA Grant, will open for applications on March 13 at pheaa.org/growpa.
The initiative was established under Act 89 of 2024 to address the issue of young Pennsylvanians leaving the state for education and job opportunities elsewhere. It provides grants up to $5,000 annually for in-state students attending college in Pennsylvania who pursue degrees in high-demand occupations and commit to working in those fields within the state after graduation.
Recipients are required to work in Pennsylvania for a year per grant year received; otherwise, the grant converts into a repayable loan.
Senator Wayne D. Fontana, PHEAA Board Chairman, stated: “The Grow PA Grant Program was created to stem the tide of students leaving Pennsylvania, taking their talents and skills with them.” He emphasized that these grants aim to encourage students to remain and work within Pennsylvania post-graduation.
Senator Scott Martin, author of the legislation creating this program, remarked: “When we created Grow PA last year, we set out with one goal in mind: helping connect Pennsylvanians to good careers that are in demand throughout the state.”
PHEAA will oversee this program alongside partners like the PA Department of Labor & Industry (L&I), offering a list of eligible study programs on its website.
James Steeley, PHEAA President and CEO, noted: “We worked diligently with L&I to identify the occupations most needed in Pennsylvania. There are many programs of study that map to Pennsylvania’s in-demand occupations.”
Prospective applicants can follow PHEAA’s social media channels for updates regarding application announcements.
In conjunction with this scholarship initiative, PHEAA collaborates with Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) on administering a related program—the Grow PA Tuition Waiver Program—which allows non-resident PASSHE students studying high-demand fields to pay tuition at an in-state rate.
Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino commented: “This is an opportunity to attract out-of-state students…for the benefit of our Commonwealth.” Similar conditions apply here as well; recipients must work within Pennsylvania post-study or face loan conversion.
Further details about these programs will be released shortly.
