Ready to Succeed Scholarship

For the first time this school year, a Ready to Succeed Scholarship Program will be available for college students attending private and public schools in Pennsylvania. The state has allocated $5 million in the budget for the merit-based scholarship, and the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) will be administering the program.

To qualify, students must have completed at least one academic year - defined as having earned at least 24 semester credits - have at least a 3.25 GPA and family income cannot exceed $110,000. Students who receive needs-based scholarships are eligible as well. A full-time student can receive up to $2,000 and part-time students can get up to $1,000. The minimum award is $500. The scholarship can be used toward tuition, books, living expenses, fees or supplies.

PHEAA will forward the colleges and universities a roster of students who qualify for the grants based on income, and it will be up to the schools to certify a student’s academic eligibility. Colleges are able to start nominating students now and applications will need to be submitted by September 15th. The state will notify students between mid-October and November if they have received an award.

There is no limit for how many students a school can nominate and awards will be given out on a first come, first served basis. In Pennsylvania, with nearly 700,000 college students, PHEAA estimates tens of thousands of students will qualify for these grants, but expects about 3,600 students will actually receive an award based on the low state allocation for this program.

Students should be doing everything possible to lower their college debt and I am pleased the Commonwealth has introduced another resource for those looking to continue their education after high school. Oftentimes, middle income students do not qualify for state grants because there are other students in more financially desperate situations. The Ready to Succeed Scholarships offer these middle income students a new opportunity for financial freedom.

To learn more about if you are eligible for one of these scholarships or how to apply, please contact your college or university’s Financial Aid Office.

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be between the ages of 17 and 26
• Have a high school GPA of at least 2.50
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Score a minimum of 1000 on the SAT (math/verbal) or 19 on the ACT (excluding the required writing test scores)
• Meet physical standards
• Agree to accept a commission and serve in the Army on Active Duty or in a Reserve Component (Army Reserve or Army National Guard)

The team at Study.com believes that everyone should be able to afford to pursue a college education. In honor of Black History Month, we wanted to reaffirm our goal of making education accessible for everyone by highlighting our recently updated Financial Aid and Scholarship Guide for Black Students which offers in-depth information in several areas, including:

• Changes to FAFSA and financial aid as well as financial relief for HBCUs resulting from the new COVID-19 stimulus bill
• Information on finding and applying for scholarships with a list of scholarships for black students
• Information on HBCUs and why they're important, and scholarships for those looking to attend an HBCU
• Organizations and resources that are helpful for Black students and students of color
• Information on Apple’s new $25 million investment in resources and scholarships for students at HBCUs