How to View Your Award Summary and Estimated Financial Aid Budget

Overview

Students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and meet Federal and Penn State Student Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements will receive financial aid notification from our office, the Office of Student Aid. Your financial aid notification will provide you with instructions on how to access your Award Summary, which will list all of the student financial aid (loans, grants, work-study, and scholarships) for which you qualify, based on your eligibility.

Not Finalized

  • Your award amounts are estimated, subject to change, and non-negotiable.
  • Federal and state grant award amounts are contingent upon final federal funding and state appropriations.

Future Students (first-year, undergraduate and graduate transfer, and new graduate students)

  • You will receive a financial aid notification if you have been offered admission to the University and we have received your FAFSA information.
  • Email notifications will begin in February for students who have submitted their FAFSA by December 1st. Be sure to periodically check your spam/junk folder.
  • If you submitted your FAFSA and do not receive an email by late February, confirm that Penn State's Federal School Code (003329) is listed on your FAFSA.

Scholarships

The Office of Student Aid, the University's academic colleges, and the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses offer a variety of scholarships to eligible students. Eligibility for the awards varies and is typically determined based on merit, financial need, or a combination, as defined by the specific scholarship program. Typical scholarship awards may range from $1,500 per year to $7,000 per year, with an average value of $2,500. Students may be identified and selected to receive a particular scholarship on the basis of their prior or current academic performance, other accomplishments, or financial need.

Educational loans are a primary aid source

Due to limited student aid funding, including University scholarships, Penn State is unable to meet the full demonstrated financial need of most students. Federal Direct Subsidized and/or Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan(s) are awarded as part of your financial aid package. You can accept, cancel or decrease your loans on LionPATH after May 1 for first-time students. For information on applying for the Parent PLUS loan you can view our tutorial here. For Graduate PLUS borrowers go here. Before applying compare the Federal Parent PLUS loan to private alternative loans.

Accessing Your Award Summary

If you completed the FAFSA and received an email notification, you can access your Award Summary by following these steps:

  1. Go to LionPATH.
  2. Enter your Penn State User ID (example: "abc1234") and password (use the password you established when you activated your Access Account). If you are having problems logging into LionPATH, please go to the Service Management Portal or call 814-865-HELP (4357) for assistance. Because Helpline hold times are currently long, the Service Management portal can help you more quickly. World Campus students can call 800-252-3592 or 814-865-0047 for assistance.
  3. Select "My Finances" and then "Financial Aid" to see your Award Summary (see below).
  4. Select the aid year you wish to view. For the 2021-22 academic year, select "2022", for the 2022-23 academic year, select "2023", etc..Image of link to Aid Year Detail in LionPATH
  5. Your estimated financial aid, budget, and estimated charges for the year, as well as a breakdown for each semester, will be displayed. Aid includes loans, grants, scholarships and work-study. You will need to accept Federal Work-Study and all loans (except the Parent PLUS Loan). We will activate this option in LionPATH after the May 1 acceptance deadline. After loans are accepted, funds will be applied to the tuition bill. Federal Work-Study will not be applied to the bill; wages earned are direct-deposited into your account.
Financial Aid Award Summary in LionPATH

College Financing Plan

Options are also available to view the financing plan, a standardized award letter designed by the federal government, your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status, and your Financial Aid Award Letter from Penn State.

Estimated Payment to the University in LionPATHFinancing Strategies/ Satisfactory Academic Progress/ Required Action in LionPATH

 

Technical Assistance

If you need additional assistance using the LionPATH system - check out the tutorials provided by LionPATH Production Support:

Current Students (returning undergraduate and graduate)

You will receive an email message in your Penn State email account by July (and continuing regularly thereafter) that your financial aid is accessible via the Award Summary in LionPATH. Follow the procedure above to access your financial aid information.

If you submitted your FAFSA and do not receive an email by mid July, confirm that Penn State's Federal School Code (003329) is listed on your FAFSA.