PENN STATE
How to Get Merit Aid and Merit Scholarships at Penn State
So you want to go to Penn State, the one in State College, Pa., and you don’t want to pay full price? Join the club.
If you landed here, you’re already ahead of the game. Many people don’t know what merit aid is, or how to get merit scholarships. We’ll use those terms interchangeably here, but they mean the same thing. Merit aid is a scholarship, money you don’t have to repay. And how much you get has nothing to do with what you earn or the assets you have — even high-income families qualify, because you don’t need to qualify for financial aid to receive merit aid.
556
first-year students received merit aid
$5,764
average merit scholarship
Here’s where it gets interesting. On the surface those numbers seem modest — and that’s exactly what Penn State wants you to think. Turns out a lot of people want to go there — say, from states like Maryland or Virginia where it’s hard to get into the big state school. The students who get those merit scholarships aren’t just the top of the academic pile. They’re the families who understood how to position their student, when to apply, and how to read the signals Penn State sends about who they want to recruit.
The admissions office website is vague by design. But the information is findable if you know where to look. And if your first merit scholarship offer isn’t enough, there are specific, legitimate ways to ask for more.
I teach all of this in my course on merit aid. If your student is applying to Penn State, the course will show you exactly what to do, when to do it, and what to say.
Taught by New York Times money columnist Ron Lieber
30-day money-back guarantee
Don’t take my word for it.
Ask the course alumni!
$18,000
saved per year by one course alumni family
It’s unique in the marketplace as far as we’ve been able to find, and it’s appreciated! I’d also add, I emailed Ron with a question and heard back from him promptly, within minutes. This is someone who clearly cares about parents and kids in the higher education marketplace.
Ron spells out the what, how, and why out of the enormously financially and financially taxing college application process with a level of care and concern that is truly personal. He possesses the rarest combination of assets — the best parts of working with a financial advisor, therapist, and best friend all in one person!
I only wish I had taken the course earlier, as it would have been more clear on whether or not my daughter should apply Early Decision, as well as how to seek out schools that would really like a student like my daughter to attend, and therefore are more likely to give her merit aid. This course has been very eye-opening, and I think all this application process is all entirely different like a novel.
“a decision that is saving us $18k per year”
Even though I’m in this field, I learned so much from this course. The information here is very empowering. So much about the college admissions process these days makes students and families feel powerless; this course helps families take some of that power back by being as financially informed as possible.
Our daughter ended up with a four year scholarship to a prestigious women’s college. This literally wouldn’t have happened without the insight and wisdom from this course.
“the best parts of working with a financial advisor, therapist, and best friend all in one person”
The return on your investment in purchasing Ron’s course is exponentially better than a 529k. The college pricing and aid system are a maze that only those “in the know” can navigate.
“The college pricing and aid system are a maze that only those ‘in the know’ can navigate.”
My biggest takeaway was a sense of optimism. During the college search and application period, that sense of optimism is priceless.
Great course! Helped me understand the realities of “merit” aid and kept me rational as my child bucked the trend and did not ED anywhere — a decision that is saving us $18k per year! I also emailed Ron out of the blue, and he responded with some very helpful thoughts on our particular situation.