Helping to Make Wilkes-Barre Affordable

We know families carefully consider the value of the investments they make, and education is no exception. Penn State Wilkes‑Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre–specific scholarships, that help make a Penn State Wilkes‑Barre education affordable. In fact, up to 85% of Penn State Wilkes‑Barre students receive some form of financial aid. In 2019, Penn State Wilkes‑Barre awarded $759,011 out of its own endowments to 233 students.

A faculty member discussing a paper with two students

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 Wilkes-Barre 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. The priority application date for students enrolling for the upcoming fall is November 30.

The Provost Award

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

An engineering faculty member in front of his class, explaining a problem on the whiteboard

Wilkes-Barre Endowed/Trustee Scholarships

Penn State Wilkes‑Barre 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 $324,624 to 91 students from these endowments in 2018. We have published an extensive list of Penn State Wilkes‑Barre scholarship opportunities for your information.