Pennsylvania's Higher Education Assistance Agency awarded the ceremonial $13 billionth PA State Grant award to Jay Zemanek, a journalism student at Edinboro.

The need-based PA State Grant Program has provided awards to more than 2.9 million Pennsylvania students since the program was created by an act of the General Assembly in 1966. Funding for the program is established each year with an appropriation in the state budget.

For the 2023-24 academic year, the program is making approximately 109,500 awards with a maximum award of $5,750.

PHEAA administers the program on behalf of the Commonwealth at no charge, ensuring that every dollar designated to the PA State Grant Program goes directly to students.

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) was created by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1963 to provide affordable access to higher education for PA students and families. Through the years, PHEAA has evolved into one of the nation’s leading providers of student financial aid services, including the Commonwealth’s first state-based student loan program – PA Forward.