HARRISBURG – Sen. Scott Martin (R-Lancaster) encourages eligible Pennsylvanians to apply now for the Grow PA Scholarship Grant program for the 2026-27 academic year at pheaa.org/growpa.
“Grow PA takes a student-first approach to meeting the future needs of Pennsylvania’s workforce and sets us on a path to finally reverse the commonwealth’s decades of economic and demographic decline,” said Martin, who authored the law creating the Grow PA program last year. “This program tells students that we’re willing to invest in their future if they’re willing to stay here and work here after graduation in the occupations our communities need most. I am grateful to PHEAA for their hard work in administering this program and helping create a future for thousands of young people that involves more career opportunities and less student debt.”
The Grow PA Scholarship Grant program offers grants of up to $5,000 per year for in-state students who pursue a degree or certification in an in-demand occupation. The program is administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).
Nearly 5,700 recipients from 131 participating schools were awarded grants in the first year of the program. An additional $7.5 million was included for Grow PA in the 2026-27 state budget to meet the growing demand for the program.
Courses of study that qualify for the grant include agriculture, computer science, business, education, special education, STEM education, engineering, nursing, allied health, criminal justice and other in-demand programs as approved by PHEAA. The full list is available here.
To qualify, applicants must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and agree to live and work in Pennsylvania in that occupation after graduation for 12 months for each year they received the grant.
Please note: Applicants who received this grant last year MUST reapply to receive the grant again for the upcoming academic year.
Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Failure to meet the work and residence requirement will result in the grant converting to a loan that must be repaid.
The Grow PA Scholarship Grant program was created by the General Assembly in 2024 to address the growing crisis of a declining workforce within certain in-demand occupations in Pennsylvania and more students pursuing education and employment in other states.
CONTACT: Jason Thompson