The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is excited to announce that if you’re part of the Commonwealth workforce in Pennsylvania, we’ve got a great deal for you. Starting December 1, 2023, PHEAA will proudly offer a 0.25% interest rate discount on any new PA Forward Student Loan that is disbursed on or after this effective date. This offer is available to state employees who are either the borrower or co-signer working at an approved state organization or PHEAA.
- Department of Aging
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Banking and Securities
- Department of Community and Economic Development
- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
- Department of Corrections
- Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs
- Department of Education
- Department of Environmental Protection
- Department of General Services
- Department of Health
- Department of Human Services
- Department of Insurance
- Department of Labor & Industry
- Department of Military and Veteran Affairs
- Department of Revenue
- Department of State
- Department of Transportation
- Governor’s Office
- Governor’s Office of Administration
- Governor’s Office of the Budget
- Governor’s Office of General Counsel
- Lieutenant Governor’s Office
- Office of State Inspector General
- Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
- Pennsylvania Parole Board
- Pennsylvania State Police
This benefit applies to all types of PA Forward loans–Undergraduate, Graduate, Parent, or Refinance. Plus, this interest rate reduction is on top of any other rate benefits you might qualify for, both now and in the future, including the:
- 0.25% Direct Debit interest rate reward when you participate in automatic payments
- 0.50% Graduation Benefit interest rate reward (for undergraduate and graduate loans only) when you graduate from your program of study
- 0.35% Loyalty Benefit interest rate reward when you choose to consolidate an existing PA Forward loan into a new Refinance Loan
At PHEAA, we are passionate about creating affordable access to higher education. We hope by adding this perk to your state service that it will help make paying for college easier.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
No. Once your loan application is processed and disbursed, your loan will be verified against the state employee database, and when the match is made, the discount will be applied to your account effective the date of the disbursement.
No. Once the rate reduction is applied, you will not lose the benefit. However, once you’re no longer a state employee, you won’t be eligible for the discount on new loans taken out after leaving your state agency.
No. This discount is only good for new loan applications and disbursements that happen on or after 12/1/2023
No. PA Forward is a credit-based product, so you still need to meet the required credit standards for the loan.
Yes. If your state organization is not listed, that means it’s not approved for the discount.