HARRISBURG — Families with college bound students, or those looking to continue their education, will have the opportunity to learn more about the financial aid process.

The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) is holding two free statewide webinars this month.

These webinars are to assist college-bound students and their families with navigating the financial aid process and to discuss PHEAA’s private student loan program — PA Forward, which is Pennsylvania’s state-based private student loan option.

The webinars will be hosted by PHEAA representatives Linda Pacewicz and Dan Wray, who specialize in financial aid. They will discuss how students and families can take advantage of the benefits of using PA Forward Student Loans to cover tuition gaps that other aid did not cover.

“The PHEAA Board of Directors is pleased to provide students and their families with the

resources they need to secure financial aid,” said Senator Wayne Fontana, Chairman of the PHEAA Board. “By attending the webinars, they will not only receive important guidance on funding their education, but they can ask questions about their personal circumstances. By the end of the webinar, they should be ready to begin this critical chapter in their lives.”

The following webinars will take place:

Deep Dive into

Covering the Gap

This 1-hour webinar explores the available loan programs to assist with covering the cost gaps in funding. The classes will take place Tuesday, July 11 at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday, July 25 at noon.

Borrowing for Education — Which Loan is Right for Me?

This 1-hour webinar examines borrowing options available to students and families and will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each. The classes will take place on Thursday, July 13 at noon and Tuesday July 27 at 6:30 p.m.

Register to attend one of the upcoming events using the registration link: pheaa.org/virtual.

The PA Forward Student Loan Program is a suite of borrower-friendly, Pennsylvania-based, private student loan products allowing students and families to borrow up to the total cost of attendance with competitive interest rates and a variety of upfront and repayment benefits.

Additional benefits include no application or origination fees, flexible repayment options and biweekly payment options that can help pay off a loan sooner, saving borrowers even more money in interest.

PHEAA is the lender and servicer for the program, with a line of credit provided by the PA Treasury and tax-exempt allocation from the PA Department of Economic Development (DCED), making PA Forward Pennsylvania’s student loan program.

In May, PHEAA announced the 2023-24 interest rates will remain unchanged from the previous

academic year for PA Forward undergraduate, graduate, and parent borrowers, despite an increased interest rate of 5 percentage points from the Federal Reserve last year.

“Our PA Forward Student Loan Program is a lifeline for Pennsylvania students and families, particularly during these challenging economic times,” said James H. Steeley, PHEAA President and CEO. “We’re thrilled to keep our interest rates at the same rate as last year for the upcoming academic year, enabling students and families to afford their dream of higher education, despite record high inflation and interest rates.”

Combined with the program’s many borrower benefits, PA Forward undergraduate and graduate borrowers can experience fixed interest rates as low as 3.82% APR and no higher than 7.69% APR.

To learn more about PA Forward Student Loans and to apply, please visit pheaa.org/PAForward or call 1-800-PA-FORWD.

Students and families are also encouraged to visit PHEAA on Facebook, Twitter (@PHEAAaid), and LinkedIn where they can learn more about the college financial aid process, register for reminders of financial aid deadlines, and get information pertaining to planning for college. Additionally, video tutorials explaining the student aid process and types of aid available can be found at YouTube.com/PHEAAStudentAid.