Pathway to Success: Summer Start Program

Penn State knows that access to higher education and the ability to pay for tuition are two of the biggest factors that determine whether a high school student will earn a college degree and will graduate on time.

The Pathway to Success: Summer Start (PaSSS) program at Penn State Lehigh Valley will provide you with tools and resources to increase the likelihood that you will graduate and earn your Penn State degree on time, potentially saving thousands of dollars in tuition and fees.

An invitation-only program, Pathway to Success: Summer Start (PaSSS) lasts six weeks during the summer prior to the first year at Penn State. Class dates for the summer of 2019 are Wednesday, June 26–Thursday, August 8, 2019. Participants who successfully complete their first full year at Penn State Lehigh Valley will be eligible to continue the program in the second summer (summer 2020).

While in the PaSSS program, students will:

• take six credits (two assigned courses) during the first summer and six to twelve credits (two to four student-selected courses) during the second summer
• receive a $250/credit scholarship during both summers for up to $1,500 the first summer and $3,000 the second summer
• be guaranteed a job at $10 per hour on campus (some jobs may be off-campus during the second summer)
• be paired with a peer mentor who will assist with the transition to college; in the second summer participants become student-mentors to assist new program students