UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                       PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 6, 2009
                                                           -------------

                               ESSA Bancorp, Inc.
             ------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

        Pennsylvania                    001-33384                20-8023072
-----------------------------     ---------------------     --------------------
(State or Other Jurisdiction)     (Commission File No.)     (I.R.S. Employer
 of Incorporation)                                           Identification No.)


200 Palmer Street, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania                       18360
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(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                        (Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:  (570) 421-0531

                                 Not Applicable
          -------------------------------------------------------------
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check  the  appropriate  box  below  if the  Form  8-K  filing  is  intended  to
simultaneously  satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the
following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

[  ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act
     (17 CFR 230.425)

[  ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act
     (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

[  ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

[  ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the
     Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))



Item 8.01.     Other Events
               ------------

     On March  6,  2009  the  Board of  Directors  of ESSA  Bancorp,  Inc.  (the
"Company")  announced  that the Company would make a payment of a quarterly cash
dividend  of $0.04 per share of common  stock.  This  dividend  shall be paid to
stockholders of record as of March 16, 2009, payable on March 30, 2009.

     A copy of the press  releases  announcing  this item is attached as Exhibit
99.1. The information in the preceding paragraph, as well as Exhibit 99.1, shall
not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities  Exchange Act
of 1934,  nor shall it be deemed  incorporated  by reference in any filing under
the Securities Act of 1933.


Item 9.01.     Financial Statements and Exhibits
               ---------------------------------

     (a)  Financial Statements of Businesses Acquired. Not applicable.
     (b)  Pro Forma Financial Information. Not applicable.
     (c)  Shell Company Transactions. Not applicable.
     (d)  Exhibits.

               Exhibit No.    Description

               99.1           Press  release  issued by the  Company on March 6,
                              2009 announcing the issuance of a cash dividend.



                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

                                             ESSA BANCORP, INC.



DATE:  March 9, 2009                         By:  /s/ Gary S. Olson
                                                  ------------------------------
                                                  Gary S. Olson, President and
                                                  Chief Executive Officer