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Kristina García
News Officer
klg@upenn.edu
First Generation Students
Du Bois College House celebrates 50 years
Du Bois College House celebrates 50 years
For five decades, the living and learning space has served as a home away from home for students, and the community has evolved into a family.
Hostility among friends can come from surprising places
Hostility among friends can come from surprising places
Sherelle Ferguson, and Annette Lareau, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Professor in the Social Sciences, find that “hostile ignorance” can come from surprising places.
Inspiring people, place, and purpose
Inspiring people, place, and purpose
Penn President Amy Gutmann’s record tenure of nearly 18 years is the University’s most transformative.
Mentor support for the first-generation college experience
Mentor support for the first-generation college experience
Three decades apart, senior Rachel Swym and alumna Leanne Huebner found a common bond in their rural backgrounds and first-generation, highly aided college experience.
Penn receives pivotal gift to expand support for first-generation to college and modest-income undergraduates
Penn receives pivotal gift to expand support for first-generation to college and modest-income undergraduates
The gift, from Scott and Elena Shleifer, will increase its support and critical resources for students who are in the first generation of their family to attend college and/or from households of modest or limited income.
As The Power of Penn concludes, a look into its big impact
As The Power of Penn concludes, a look into its big impact
Penn Today chatted with Development and Alumni Relations’ John Zeller, who shared highlights of the University’s most recent fundraising campaign, and much more.
Penn concludes landmark fundraising and engagement campaign with extraordinary results
Penn concludes landmark fundraising and engagement campaign with extraordinary results
The Campaign exceeded its initial goal, making this fundraising and engagement effort the most successful in Penn’s history.
Support and inspiration for undergrads pursuing careers in health care
Support and inspiration for undergrads pursuing careers in health care
The three-day-long National Pre-Health Conference, the brainchild of rising senior Alejandra Bahena, begins Aug. 4.
Counselors at Student Financial Services help find success, not stress
Counselors at Student Financial Services help find success, not stress
As grant-based aid packages—bolstered by named scholarships—have helped Penn welcome more students who come from lower-income households, Student Financial Services (SFS) has ramped up its ability to assist their academic journeys, especially during the pandemic when students needed more support than ever. That includes having two counselors—Silvia Hanks and Jodi Wagner—who specialize in serving highly aided students at Penn.
Systemic barriers to college for low-income and nontraditional students
Systemic barriers to college for low-income and nontraditional students
The release of a higher education report reveals that nontraditional students have many risk factors and financial barriers to navigate to successfully complete their educational goals.
Media Contact
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn alum gives $18 million to support first-generation college students
Wharton alumnus Scott Shleifer and his wife, Elena Shleifer, have given Penn $18 million to support first-generation and “modest” or “limited-income” students. “This gift will enable our university to foster an ever more welcoming and inclusive learning environment to prepare all Penn students for successful lives,” said President Amy Gutmann.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn student who aged out of foster care wins prestigious Rhodes Scholarship
May graduate Mackenzie Fierceton has been named a Rhodes Scholar, which will allow her to study at Oxford University in England.
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The Washington Post
Bloomberg gift to Hopkins to help middle-income families as well as the poor
Vice President of Finance and Treasurer MaryFrances McCourt spoke about Penn’s endowment for undergraduate financial aid and its support for low-income students.
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CBS News
Bay Area 1st generation college student’s background helping him excel
School of Arts and Sciences senior Victor Arellano was profiled for his summer interning with Motive Power, a San Francisco management consulting firm.
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Diverse: Issues in Higher Education
UPenn provides support services for first-generation and low-income students
Admissions Dean Eric J. Furda and Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, vice provost for university life, discussed Penn’s support system for first-generation and low-income students.
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“Good Morning America,” ABC News
Student debt crisis: This 28-year-old mom is ‘drowning’ in $80,000 of debt
Penn’s loan-free, grant-based financial aid program was highlighted in a discussion of the burden of student debt. President Amy Gutmann was cited as a first-generation college graduate.
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