First Generation Students

interim president wendell pritchett greets students

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.

Two friends walking outside with backpacks and books.

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

Penn President Amy Gutmann’s record tenure of nearly 18 years is the University’s most transformative.

two people standing outside back to back smiling at camera

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 president Amy Gutmann sits in a lounge with four students.

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.

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.

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.

University of Pennsylvania flag flying with campus and the city of Philadelphia in the background.

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.

Student seated on a banquette works on a laptop

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.

Headshots of Silvia Hanks (left) and Jodi Wagner (right)

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.

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