Upenn Scholarships: International Students' Opportunities Explored

The University of Pennsylvania offers a range of scholarships, grants, and other forms of funding to international students. The university is committed to supporting international students through generous financial aid, with a promise to meet the full demonstrated financial need of admitted international students. The financial aid offered to international students at the University of Pennsylvania has increased by approximately 200% over the past 15 years. While federal funding is generally not available to international students, the university provides over $10 million each year in financial aid to non-US citizens or permanent residents. The University of Pennsylvania offers 7 scholarships specifically for international students, including both need-based and merit-based scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students.

Undergraduate scholarships for international students

The University of Pennsylvania offers a range of funding options for international undergraduate students in the form of scholarships, grants, student loans, and financial aid. The scholarships offered to undergraduate international students are limited and are mostly available for students residing in the US. However, the University of Pennsylvania is committed to supporting admitted international students through generous financial aid.

• Need-Based Financial Aid: This scholarship provides full funding for bachelor's degree students and covers 100% of the students' demonstrated needs.
• The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business Endowed Scholarship: This scholarship was established by Huntsman Program alumni to support talented students in the interdisciplinary undergraduate course that integrates business education, advanced language training, and a liberal arts education.
• The Dr. Ambrose C. Davis Memorial Endowed Scholarship: This scholarship was established in 2007 to support financial aid for international undergraduate students. It aims to honour the University's legacy of diversity, inclusion, and excellence.
• International Undergraduate Emergency Financial Aid Fund: This fund addresses the unique and unexpected needs faced by international undergraduate students due to circumstances such as the war in Ukraine and the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

It is important to note that international students who wish to apply for institutional need-based financial aid must do so simultaneously with their application for admission to the University of Pennsylvania. Students who are not admitted with financial aid in their first year are not eligible to apply for financial aid later in their undergraduate program.

Graduate scholarships for international students

The University of Pennsylvania offers a range of funding options for international graduate students in the form of scholarships, grants, student loans, and financial aid. The scholarships offered to graduate international students range between INR 39 lakhs to INR 70 lakhs and can be renewed yearly. Students are not required to submit a separate application for scholarships, but some specific scholarships or grants might require students to apply on the university's official website.

• Joseph Wharton Fellowship: Amount: INR 70.98 lakhs. There is no specific deadline for this scholarship. It requires a 12th-grade degree and a bachelor's degree. The tuition fees are covered.
• Emerging Economy Fellowships: Amount: Not mentioned. There is no specific deadline for this scholarship. It requires a 12th-grade degree and a bachelor's degree. Covers tuition fees, accommodation, and airfare expenses.
• Social Impact Fellowships: Amount: INR 35.49 lakhs. There is no specific deadline for this scholarship. It requires a bachelor's degree. Covers tuition fees, accommodation, airfare, and health expenses.
• Dean's Fellowship and Research Apprenticeship: This scholarship offers full funding for PhD students, covering 100% of tuition fees.
• Country-Specific Funding Opportunities: This scholarship offers full funding for master's students, covering 100% of tuition fees and round-trip airfare to and from Pennsylvania.
• Dean's Scholarship: This scholarship offers partial funding for master's students, with an award of $10,000.
• Dean's Fellowship: Power of Possibility: This scholarship offers partial funding for master's students, covering 50% of tuition fees.
• Penn GSE Merit-Based Scholarships: This scholarship offers partial funding for master's students, covering a portion of the recipients' tuition fees.

The School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania also offers a range of external scholarships for international students, such as the Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme and the Penn-UNESCO Fellowships for Developing Country Scholars.

Need-based financial aid

The University of Pennsylvania offers need-based financial aid to international students. The university meets 100% of the demonstrated needs of its admitted international students. In fact, in the last 15 years, the financial aid offered to need-aware admitted international students has increased by approximately 200%. The average aid package for international students for the 2020-2021 academic year was $61,366.

International students who wish to apply for need-based financial aid must do so at the same time as they apply for admission to the University of Pennsylvania. Those who are not admitted with financial aid in their first year are not eligible to apply for financial aid later in their undergraduate program.

Penn's commitment to international financial aid

The University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) is committed to making its programs accessible to international students. The university has a need-aware admissions policy for international students, meaning that a family's ability to pay does factor into admissions decisions. However, UPenn does offer financial aid to international students, and each year, it commits millions of dollars in undergraduate financial aid funds to support these students.

International students who are admitted as financial aid recipients will receive need-based aid that covers 100% of their demonstrated need, just like domestic students. UPenn's grant-based financial aid policy fully applies to admitted international students, and the university commits to meeting 100% of their demonstrated need with grant funds and work-study. In fact, UPenn provides over $10 million each year in financial aid to students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States, Canada, or Mexico.

International students who wish to apply for institutional need-based financial aid must do so simultaneously with their application for admission to UPenn. It is important to note that international students who are not admitted with financial aid in their first year are not eligible to apply for financial aid later in their undergraduate program.

While international students do not qualify for federally-funded Pell Grants, UPenn funds the difference to allow them to participate in work-study opportunities, making their total aid packages more expensive for the university. Named scholarships at UPenn also generate 31% of the total international financial aid budget.

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 28% of the total international student population at UPenn received financial aid. The average aid package for an international undergraduate enrolled full-time was $61,366.

External scholarships for international students

The University of Pennsylvania encourages students to explore external funding opportunities to help finance their graduate education. Here are some external scholarships and fellowships available to international students:

• Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Programme: The Aga Khan Foundation provides a limited number of scholarships each year to outstanding students from select developing countries who cannot finance their studies. Scholarships are awarded on a 50% grant and 50% loan basis through a competitive application process.
• Becas Don Carlos Antonio Lopez Scholarship Program: This scholarship is for Paraguayan citizens only. It can cover up to $90,000 of the total cost of a master's program.
• Inlaks Scholarship: The Inlaks Scholarship is for Indian citizens who are residents of India at the time of application. It provides an opportunity for individuals with exceptional talent in any field to broaden their vision abroad and improve their skills.
• Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships: These fellowships support thirty new Americans, immigrants, or children of immigrants each year. They provide funding for one to two years of graduate study in any field at any advanced degree-granting program in the United States. Each award includes a stipend of up to $25,000 and covers 50% of required tuition and fees, up to $20,000 per year.

In addition to these, there are several other external scholarships and fellowships that are open to both US citizens and international students, such as the Harry S. Truman Scholars Program, the Horatio Alger Scholarship Program, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

For students specifically interested in teaching, there are opportunities like the Hollyhock Fellowship Program, the James Madison Graduate Fellowship, and the Knowles Teacher Initiative.

International students can also explore external scholarship databases such as SPIN (Sponsored Programs Information Network) and Funding graduate study in the UK, which offer information on a wide range of funding opportunities from various sponsors.

Frequently asked questions