“It is amazing to me that people whom you have never met can want to help you succeed. The Jane E. Cooper Scholarship has allowed me to concentrate on my studies and be more involved in campus activities, and I don’t feel pressured to put in extra hours at my job to meet my financial obligations. My family and I are humbled by the kindness and generosity.” —Pauline Wandeto is a Human Development and Family Studies major with a minor in Community and Civic Engagement and planning to pursue a degree in social work.
Ensuring Student Opportunity
Nothing else we do to improve the quality of a Penn State education will matter if students and families can’t afford the opportunities we offer. Scholarships are the University’s top priority in this campaign. Every year, we lose talented, dedicated students because of the cost of a Penn State degree. Many undergraduates work multiple jobs while carrying a full course load, yet students are graduating with an average personal debt of more than $28,000. These financial realities restrict the dreams of far too many students and families. With the help of our alumni and friends, we can ensure that our opportunities remain accessible for students whose means may be limited but whose ability and ambition are limitless.
Undergraduate Student Support
As public support dwindles and the costs of higher education rise, few forms of philanthropy have as great an impact on Penn State as direct support of undergraduate students. You can leverage your support for undergraduate students in two ways: endowments and awards.
Endowments exist in perpetuity: These extraordinary gifts are carefully managed by Penn State to provide permanent, ongoing support for our students and programs. Minimum endowment levels guarantee that sufficient income will be available to fulfill the intentions of the endowment. Awards provide vital student support at any giving level.
Undergraduate scholarships like the Trustee Matching Scholarship Program and the Renaissance Scholarship are among the most popular and versatile forms of undergraduate support and can be tailored to the interests of individual donors. Many other scholarship opportunities also exist. These scholarships:
- lessen student loan debt, particularly for low-income students.
- reward academic achievement.
- help Penn State Mont Alto recruit the nation's top high-school students.
- enable students to seize unique educational opportunities, such as international study.
Donors can also create permanent support for undergraduate research, through which our students gain valuable real-world experience by applying their newfound knowledge outside the classroom.
Giving to Penn State Mont Alto - in any way and any with any amount - has limitless impact in the lives our students and faculty. Whatever your passion, whatever your desire, we can help steer you toward the correct project or fund to support on campus. For More Information, contact the Penn State Mont Alto Office of Development at 717-749-6105 or email [email protected].
It Makes It Possible: Scholarship changes a student's life journey
A Life Purpose and Plan: Scholarship recipients are able to have profound student experiences