Educational Equity
2 B Old Main
University Park, PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-7594
Fax: 814-865-0628
W. Terrell Jones, vice provost, wtj1@psu.edu
Edward Thompson, associate director of development, ent4@psu.edu
Patricia Phillips, development assistant, pap2@psu.edu
Opportunities for Giving
Penn State is committed to fostering a supportive, diverse campus community. Doing so requires that we not only open educational and professional opportunities to economically disadvantaged students from a variety of backgrounds, but that we also encourage and support these individuals in all their academic and career pursuits.
Educational Equity Program Fund
Gifts and pledges to the Educational Equity Program Fund will be used to enhance the programs for Penn State students and pre-college programs for middle- and high-school students overseen by Educational Equity. The Vice Provost for Educational Equity will evaluate the priorities listed by each program team and will allocate funds to the programs with the most critical area of need. Donors may designate their gifts to support one or more programs exclusively.
Programs for Penn State students
- Student Support Services works with first-generation college students to improve their retention and graduation rates. (Federal Trio Program)
- Multicultural Resource Center provides professional counseling and educational services for African American, Latino/Hispanic, Asian & Pacific American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, and International undergraduate students.
- Veterans Programs provides comprehensive services for veterans including academic counseling and transition assistance to military veterans and their families.
- Comprehensive Studies Program provides academic and personal support for Penn State students who qualify for Pennsylvania's Educational Opportunity Program (Act 101) services.
- Disability Services provides services to students with disabilities at University Park and acts in an advisory capacity to the Disability Contact Liaisons at other Penn State locations.
- College Assistance Migrant Program offers academic, personal, and financial support for first-year students from migrant and seasonal agricultural worker backgrounds.
- Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is designed to help prepare talented undergraduates to enter graduate school and to receive their doctoral degree.
Pre-college Programs
- Women in the Sciences & Engineering (WISE) Institute coordinates with K-12 educators and colleges across Penn State to increase participation and retention of women in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
- Upward Bound helps eligible high school students gain the skills and motivation to continue their education beyond high school.
- Upward Bound Math and Science Center provides educational opportunities to low-income high school students with an interest in math and science.
- Talent Search (University Park and York) helps eligible youth and adults to continue in and complete secondary education or its equivalent and to enroll in or reenter a college or training program.
- Educational Opportunity Centers (Philadelphia and Southwestern PA) help adults nineteen years of age and older who live in these areas to begin or continue a postsecondary education.
Educational Equity Scholarship Fund—partnering with Trustee Matching Scholarship Program
The Trustee Matching Scholarship program, launched in 2002, is a unique matching scholarship initiative aimed at keeping a high-quality college education accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their financial need. Trustee Matching Scholarships support Penn State students with the greatest financial need, and many recipients are the same students that Educational Equity has pledged to support: women, students of color, adult learners, veterans, and first-generation college students.
To underscore its commitment to this effort, the Board of Trustees agreed to match 5 percent of each gift with University funds and to make these matching funds available to assist students as soon as the donor completes scholarship pledge forms and guidelines. The matching funds continue in perpetuity, essentially doubling the financial impact of the scholarship.
Endowments
Endowed gifts are held by the University in perpetuity. The initial gift is invested, and a portion (typically about 5%) of the fund's market value is awarded annually for the purpose designated by the benefactor. Thus, the benefactor who makes an endowment gift today can feel confident it will continue to support its intended purpose far into the future.
- Program Endowments: $25,000 and up
- Trustee Matching Scholarship Endowments: $50,000 and up
For more information access www.equity.psu.edu