Financial Aid
PennGSE offers several types of financial support as a way to encourage committed applicants who share our values to be able to afford our full-time M.S.Ed. degree programs in elementary or secondary education. Students in other programs (e.g., TFA, undergraduate urban education minor, submatriculation) should consult the program home pages for information on how students fund those programs.
The Puente-Forchic Scholarship
Initiated in 2002 by Dr. William Cosby, the Puente-Forchic Scholarship Fund has been named after two of Dr. Cosby’s dear friends—Mary Forchic Nagle, his sixth-grade teacher at the John Wister Elementary School in Philadelphia, and the late jazz musician Tito Puente, Sr., a generous philanthropist in his own right.
Understanding the influence Penn GSE has had on the Philadelphia community, Dr. Cosby inspired the endowment of the Puente-Forchic Scholarship Fund to support the full-time tuition and general fee of two Penn GSE M.S.Ed. degree students in either elementary or secondary education who are dedicated to urban education and willing to commit to teaching in Philadelphia public schools for two years following graduation.
The scholarships are merit-based and need-sensitive.
Further information and application procedures can be found at this link:
http://www.gse.upenn.edu/admissions_financial/scholarships#puente
The Dean’s Urban Teacher Scholarships
The Dean's Urban Teacher Education Scholarship provides partial tuition support to full-time degree students in the teacher education master’s degree programs for a one-year period. There is no separate application for this scholarship. The awards are made by the program faculty at the time of admission and are based on both financial need and potential contribution to the diversity of the student cohort.
Outside Scholarships
There are many scholarship opportunities for student teachers funded by foundations and philanthropic organizations unrelated to PennGSE. Here is a link with information on these funding opportunities:
http://www.gse.upenn.edu/admissions_financial/scholarships.php#deans
Many of our students have been awarded the Gates Millenium Scholarships and/or the Rockefeller Brothers Fellowships for Aspiring Teachers of Color as undergraduate students and continue to fund their graduate education through these awards.
Federal Loan Forgiveness
The Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession. Under this program, individuals who teach full-time for five consecutive complete academic years in certain elementary and secondary schools that serve low-income families and meet other qualifications may be eligible for forgiveness of up to $5,000, and in some cases up to $17,500, in principal and interest on their loans through the Federal Family Education Loan Program. Here is link with further information:
http://www.aft.org/tools4teachers/loan-forgiveness.htm
The University will participate in the Federal TEACH grant program. Here is the link with further information: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/TEACH.jsp
Graduate Assistantships in the University’s College Houses
Some of our full time master’s degree students find employment as Graduate Assistants working with undergraduates in Penn’s college houses. These positions generally offer free room and some board, in exchange for mentoring undergraduate students and providing programmatic support. Here is the link with more information:
http://www.collegehouses.upenn.edu/
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