UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the future, hundreds of Penn State undergraduates each year will benefit from the generosity of a donor couple who have chosen to remain anonymous. An estate commitment of approximately $55 million will grow the couple’s existing endowed scholarship at the University, making it the largest such fund at the institution. Available to undergraduates across every college and campus, the scholarships will be directed to Pennsylvania students with financial need. The planned gift is the second largest single commitment in the history of the University.
“This generous act of philanthropy will help to keep a Penn State degree within reach for Pennsylvania students, fulfilling our land-grant promise to families and the commonwealth,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. “Scholarships are vital to our educational mission, and I am deeply grateful to these donors for supporting our undergraduates and setting an example of generosity that will resonate for many years to come.”
The estate commitment will grow an endowment originally established by the donors several years ago with a $50,000 gift, which they have supported with additional gifts over time. Scholarships have historically been a top priority in the University’s fundraising efforts, with more than 2,000 new endowed scholarships established during the last campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” and the gift comes as Penn State prepares to announce a new fundraising campaign in 2026.
Board of Trustees Chair David M. Kleppinger said, “These donors are inspiring in both their generosity and their humility. Although they have chosen not to receive public recognition, they have become leaders in our institution’s continuing work to create opportunity and access for students, regardless of financial means. Scholarships remain one of the most powerful ways to welcome new generations into the Penn State family, and I thank them on behalf of the University and all the future Penn Staters who will benefit from this remarkable gift.”
Gifts to scholarships advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.