Scholarship helps World Campus students finish strong

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A $100,000 gift from a Penn State College of the Liberal Arts alumna will provide targeted financial support for Penn State World Campus students as they enter the fourth year of their undergraduate studies.

The newly established Senior Scholarship Endowment in the College of the Liberal Arts is designed to assist students with demonstrated financial need who are nearing the completion of their liberal arts degrees through World Campus. The donor, a 1970 College of the Liberal Arts graduate in psychology, said the scholarship is rooted in a simple goal: helping fourth-year students stay on track when the finish line is in sight.

“This scholarship is meant to help dedicated students keep moving forward and earn the Penn State degrees they’ve worked so hard for,” the donor said. “World Campus makes it possible for so many people to pursue an education on their own terms. I’m grateful to be able to help students finish strong.”

For many World Campus learners, the fourth year can be the most difficult to navigate. Returning adult students often balance coursework with full-time jobs, caregiving, military service or other responsibilities. Costs can rise as academic requirements intensify, and unexpected life expenses can create new barriers at the very moment students are closest to completing their degrees.

Clarence Lang, Susan Welch Dean of the College of the Liberal Arts, said the scholarship reflects the college’s commitment to keeping a liberal arts education within reach — and to supporting students through graduation.

“It reinforces a clear message: you belong here, and we are invested in your success,” Lang said. “For World Campus students in the College of the Liberal Arts, that kind of support can be the difference between stopping short and completing a Penn State degree.”

The donor said her own Penn State experience shaped her belief in the practical and personal value of a liberal arts education — one that builds confidence, strengthens communication, and prepares graduates to lead in a wide range of careers and communities. While her professional path took her far from campus, she said the lessons and relationships she built through the College of the Liberal Arts stayed with her.

“I know how much a Penn State degree can change someone’s life,” the donor said. “I want students who are juggling a lot to feel supported — and to know they can get across the finish line.”

To be eligible, applicants must be enrolled at Penn State World Campus as juniors entering their fourth year, demonstrate financial need and submit a brief personal narrative. Awards are made for one academic year and are not renewable.

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.