<p>Does Penn St. University Park give out grants to out of state students.....other then the federal pell ones?</p>
<p>Yes. Sparingly. To anyone. That's what competition does, unfortunately. If you've flown in space, invented a new wheel, received a Pulitzer, maybe.</p>
<p>Now, correct me if I'm wrong Whistle Pig (as you always do :)), but I was always under the impression that the largest single merit award handed out by Penn State University Park was from Schreyers.</p>
<p>I don't know, HW. I would bet you are on the $$. </p>
<p>Generally, it just seems to me that PSU's FA program is P poor, literally and figuratively. Not much focus placed upon raising charitable dollars for both need based and merit awards. And for outta staters, being that PSU opens the flood gates without consideration to residency, well I'd think that has impact (negative) for SoCal types.</p>
<p>Now, if you're in grad school, whole different story.</p>
<p>When you think of this, aside from diversity ... and perhaps those Rhodes scholar potentials and great footballers ... why would PSU divert $$ to attract students. A great commodity that unfortunately for folks like you, they've got not only enuff, but in fact too many of. so FA, known to many schools and students as "discounting" is totally unnecessary and even undesirable. No sales at Penn State or Princeton. Period. Sad and true.</p>
<p>My understanding, and I only know this from reading their web site, is that each college has some me money to give the "best of the best." Some, but not a lot. For example, the Eberly College of Science at Penn State offers 10 Braddock Scholarships, per year. "These awards, together with the Academic ExcellenceScholarships made by the The Schreyer Honors College, provide full tuition, room, and board and are available to selected students who have unusually distinguished records and who have been invited to participate in the Scholars Program. Braddock Scholars are guaranteed research placements in faculty laboratories and are reimbursed for unfunded research expenditures up to a maximum of $1,000. They are also allowed to travel to one professional meeting per year within the continental United States, also to a maximum of $1,000." More here: <a href="http://www.science.psu.edu/academic/Braddock.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.science.psu.edu/academic/Braddock.html</a></p>
<p>Whistle pig, why do you have a grudge on penn state? Are you going to Upitt right now?</p>
<p>I really love Penn State. 2 degrees there. football tix. Love Blue & White. Joe Paterno is the greatest football coach in the history of college football, ever! Bobby Bowden is a great coach, but he has not transformed and promoted the values of what should be the heart of the game like JoePA. We and you will never see another one like him. He has been critical to nurturing the PSU culture which is very unique ... and I'm not talking about the drinking part of the game.</p>
<p>Penn State ... and listen to this very closely ... has done more for the promotion of racial equality and collegiate diversity than any university. Period. Yes, SC can be a tough climate for minority students AND faculty. There is little that can be done to change that. That said however, Penn State was welcoming and educating black students LONG before Harvard and the likes would even ponder that notion. For many many decades Penn State was the only major college that would admit black students. Look at the African Ameicans who've graduated from PSU since the early 50s and a great great many of them have been incredibly successful. Now, they may well have succeeded in the absence of a Penn State degree, but for sure many of them have done so in part BECAUSE of their time, education, and associations with Penn State. Cheney, Lincoln, Howard ... as good as they may be, could never provide the same opportunities as Penn STate. </p>
<p>I simply refuse to be naive or deluded by wishful thinking and the linking one's worth or well being to being admitted, rejected, etc. It simply is what it is. Simply because I say ...</p>
<p>"'aside from diversity ... and perhaps those Rhodes scholar potentials and great footballers ... why would PSU divert $$ to attract students. A great commodity that unfortunately for folks like you, they've got not only enuff, but in fact too many of. so FA, known to many schools and students as "discounting" is totally unnecessary and even undesirable. No sales at Penn State or Princeton. Period. Sad and true."</p>
<p>I'm not sure why you'd interpret that as having "a grudge." Help me with that. In fact my child had a full 4year scholarship to attend at UP. Penn State is in many ways a grand institution and has for several generations, been undoubtedly THE major transformational educational force in Pennsylvania and beyond. </p>
<p>But in responding to the question, relative to other institutions Penn State is not much of a bargain. It is one of the most expensive public universities in the nation. It has one of the lowest endowment per student ratios in the nation especially among the top 100 u's. It has a very poor financial aid program, and this is clearly not a priority nor should it be. President Spanier has done a spectacular job of improving the campus in function and appearance. Drinking is a major epidemic and problem there. Professors at UP especailly are hired, promoted, and recognized principally for their research efforts. Many are good teachers, but it is extremely difficult to be focused on teaching and research. Student-faculty ratios are undesirable, at least from a teaching perspective.Those are just realities. </p>
<p>Welcome your further thoughts. I hope Penn State will provide the nurturing and enhanced ability to think critically without being critical should you decide to attend.</p>
<p>I know that there are scholarships available to the top students in many of the different colleges of UP. Engineering gives them out, science gives them out and as Heavenwood has shown so does liberal arts.A friend was told he was a candidate for a $5000 scholarship in the business school although he did not receive this. So they do give out money...just not to a great majority. When my son applied and was accepted he would receive a letter saying he was under consideration and then whether or not he "won". He had to go through an interview process for a least one. I did notice that after you are a student, you can apply for scholarships within your department after freshman year. There is money there...you just have to be at the top, lucky and willing to go look for it. I am talking about pure merit...not need.</p>
<p>Sax, a lot of schools are like that. I have many times looked up merit scholarships for my particular colleges I'm looking at and many scholarships are saved for actual undergraduates who have "completed one or two years of their major." A lot of the donated scholarships from alumni are for undergraduates and not incoming freshmen.</p>
<p>It makes a lot of sense. If I was handing out money I would want to know the student was serious and willing to put in the work for the grades.That first year is tough because the students have to get through the "let's party" pressure. I also read somewhere that the science college loses half the kids who started out. I do not know why.</p>
<p>sax- yes - there is a $5000 per year scholarship offered through the business school. It's sponsored by the Mitte Foundation and requires a separate application (significant with essays and recs). Only about 15 get the scholarship each year and it has tough requirements (3.5 GPA, community service and renewal applications each year). But yes, there are $ opportunities for top students. I also know that there are many students who don't know about these opportunities - it pays to do research and ask (and keep digging - we asked a rep in the business school about Mitte last year and they had never heard of it!)</p>
<p>Sorry, I thought you were another user.</p>
<p>Okay well I won't be able to get a scholarship, so do they give out any need-based grants? Or will it all be loans.</p>
<p>Because my instate safety is SDSU, and that school is basically free, so I wouldn't go to Penn St., unless I got some need-based aid...that i didn't have to pay back.</p>
<p>Is PSU really all that diverse?</p>
<p>6% Asian, 4% Black, 4% Hispanic, 84% white..</p>
<p>I know there can be diversity in other ways, and I know PA is also not the most diverse state in the country..</p>
<p>No it's not ... unless looking @ solely grad students.</p>
<p>But, over history, and it's only a half century history or so, there is NO DOUBT that PSU has been trying longer to provide open equal access to all regardless of creed, color, religion, etc.</p>
<p>Virtually all other higher ed institutions are johnny come latelies (except for the traditionally "black" institutions ... Cheney, Stillman, Lincoln, Howard, etc.) ... and especially the Ivies, elitist places, those places that are among the first to pooh-pooh PSU on this front. I challenge anyone to examine this and determine otherwise. Oh, and they virtually ALL graduated without any special treatment or favor. And a great many then went on to other great careers and great graduate programs and on and on. Just look @ the record. It disappoints me when PSU is cowed by the media pundits on this one.</p>
<p>But that said, it is very difficult and challenging for Penn State to attract and support diversity now that it's suddenly popular and virtually every higher ed institution in the land is going begging for those who will allow them to proclaim "diversity." Simply because others are doing better diminishes and tarnishes the great role Penn State played in cracking this.</p>
<p>Among the first to have black athletes. Among the first refusing to stay in hotel at the Cotton Bowl because their black athletes were disallowed to bunk there. And on and on. Penn State is a genuine pioneer and unfortunately all people do is look at the stats and ask "whadya do for them lately." It's sad that thoughtless, mindless people, many who are alledged "scholars" and "liberated" are among the short sighted PC crowd.</p>
<p>That's very true. Considering that PSU doesn't use affirmative action, their diversity isn't bad.</p>
<p>toneranger -- I was told by a reliable source in the Smeal Office that the Mitte scholarship is not being offered for Fall 2007 incoming freshmen. Has anyone heard otherwise?</p>
<p>lmbl - did not hear this but I'll check into it and post anything I learn.</p>
<p>Can anyone enlighten on the Mitte Scholarship?</p>
<p>WP : here's the link.
<a href="http://www.mittefoundation.org/home.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.mittefoundation.org/home.html</a>
The Mitte family in Texas set up a foundation to support business education with a focus on giving back to the community. PSU is one of a number of schools sponsored. Those selected (from a tough app process) get $5000 per year and need to renew the application each year (resume, rec, proof of community service, transcript with at least 15 credits per sem and a 3.5 GPA or above). Not sure why there's talk about no awards for 2007 - I'm checking into it. They usually offer scholarships for both UG and grad students.</p>