Scholarships for BAAS Students

Scholarship opportunities are available for part-time and full-time nontraditional Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) students. Gateway students can apply for scholarships once fully admitted to the BAAS degree. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit, financial need, and other criteria as specified by the individual scholarship fund requirements. Please be aware that Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences students are not eligible for Penn’s all-grant program. Contact the undergraduate program director if you have additional scholarship questions. Penn LPS online scholarships are not stackable and students are limited to one Penn LPS online scholarship per student.

Supplemental Scholarship Application for BAAS Applicants

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences students are encouraged to submit their scholarship applications as part of their application for admission. Only students who have met all criteria for full admission to the degree program, have a completed FAFSA form on file with Student Financial Services, and have submitted the supplemental questions will be considered for a scholarship. If you are ineligible to submit a FAFSA, please send an email to lpsonline@sas.upenn.edu with the subject line “FAFSA Alternative.” All applicants should submit the following supplemental questions and responses in the scholarship section of their BAAS application:

  • What has led you to return to school at this time and what goals have you set for yourself??
  • Are you applying for financial aid through Penn’s Student Financial Services? Have you submitted a FASFA?
  • Does your employer provide any form of tuition support? If so, please briefly describe that support.
  • Please identify the scholarships for which you want to be considered.*

*Those applying for the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship should submit a copy of their PTK certificate with their unofficial transcript as part of their BAAS application. Those applying for a Nieberle scholarship should submit a copy of their high school transcript confirming their graduation from a Catholic high school.

If you did not apply for scholarships at the time of your BAAS application submission and would like to be considered in the fall or spring terms, please submit the supplemental questions and responses outlined above in .pdf form to lpsonline@sas.upenn.edu.

Please note: New scholarships are awarded as they become available; therefore, new scholarships may not be awarded every term.

Important Scholarship Dates
  Scholarship Application Deadline* Notification
Fall April 1 July 1
Spring October 15 December 1

*Applicants applying after the semester submission deadline, or whose FAFSA has not been submitted in time, will be reviewed in the next semester's review cycle.

Competitive scholarships

Bread Upon the Waters Scholarship for part-time students

Direct tuition grants are available to women at least 25 years of age who intend to pursue their undergraduate degree in the liberal arts through the College of Liberal and Professional Studies, including Penn LPS Online, on a part-time basis. Funds for these scholarships are provided by donations from many private sources, and from former College of Liberal and Professional Studies students who want to help others benefit from the programs.

Bread Scholars are selected on the basis of academic excellence and financial need. Recipients are awarded up to 6 c.u.* of Penn LPS tuition credits annually while they maintain part-time attendance. They will continue to receive the scholarship if they maintain a 3.0 GPA and are in good standing. All credits must be applicable to degree requirements and apply toward their first bachelor’s degree.

Want to help support a Bread Upon The Waters scholar? Celebrate our 30th anniversary with a gift that will make a difference in the life of a woman who is on her way to a Penn degree. Donate today!

Nieberle Scholarships for part-time students

The Fred J. and Theresa Nieberle Scholarship Fund was established to enable those who have attended a Catholic high school to pursue an undergraduate degree in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. Preference will be given to graduates of Delaware Valley Catholic high schools who are pursuing their degree through part-time attendance; however, those who have attended or graduated from Catholic high schools outside of the Delaware Valley and/or are pursuing their degree through full-time attendance are eligible for consideration. Applicants must show proof of Catholic high school attendance/graduation. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and financial need with preference for those who are Catholic high school Graduates from the Delaware Valley. Recipients are awarded up to 6 c.u. of Penn LPS tuition credits annually while they maintain part-time attendance. They will continue to receive the scholarship if they maintain a 3.0 GPA and are in good standing. All credits must be applicable to degree requirements and apply toward their first bachelor’s degree.

Dean’s Scholarships for Graduates of the Community College of Philadelphia for part-time or full-time students

Students who have completed a two-year program of study in the liberal arts and sciences at the Community College of Philadelphia are eligible to apply for scholarships funded by donors with additional support from the Senior Auditors. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and financial need. Recipients are awarded a partial tuition scholarship for up to 6 c.u. of Penn LPS online tuition credits annually while they maintain full-time or part-time attendance. They will continue to receive the scholarship if they maintain a 3.0 GPA and are in good standing. All credits must be applicable to degree requirements and apply toward their first bachelor’s degree.

Kay Scholarships for part-time or full-time students

The Kay Scholarships are provided through the generosity of the Kay family and are awarded to students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and financial need. Recipients are awarded up to 6 c.u. of Penn LPS tuition credits annually while they maintain part-time or full-time attendance. They will continue to receive the scholarship if they maintain a 3.0 GPA and are in good standing. All credits must be applicable to degree requirements and apply toward their first bachelor’s degree.

Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships for part-time or full-time students

Phi Theta Kappa scholarships are awarded to students who were members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society as students in community college prior to their transfer to Penn. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence and financial need. Recipients are awarded a partial tuition scholarship for up to 6 c.u. of Penn LPS online tuition credits annually while they maintain part-time attendance or full-time attendance. They will continue to receive the scholarship if they maintain a 3.0 GPA and are in good standing. All credits must be applicable to degree requirements and apply toward their first bachelor’s degree.

Quaker Completion Scholarships for part-time or full-time students

Quaker completion scholarships are awarded to selected students on the basis of academic excellence, financial need, and demonstrated initiative, resilience, and persistence in pursuit of their future goals. Recipients are awarded a partial tuition scholarship for up to 6 c.u. of Penn LPS online tuition credits annually while they maintain part-time attendance or full-time attendance. They will continue to receive the scholarship if they maintain a 3.0 GPA and are in good standing. All credits must be applicable to degree requirements and apply toward their first bachelor’s degree.

*Academic credit is defined by the University of Pennsylvania as a course unit (c.u.). A course unit (c.u.) is a general measure of academic work over a period of time, typically a term (semester or summer). A c.u. (or a fraction of a c.u.) represents different types of academic work across different types of academic programs and is the basic unit of progress toward a degree. One c.u. is usually converted to a four-semester-hour course.