“The Wharton Asia Alumni Scholarship Initiative is a great way for alums and friends of Wharton to have a direct impact. In an ever more volatile world, it is especially important for top high school talent anywhere to have access to the best education. We can all do our small share in making our world more connected and we can do that through creating better access to education. Through this, we can help break walls and build deeper global understanding for our new generation.” – Kenny Lam, W’96
Spearheaded by a small group of committed Wharton volunteers, the Wharton Asia Alumni Scholarship Initiative (WAASI) seeks to create new scholarships to support international students from alumni across Asia. This initiative will help bring Wharton one step closer to being need-blind for all applicants, and support Penn’s top priority of increasing affordability for international students.
Creating a need-blind international undergraduate admissions policy will level the playing field— enabling Penn to consider all applicants on their merits alone. Such a shift would be transformational, but would also be a significant expenditure. There is more to be done to increase international financial aid resources at Penn, especially from the endowment. The goal of the Wharton Asia Alumni Scholarship Initiative is for our community of Penn alumni, parents, and friends to come together and collectively support this need. Supporting the Wharton Asia Alumni Scholarship Initiative adds to the rich diversity of the Penn community, and enhances international understanding beyond campus.
“Wharton has always had great diversity and global perspectives that benefit the Wharton communities worldwide. This initiative is a testament of Wharton alumni’s strong support for the school to continue to attract the best students globally, with an ambitious ultimate goal to help Wharton become financial-aid-need-blind for all international applicants. Through this initiative we can become more connected with each other and with the future generations, creating lasting impact on the global Wharton community.” – Xing Liu, WG’04
Members of the WAASI cohort will be part of a unique community of alumni and scholarship students. They will be invited to annual gatherings with cohort scholars and university leadership or faculty. To read more about this innovative initiative and first cohort of donors, visit: https://giving.upenn.edu/strength-in-numbers/
There are opportunities to name scholarships at several giving levels, and matches may be available to increase the level of your support.
$2 million: Men and Women of Pennsylvania
$1 million: $750,000 gift is matched with $250,000
$500,000: $400,000 is matched with $100,000
$300,000: $250,000 is matched with $50,000
$125,000: This is the minimum commitment to establish an endowment. There are no matches at this level.
For more information, please contact Maryann O’Leary Salas at maryanno@upenn.edu or 215-898-4551. You may also visit our Donor FAQ page for additional resources.