DE&I Resources for Students

Penn GSE is committed to fostering a diverse community of scholars. It is our mission to provide all students an inclusive, welcoming, and supportive environment in which to grow and learn at Penn GSE.

Community Support

Penn GSE’s Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Raquel Arredondo, serves as one of the primary points of contact for our students. Our Assistant Dean works very closely with our Office of Student Services (OSS) to offer guidance, support, and resources in navigating your educational journey.

The Graduate Student Center is a hub for information, programming, resources, and support for all graduate and professional students at Penn. The Greenfield Intercultural Center (GIC) is also an important resource for enhancing student’s intercultural knowledge, competency, and leadership. Within both of these two umbrella organizations, there are numerous support structures for specific populations of students.

As a school, we are committed to fighting racism and all other forms of oppression. Our community actively engages in ongoing learning and dialogue about race, equity, and inclusion. We invite students to join faculty and staff to build on these efforts by participating in the Committee on Race, Equity & Inclusion, joining a Penn GSE affinity group on race, and engaging in our annual “One Book, One GSE” where we learn together and engage in community discussions around race, equity, and inclusion.

Financial Support

Penn GSE is committed to making education accessible and affordable to all our students. The majority of our students receive some form of financial assistance directly from Penn GSE in the form of merit-based aid, need-based assistance, assistantships, or other program-specific grants. 

GSE’s Dean Fellowship: Power of Possibility underscores our mission to expand educational access to all students, in particular those from underrepresented and under-served populations. These prestigious half-tuition fellowships are awarded to a number of our incoming master’s students each year.

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Bar chart that shows from 2017-2021 nearly 75% of admitted students are offered merit-based scholarships

Historically, over 70% of our admitted students receive a merit-based scholarship. Our need-based aid program also provides grants for those who qualify. This past year, over 80% of students who identified as a first generation and/or low-income student received this need-based assistance.

Support Systems for Affinity Groups

In addition to the general resources listed above, here are several specific support systems and affinity groups for students. We realize that the links below may not be comprehensive in reaching all students with differing backgrounds and needs. We welcome any member of the University community to start a new organization!

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