Penn Arts & Sciences Offers COVID-19 Pandemic Graduate Student Funding Extension

Steven J. Fluharty, Dean of Penn Arts & Sciences, and Beth S. Wenger, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, have announced the availability of additional resources to support graduate students currently in their final year of funding whose research has been impacted by the restrictions resulting from COVID-19.

In laying out the program, Fluharty said, “The School of Arts & Sciences is keenly aware that COVID-19 restrictions have adversely affected graduate student education. Many students face serious obstacles in conducting research and are concerned about their progress toward degree.”
 
To alleviate some of the concerns for students in their final year of funding in 2019-20, procedures are now in place that will allow students to apply for an additional fully-funded semester of graduate school. Wenger emphasized that this initiative reflects an effort “to address those in most imminent need, namely those whose funding comes to an end this academic year.” Wenger further noted that the School’s Graduate Division will provide graduate groups with “the ability to offer limited funding to students at various stages in the program.” She also added that her office will continue to monitor what other steps “might be needed once we have a clearer idea of how events will unfold in the coming months.”
 
Both Fluharty and Wenger underlined the commitment of Penn Arts & Sciences “to supporting graduate students and helping them become the next generation of scholars and teachers.”

The chairs of each Graduate Group will circulate additional information and forms to students beginning this week and funding decisions will be made by mid-to-late May.

Please visit the Penn Arts &  Sciences Graduate Division site for further updates.

The efforts of Penn Arts and Sciences represent part of a University-wide effort to support graduate and professional students during this crisis.  For more information, see:  https://coronavirus.upenn.edu/content/april-17-2020-support-graduate-pr….