Scholarship Honoring Beau Biden Will Benefit Students at Penn

The University of Pennsylvania and the Tau Chapter of Psi Upsilon have announced the creation of the Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III Memorial Scholarship to provide financial support to an undergraduate in the College of Arts and Sciences who would otherwise be unable to meet the cost of a Penn education.

Biden, known as Beau, was a 1991 graduate of the College; he passed away in 2015 at the age of 46 after a battle with brain cancer. Trained as a lawyer, he served two terms as attorney general of Delaware, from 2006-2014. Before that, he was a member of the Delaware National Guard, serving as a major in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. His unit was deployed to Iraq in 2008, where he was a Bronze Star recipient. He was posthumously given the Legion Award of Merit for his service to the country.

“Beau was an extraordinary human being, and his legacy at Penn and beyond is one of leadership and service,” said Steven J. Fluharty, Dean of Penn Arts and Sciences. “I am certain that the young men and women who benefit from the Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III Memorial Scholarship will consider it an incredible honor—something to live up to.”

The scholarship will be added to Penn’s need-based Named Scholarship Program and will support a student demonstrating a passion and commitment similar to Biden’s to serving others through civic engagement and leadership in public service. Penn offers the largest all-grant financial aid program of its kind in the nation and is committed to providing a world-class education to talented students regardless of their financial circumstances and without the burden of unsurmountable debt upon graduation. This year, more than 47 percent of students in the incoming freshman class at Penn received financial aid, with grant packages averaging close to $44,000. 

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