How to Apply for Financial Aid (Master's and PhD Applicants)
Scholarships for Master’s Degree Applicants
Both US and non-US citizens are eligible for merit-based Weitzman School of Design scholarships. Scholarships are awarded on the merits of your application, which includes your essay responses, academic performance, portfolio (if applicable), letters of recommendation, and video interview. Your financial need or background is not included in the admissions review nor is it considered in the scholarship review process.
Candidates do not apply for these scholarships; rather, the faculty admissions committees will distribute these during the admissions review. If you are being awarded a scholarship, this information will be included in your admission letter.
Federal Loans and Work-Study (US Citizens/Permanent Residents)
US citizens or Permanent Residents enrolled in a master’s or doctoral degree program qualify for US Federal Student Aid and should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form by May 31. Penn's Federal School Code is 003378.
Students enrolled in a stand-alone certificate program or non-degree coursework do not qualify for US Federal Student Aid nor Weitzman scholarships.
We are unable to provide US Federal Student Aid eligibility information in admission decision letters regardless of whether you have submitted a FAFSA; only scholarship information will be included in the admission decision letters. If you have questions about the US Federal Student Aid options, please review the U.S. Federal Student Aid website and Penn's Student Registration and Financial Services (SRFS) website. If you have questions about loans or work-study eligibility not answered by these resources, please email us at fin-aid@design.upenn.edu.
PhD Applicants
PhD applicants will be automatically considered for the funded PhD program. However, if a PhD applicant has an external source of funding for the program, they should select "Externally Funded" on their admission application. The answer to this question has no bearing on the admissions review process.
Types of Aid
Visit Types of Aidto learn more about scholarships, loans, military benefits, and repayment options.
