Mayor's Scholars award goes to 43 Phila. students

The students will receive the largest financial aid packages in Penn history. For a few dozen of the 2,400 members of the Class of 2002, the coveted acceptance letter to Penn that arrived last April included an offer that many couldn't turn down -- a full-tuition scholarship. Forty-three talented Philadelphians are now attending Penn assisted financially with a scholarship created by a 1910 city ordinance that allows the University to avoid paying taxes on its land. This year marks the 88th time that the University has offered Mayor's Scholarships to talented matriculants from Philadelphia. Each recipient will receive the largest single financial aid award ever offered by the University, a grant of $21,577 per year. The scholarship covers the students' tuition but does not include room and board. Created by a 1910 city ordinance so that Penn would not have to pay taxes on its land, the scholarship is given to students based on need, according to an Admissions Office spokesperson. This year, scholarship winners were recognized by ads that ran yesterday in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Sun and Philadelphia Tribune. Certificates and congratulatory letters signed by University President Judith Rodin, Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell and City Council President John Street were also sent to the students. Rodin, who was a scholarship recipient when she entered Penn in the early 1960s, said she is "always proud and enormously gratified to welcome our new scholars." College freshman and Philadelphia native Christine Nangle said she would not have attended Penn if she had not received the award. "It was all about who gave me the most money," she said. When the scholarship offer arrived, Nangle "was so excited that I had won such a huge scholarship," she said. "It was such a thrill because I had heard from so many people how great it would be if I won." To others, acceptance of the scholarship came after careful consideration of several offers. While 52 applicants were offered the scholarships, only nine decided to attend other universities. Wharton freshman Andrey Golovicher was also offered a full scholarship to Yale University. She ultimately decided on Penn because it was closer to home. Golovicher came to the United States from Belarus in 1993 and attended Northeast High School. "We moved because my parents saw America as the land of opportunity. The scholarships show that," Golovicher said. The awards became embroiled in controversy in 1991, when the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia sued the University, claiming that it had to offer a total of 125 scholarships per incoming class. In February 1993, Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Nelson Diaz upheld the University's interpretation that the ordinance required it to only have a total of 125 scholarship recipients -- in any class -- at any given time. Today, the scholarship has become an important part of the relationship between the Philadelphia community and Penn. University Director of Community Relations Glenn Bryan said he is "obviously very proud" of the scholarship recipients, though he said more needs to be done to attract local students to Penn. "Philadelphia students are wonderful ambassadors to the city," he said. "They provide lots of experience and help with community service. They are an excellent presence on campus."