A $10 million gift from two Penn alumni will support international students in the School of Arts & Sciences.
The gift — donated by 1999 Wharton graduate and hedge fund founder Daniel Sundheim and 2001 College graduate Brett Sundheim — will create a new scholarship for international students. It will also support additional resources for international students who are in Penn First Plus. Nine million dollars will go toward establishing the Sundheim International Scholars Fund, and the remaining $1 million will create a complementary fund for Penn First Plus students called the Sundheim Penn First Plus International Opportunity Fund.
The Sundheim International Scholars Fund will provide scholarship aid to international students in the School of Arts & Sciences with demonstrated need. The first cohort of Sundheim Scholars, who will consist of recipients of aid from the new fund, will be chosen for the fall 2023 semester.
“We are delighted that, starting in September, the first international Sundheim Scholars will receive student financial aid that will make their Penn education not only possible, but also less stressful and therefore even more rewarding,” Brett Sundheim said in the release.
The Sundheim Penn First Plus International Opportunity Fund will give eligible students — those who are the first generation in their family to attend college or with modest incomes — further resources for summer internships, research programs, and academic courses.
“Brett and I recognize that even with significant financial aid, certain elements of the Penn undergraduate experience still remain out of reach for aided international students," David Sundheim wrote in the release, adding that this was a major motivation to create the scholarship fund.
In response to a request for comment, SAS Dean Steven Fluharty wrote to The Daily Pennsylvanian that gifts that increase access to Penn for international students are "hugely impactful."
"The Sundheims' generosity will create opportunities for talented scholars from around the globe for generations to come, paving the way for their success and enriching the Penn Arts & Sciences community,” Fluharty wrote.
P1P Director Marc Lo echoed Fluharty's sentiments in a statement provided to the DP, writing that the Sundheim's generosity helped create a "growing pool of brilliant international students" that the school will welcome in the fall. Lo added that P1P will continue working with Student Financial Services and International Student and Scholar Services to host an orientation for international students, where they will be informed of the new opportunities funded by the Sundheims.
The Sundheims have a history of philanthropy at the University, including the establishment of the Sundheim Family Scholarship in 2009.
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