Penn spent record-high $770,000 lobbying the federal government in fourth quarter of 2025

Penn spent $770,000 lobbying the federal government in the fourth quarter of 2025 — the highest single-quarter expenditure on record. 

According to a recently filed disclosure, Penn lobbied the federal government on several issues — including higher education issues, international students and visas, student financial aid, and physician payment. This fiscal quarter, the University spent $510,000 internally and an additional $260,000 to retain the services of three external lobbying firms: BGR Group, Cassidy & Associates, and Mehlman Consulting. 

Penn listed Associate Vice President for Federal Affairs William Andresen and Penn Medicine Corporate Director for Government and Community Relations Kristen Molloy as individuals who lobbied on behalf of the University in its disclosure report.

A request for comment was left with a University spokesperson. 

At the start of the last fiscal quarter of 2025 — which spanned Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025 — 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump’s administration presented Penn and eight other universities with a compact that promised preferential funding treatment in exchange for compliance with a set of sweeping guidelines. Just over two weeks later, Penn rejected the White House’s offer. 

At the time, White House spokesperson Liz Huston told The Daily Pennsylvanian “unwilling to assume accountability and confront these overdue and necessary reforms” outlined in the document “will find itself without future government and taxpayers support.” 

Penn continued to retain BGR Group — one of Washington’s largest lobbying firms — which it first contracted in May to advocate on its behalf with federal policymakers. 

This quarter, the University paid the firm $140,000 to advocate on “issues related to higher education and research appropriations,” according to a filing. 

Six BGR Group lobbyists represented Penn — including 1994 Penn graduate and managing director David Urban, who served as a senior advisor to 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Penn spent $80,000 to retain the services of Cassidy & Associates and paid $40,000 to Mehlman Consulting. 

Last year, a DP analysis projected that Penn would spend nearly $1.8 million lobbying the federal government in the fiscal year of 2025. In total, Penn’s lobbying expenditure in 2025  — both internal and external — totaled over $2 million.  

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