Drexel Launches New $15 Million Scholarship Program

new scholarships

Key Takeaways:

  • Drexel University launches a $15 million scholarship program for full-ride scholarships to Philadelphia-area students, funded by alum Nick Howley.
  • Scholarships cover five-year co-op programs in engineering, business, nursing, and computing, awarded based on merit with zero out-of-pocket expenses.
  • The expanded program now includes graduates from six additional high schools, broadening access to Drexel’s education.

Ten Philadelphia-area students will be receiving full-ride scholarships to Drexel University, thanks to a new scholarship program funded by billionaire alum, Nick Howley. The recipients will be the first of many more to come, thanks to the generous $15 million gift from the Howley Foundation.

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The new scholarships will enable students to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Drexel with zero out-of-pocket expenses. They will be awarded based on merit with the condition that students enroll in one of the following undergraduate programs:

  • Engineering
  • Biomedical engineering
  • Business
  • Nursing
  • Computing and informatics

Each of these programs is a five-year co-op program in which students participate in real-world work experiences as part of their degree plan. Scholarships awarded from the Howley College Scholars Program will cover the entire five years of undergraduate study. Most scholarships at this level are only renewable for up to four years.

The original scholarship program funded by the Howley Foundation exclusively awarded scholarships to graduates of nearby West Catholic Preparatory High School. The recent $15 million boost in funding will expand scholarship access to graduates of additional high schools, including:

  • Roman Catholic High School
  • St. Joseph’s Preparatory School
  • Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School
  • Merion Mercy Academy
  • Little Flower High School
  • Saints John Neuman and Maria Goretti Catholic High School

The Howley Foundation has been serving students in the Philadelphia and Cleveland areas since 2003. It is committed to expanding access to first-rate education to young people in these localities with the ultimate goal of improving their lives overall. Nick Howley earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in 1970 and went on to get his MBA from Harvard Business School. His father completed a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel in 1950.