Penn awards college scholarships to West Philly youth

In 1987, the Philadelphia Daily News published an article about Eric Franklin, an ambitious young man who, in spite of being homeless for most of his life, was preparing to attend college.

Franklin’s story sparked discussion among members of Penn Volunteers in Public Service (Penn VIPS), who in turn established a scholarship fund that would aim to alleviate the financial burden of higher education for graduating West Philadelphia high school seniors. Since the scholarship program was first established in 1992, Penn VIPS scholarships have helped more than 100 students from Overbrook, Parkway West, West Philadelphia, University City, Bartram, and Sayre high schools pay for non-tuition expenses such as books, supplies, and health insurance.

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