Clark Scholars Program Overview

The A. James Clark Scholars Program at Penn State leverages signature strengths of the College of Engineering to serve the needs of talented engineering students with significant financial need. The Clark Scholars are a visible, cohesive cohort of 40 promising students (10 incoming first-year students entering the program each year) who — through their high school performance, participation in pre-college STEM programs, and other factors — have shown a drive to succeed academically and a willingness to seize opportunities in their lives and their schooling.

The Clark Scholars Program covers the cost of tuition, fees, and room and board, as well as cocurricular enrichment programs. This ensures that the scholars can focus their energies on their education unencumbered by worries about how to pay for their education or the stress of outside work commitments that do not align with their academic pursuits.

The Clark Scholars Program builds upon four thematic pillars: business and entrepreneurship, leadership, social equity and global citizenship, and community engagement.

A comprehensive focus on these areas ensures that Clark Scholars not only receive a first-rate engineering education; they also make a broader impact beyond the University through outreach and community service projects, and they are prepared to take on roles as socially responsible innovators and leaders in the industries in which they pursue their careers. In this way, they are excellently positioned to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges.