Milken Endowed Scholarship Launched for Penn GSE Education Entrepreneurship
A $3 million endowed scholarship from Gregory and EJ Milken will permanently fund financial aid for students in Penn GSE's Education Entrepreneurship program.
The Gregory and EJ Milken Foundation has committed $3 million to create the Milken Endowed Scholarship for Education Entrepreneurship Fund at Penn GSE. This permanent endowment will reduce financial barriers for students in the school's one-year hybrid Education Entrepreneurship M.S.Ed. Program.
The gift establishes an ongoing source of scholarship funding for future classes. It is intended to support students broadly, not to fund a fixed number of places for a single intake. The donation was announced last week.
Program combines education with business and entrepreneurship to drive innovation
The master’s program was launched to tackle large challenges facing education by merging the field with lessons on business and entrepreneurship. It is a one-year hybrid executive format designed for full-time working individuals, combining on-campus and online weekends with summer intensives.
Students gain access to resources from GSE and the Wharton School. Teaching draws on faculty from Penn GSE, Wharton, the Weitzman School of Design, and Penn Engineering. The curriculum aims to teach students how to develop and implement forward-thinking solutions, using education as a catalyst for major impact.
A core component is a 12-month Capstone project where students work with industry leaders and entrepreneurs to develop innovative opportunities tailored to their own goals. The program also offers a dual-degree option for students pursuing a Wharton MBA.
Milken gift builds on alumni impact and Penn’s recent philanthropy momentum
Gregory Milken, a 1995 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the Penn GSE Board of Advisors, made the donation with his wife, EJ. Together they chair the Gregory and EJ Milken Foundation, which strives to expand opportunities in education and health.
Gregory Milken said the scholarship was inspired by seeing how an entrepreneurial mindset can unlock opportunities. He added, "Penn GSE's Education Entrepreneurship program is helping to develop leaders who will bring fresh ideas and commitment to education."
The donation follows a series of large gifts made to the University recently. It supports a program whose alumni have launched nearly 150 education enterprises since 2014. Graduates have gone on to found K-12 schools and direct education policy centers.
GSE Dean Katharine O. Strunk said the Milken family has been a longstanding champion of the school’s leadership in education entrepreneurship. She stated that they encourage faculty and students to pursue bold ideas that can transform education.
Katharine O. Strunk said: "This extraordinary gift will open doors for talented students to explore innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities regardless of their financial circumstances." The scholarship will provide ongoing support for future master’s students in the program, reducing financial barriers to participation.
