Financing Your Degree

Penn MPH students pay tuition and fees per Credit Unit rather than a flat rate per semester or year. Information on and an estimation of our tuition charges can be found below. From scholarships to federal or private loans to assistantships, there are a variety of ways to help finance your Penn MPH degree.

Financial Aid Support

To estimate the total cost of attendance for the Penn MPH program, including living, personal, and health insurance expenses beyond the cost of tuition and fees, students connect with Student Registration and Financial Services (SRFS). SRFS facilitates the graduate student loan process and can help answer questions about billing.

Tuition 2024-2025 Academic Year

Courseload TuitionGeneral FeeTechnology FeeClinical FeeTotal Semester Cost
Courseload 1.0 CUTuition$5,044General Fee$492Technology Fee$198Clinical Fee$0Total Semester Cost$5,734
Courseload 2.0 CUTuition$10,088General Fee$984Technology Fee$396Clinical Fee$0Total Semester Cost$11,468
Courseload 3.0 CUTuition$15,132General Fee$1,977Technology Fee$594Clinical Fee$358Total Semester Cost$18,061
Courseload 4.0 CUTuition$20,176General Fee$1,977Technology Fee$594Clinical Fee$358Total Semester Cost$23,105

Tuition Assistance Statistics

  • $580,223Tuition Assistance Provided in 2023
  • 25+Teaching Assistantships per Year

Scholarship Support from the MPH Program

The MPH program provides several different opportunities for tuition assistance. All tuition assistance provided by the program involves waiving tuition per Credit Unit (CU). Associated fees cannot be waived per University policy. Both full-time and part-time students are eligible for all forms of tuition assistance awarded by the program, though scholarships cannot be used in tandem with the Penn Employee Tuition Benefit mentioned below. No additional essay or application is required to be considered for any scholarships from the MPH program and the Admission Committee takes all applicants under consideration for scholarships during the initial application review process. The committee encourages applicants interested in scholarships to submit by a priority deadline of February 1, 2025.

Assistantship Positions from the MPH Program

The MPH program offers Teaching Assistantship (TA) positions, which are available to qualified students who have excelled in a particular course. First semester students are therefore ineligible to TA. TA positions offer a stipend of $2,500 per semester for approximately 10 hours per week of work to support the faculty teaching an MPH course. These assistantships have a separate application process shortly before the start of each semester that is available only to already-matriculated students.

University of Pennsylvania Employee Tuition Support

The tuition benefit for full-time University of Pennsylvania employees covers 100% of the tuition, general, and technology fees at Penn for up to 2 CUs per semester, 6 CUs per year (2 CUs per fall, spring, and summer semesters). Graduate tuition costs above $5,250 in a calendar year are considered taxable income. Newly hired faculty and staff are eligible to use the tuition benefit only after a six-month waiting period from date-of-hire. Under the university’s revised policy, the end date of the waiting period is the staff member’s tuition eligibility date. If the tuition eligibility date comes after the first day of classes for a term, faculty and staff cannot receive tuition benefits until the start of the following term.

More Info Here

Loan Information

US Citizens or eligible Non-Citizens may qualify for federal loan funding. You must be enrolled at least half time (2 CUs) each semester to receive federal loan funding. For all prospective students who are planning to apply for federal loans, please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using Penn’s institutional code #003378.

MPH students are eligible for loans to cover the cost of tuition and estimated living expenses. This represents the maximum you can borrow, though students are always welcome to borrow less. If you receive scholarship funding, your loan may be reduced or returned. Students may not be eligible if they have borrowed for past programs and are at their aggregate loan limit or they are in default on previously borrowed student loans.

MPH students may qualify for a maximum of $33,000 in Federal Direct Loan, which is unsubsidized (interest begins at disbursement) and not credit checked.

Should students wish to borrow federal loans over the Federal Direct Loan amount to cover the remainder of tuition, fees, and living expenses, there is the Grad PLUS Loan, which is unsubsidized but credit checked.

External Opportunities for Tuition Support

External Research Assistantships and Internships

The MPH program facilitates the dissemination of opportunities for part-time research assistantships by faculty associated with the MPH program, as well as paid internships with various public health organizations. These are shared with current, matriculated students on an ad hoc basis and have a variety of compensation models.

Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) & This is Public Health (TiPH) Scholarships

ASPPH & TiPH source and collate myriad scholarships for students. Scholarships are mostly tax-free financial awards given to students with the intention to pursue a specific area of study or research. They are usually awarded based on certain qualifying traits.

More Info Here

IELTS USA Andrea Scott International Graduate Scholarship

Admitted, Fall 2023 international applicants with a valid IELTS score are eligible for the Andrea Scott International Graduate Scholarship, an annual award of $5,000 and renewable for up to 3 years. Scholarship recipients will share Andrea’s inspiring commitment to international education, her passion for globalization, creative arts, and equal rights initiatives.

More Info Here

Contact Nick Van Meter with Questions about Financing Your Degree