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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.The University of Pittsburgh is launching a program to provide hundreds of lower-income students the financial support they need to graduate.
Beginning in the fall of 2024, the Pitt Finish Line Grant will give one-time, nonrenewable grants to eligible students with financial holds or unpaid balances so those students can stay enrolled and complete their degrees.
The announcement coincides with Chancellor Joan Gabel’s 100th day at the University’s helm and signals her commitment to continuing Pitt’s expansion of financial aid, including to the students who need it most. Overall, the University provides more than $275 million annually in financial aid.
“Earning a Pitt degree and wearing the cap and gown at commencement can be one of the proudest and most important days of one’s life,” said Gabel. “But we realize that some students encounter unexpected financial difficulty when they’re so close to the goal of graduation. The Pitt Finish Line Grant is our way of directing resources to those students who need them most and help ensure they graduate on time.”
The introduction of the Pitt Finish Line Grant is just the latest way the University is meeting its strategic priority of creating an inclusive and equitable campus.
“When we established the Pitt Success Pell Match program a few years ago, we learned quickly of the transformative impact of that effort. In fact, since the launch of that program, Pitt’s students have persisted, and ultimately graduated, at the highest rates in our institution’s history,” said Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Joe McCarthy. “The Pitt Finish Line Grant is a tremendous and timely addition to Pitt’s strong and strategic efforts to ensure that students in need at the University of Pittsburgh are empowered to realize their goals of earning a Pitt degree.”
The program will support students across all five University campuses and will target those who may be lower income, first generation and Pell enrolled.
— Nichole Faina, photography by Aimee Obidzinski
Expanding access to higher education
If you have academic promise, you belong here, regardless of your financial situation. The University of Pittsburgh has launched several other affordability efforts in recent years including the Kessler Scholars Program, Panthers Forward, Pittsburgh Public Scholars, the Pittsburgh Admissions Collaboration, Pitt Fund$Me, the Coalition for College and Raise Me.