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Students from 11 schools in the Philadelphia region will benefit from a Pennsylvania College of Technology scholarship created by The Howley Foundation, which seeks to ensure that students, regardless of economic means, receive a high-quality education. The scholarship is expected to provide more than $3 million in funding to qualified students over the first 10 years of the program.

The Howley Foundation Scholarship will support up to eight students annually per incoming class. Each student selected will receive $10,000 per year, a $1,000 Penn College Foundation scholarship and access to as much as $18,870 in additional need-based financial aid. Students may pursue associate or bachelor’s degrees and are eligible for four or eight semesters of guaranteed funding, respectively.

To further promote financial predictability and security, students’ tuition, housing and board costs will be frozen at the level of their first semester. Students will also benefit from a robust support network on campus, including dedicated advisers, tutoring services and mentorship opportunities. All recipients will be guaranteed the opportunity for on-campus employment.

“We are excited to partner with The Howley Foundation for this unique scholarship opportunity,” said Penn College President Michael J. Reed. “Nick and Lorie Howley firmly believe that education is one of the most important catalysts to promoting positive change in individuals and in society as a whole. This scholarship will allow many more students to benefit from an applied technology STEM education, which we know leads to secure and sustainable employment in the rapidly evolving modern workforce.”

Nick Howley, chairman of The Howley Foundation said, “We believe a high-quality education is the most practical path to upward social and economic mobility, and we believe Penn College can play an important role for many students.”

“We have been very impressed with the programs at Penn College,” said Andy Howley, trustee of The Howley Foundation. “It is a unique institution that offers students a mix of highly employable skills and the option to pursue either a two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree. We are pleased to be able to bolster the school’s ability to attract students from the Philadelphia metropolitan area, who otherwise might not have the opportunity to pursue the exceptional opportunities that Penn College offers. The Howley Foundation looks forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”

To be eligible for a Howley Foundation Scholarship, students must live on campus, have a minimum high school GPA of 3.0, maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher while in college and remain enrolled full time.

The scholarships are available for incoming Penn College students from Archbishop John Carroll High School, Church Farm School, Cristo Rey Philadelphia High School, Father Judge High School, Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls, Mercy Career & Technical High School, Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School, Saints John Newman and Maria Goretti High School, Roman Catholic High School, St. Joseph’s Preparatory High School, and West Catholic Preparatory High School.

Nick and Lorie Howley formed The Howley Foundation in 2001. Starting with one student scholarship in a local Catholic high school in Cleveland, they have grown the foundation and The Howley Scholars Program to provide meaningful tuition assistance to more than 600 scholarship students in two major cities (Cleveland and Philadelphia) and to college students around the United States.

Historically, tuition assistance by The Howley Foundation has been provided primarily for high school. In recent years, however, it has been expanded to include scholarship support and selected program assistance at three major levels of education.

Nick Howley, who holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Drexel University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, is the founder and executive chairman of TransDigm Group Inc., a leading global designer, producer and supplier of highly engineered aircraft components, systems and subsystems.

He is also former chairman of the board for the Cristo Rey Network, which comprises 32 catholic college preparatory schools serving more than 10,000 economically disadvantaged students across 21 states. His extensive charitable governance experience includes service on the boards of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Clinic, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Washington & Jefferson College, Saint Martin de Porres High School, Gilmour Academy, and various public and private for-profit boards.

Lorie Howley became executive director of The Howley Foundation in 2001 and president of its board of directors in 2014. In these positions, she has helped grow the scope of the organization to include programs in elementary, high school and college education.

Trained in ornamental horticulture, Lorie Howley worked in the Education Department at Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, for 15 years, developing and teaching programs at the postsecondary and continuing-education levels. The experience gave her insight into teaching and great respect for educators. She holds a bachelor of science in ornamental horticulture and a master’s degree in communication arts from Cornell University.

Those wishing to explore giving opportunities at Penn College may visit www.pct.edu/give or call 570-320-8020.

For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education and a special mission affiliate of Penn State, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.