The University of Pennsylvania announced a $10 million gift from 1992 Penn graduates Mindy and Jon Gray in support of undergraduate financial aid for students from New York City, and the Penn First Plus program for students who are low income and/or the first in their families to attend college.

Jon Gray is the President and COO of Blackstone and Chairman of the Board of Hilton Worldwide. Mindy Gray is a member of the Penn Medicine Board, chair of the Basser Center Leadership Council and a founding board member of New York City Kids RISE, a nonprofit organization focused on expanding economic opportunity by providing a scholarship and savings platform for families, schools and communities.

In recognition of their philanthropy, every four years Penn will select an outstanding cohort of 10 students from New York City accepted to any of Penn’s four undergraduate schools (Arts & Sciences, Nursing, Engineering and Wharton) who qualify for the highest level of financial aid and for the benefits available through the Penn First Plus program. These students will receive grants that cover the full tuition and expenses associated with attending Penn. The gift is emblematic of the Gray’s mission to maximize access to education, health care and opportunity for low income children in NYC.

“The Grays are exemplary University of Pennsylvania leaders whose generosity is producing tremendous results,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “Their thoughtful philanthropy is dramatically accelerating BRCA1 and 2 cancer research, advancing patient care and rallying thousands of others to the cause. Now they are propelling Penn’s undergraduate scholarship program forward with a significant new gift that will alter the trajectory of generations of Penn students, starting with this year’s class. It is a true privilege to know this inspiring couple and to work with them on maximizing opportunities for our amazingly talented first generation, low-income students.”

“As a member of the first generation in my family to attend college,” said Mindy Gray, “I never take for granted how Penn opened the doors of higher learning for me. These are smart, hard-working students who deserve the same.”

“Mindy and I feel blessed to enable more students from NYC to receive the incredible opportunity that a Penn education provides,” said Jon Gray. 

Jon and Mindy Gray have supported the University of Pennsylvania throughout the 27 years since they graduated. They established, and continue to actively support, the Basser Center for BRCA at the Abramson Cancer Center, created in honor of Mindy’s late sister, Faith Basser. They also have made gifts to undergraduate financial aid, Kelly Writers House and campus renovation projects. 

In addition to endowing scholarships for the cohort, 10 percent of the gift will be used to ensure that these highly aided students at Penn have access to special opportunities inside and outside of the classroom. These students and other Penn scholarship recipients will be eligible for summer grants through an Opportunities Fund beginning this spring. The grants will provide recipients with the financial flexibility to pursue summer internships, join a research team, engage in service learning, travel abroad or take summer courses.