Octavius Catto Scholarship — Community College of Philadelphia
Funded by the City of Philadelphia and administered at Community College of Philadelphia, the Catto Scholarship serves new students, transfers with up to 30 prior credits, and former students returning after at least one year. It requires a diploma/GED, 12 months of Philadelphia residency, full-time enrollment of 12 credits, FAFSA and an SAI of $8,000 or less, plus college-ready placement or one level below in English and math. The award covers remaining tuition and fees afte
About Octavius Catto Scholarship — Community College of Philadelphia
Funded by the City of Philadelphia and administered at Community College of Philadelphia, the Catto Scholarship serves new students, transfers with up to 30 prior credits, and former students returning after at least one year. It requires a diploma/GED, 12 months of Philadelphia residency, full-time enrollment of 12 credits, FAFSA and an SAI of $8,000 or less, plus college-ready placement or one level below in English and math.
The award covers remaining tuition and fees after federal grants and may include up to $1,600 per semester for needs such as food, transportation, and books, plus course-material support. It also includes advising, coaching, tutoring, bridge courses, career workshops, and connections to city services, so planning should account for both price and retention support.
There is no separate Catto application: first apply to CCP, complete English and math placement, enroll full time, and finish financial-aid requirements. FAFSA must be renewed annually. Undocumented students unable to file FAFSA may use the Student Aid Estimator and send a screenshot with their student number to the Catto office for review.
To renew, students must keep Philadelphia residency, a 2.0 GPA, satisfactory academic progress, at least 20 credits by the end of year one and 42 by the end of year two, and 12 credits each fall and spring. Funding is capped at 150% of required program credits. The stipend is not a fixed guaranteed amount for everyone; confirm enrollment, materials, SAI, and balance with the office before registering.
Who it serves and what it can cover: Funded by the City of Philadelphia and administered at Community College of Philadelphia, the Catto Scholarship serves new students, transfers with up to 30 prior credits, and former students returning after at least one year. It requires a diploma/GED, 12 months of Philadelphia residency, full-time enrollment of 12 credits, FAFSA and an SAI of $8,000 or less, plus college-ready placement or one level below in English and math. The award covers remaining tuition and fees after federal grants and may include up to $1,600 per semester for needs such as food, transportation, and books, plus course-material support. It also includes advising, coaching, tutoring, bridge courses, career workshops, and connections to city services, so planning should account for both price and retention support.
How to apply or get help: There is no separate Catto application: first apply to CCP, complete English and math placement, enroll full time, and finish financial-aid requirements. FAFSA must be renewed annually. Undocumented students unable to file FAFSA may use the Student Aid Estimator and send a screenshot with their student number to the Catto office for review. For case-specific questions, contact the program or financial-aid office named on its official page.
College financial-aid program