Higher Education Leaders, Financial Aid Experts and Students Urge Lawmakers and Rendell Administration to Fund State Grant Program
Decrease in funding will affect thousands of students
NANTICOKE, PA (May 7, 2007) - Higher education leaders, financial aid experts and students from around the region kicked-off a statewide campaign today urging lawmakers to bolster funding for the Pennsylvania State Grant program in the 2007-08 budget to ensure that thousands of Pennsylvanians will not lose access to an affordable education.
At stake is the future for as many as 167,000 Pennsylvania students who could lose portions of their state grants unless lawmakers approve at least a 2.5% increase for the next academic year.
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has already announced it will add $75 million from the agency's business earnings to the supplement state’s appropriation. This marks the second year that PHEAA has been able to pump business earnings into the State Grant program, nearly $150 million in total.
In addition, PHEAA has adopted a new awarding formula that would increase the size of the grants and expand the number of recipients. Under the new formula, the maximum award moves to $4,700, up $200 from this year and approximately 5,750 more students will be eligible for grant assistance.
Despite this commitment, the expansion of the State Grant program and its continued support for thousands of students hinges on additional state funding. The Governor's current budget proposal recommends level funding, which falls short of what is needed.
“We have made great progress in the past few years as the state has expanded the Grant Program but we cannot afford to take a step back now,” said Thomas P. Leary, Interim President of the Luzerne County Community College.
“We’re very proud of the work we are doing for our students here each and every day and we recognize the responsibility we have to meet each student’s individual needs. The first challenge, always, is to provide affordable access,” Leary added. “Absent this funding, some students will not be able to make it and that just isn’t acceptable.”
Leary noted that, in a global economy, a higher education is absolutely essential. Today, 70% of the fastest growing jobs require education beyond high school and 50% of all new jobs require at least an associate’s degree.
Leary was joined by Mary C. Kosin, President of the Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (PASFAA) and Director of Financial Aid at LCCC, representatives from PASFAA, representatives from PHEAA, and several students.
“We work with hundreds and hundreds of applicants each year and I can tell you from first-hand experience that the State Grant program makes the difference between attending college or not,” said Kosin. “The stakes could not be any higher for thousands of Pennsylvania students and families.”
While the largest, the State Grant is just one of several critical funding sources that PHEAA either self-funds or administers for the state, including the New Economy Technology Scholarship, and Loan Forgiveness programs for nurses, early education teachers and students entering the agricultural sciences.
PHEAA also administers the State Grant program with its business earnings, ensuring that every dollar appropriated goes directly to students and families.
“We need to stay focused on the commitment to higher education funding overall. Our focus today is obviously on the grant program but we need to keep in mind that every program and every initiative makes a difference,” said Kosin.