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Scholarships for Pennsylvanian Students

Idea Category: Education

A bill introduced by NewDEAL Leader Pennsylvania Representative Jordan Harris aims to create a new fund to award scholarships to students whose families make less than $104,000 annually. Scholarships would cover fees not paid by other state grants, and provide up to $4,000 for those attending an eligible higher education institution, or up to $2,000 to students attending a community college. Seventy percent of Pennsylvania’s students take out student loans averaging $39,000 over four years, debt that can be crippling to recent graduates and can deter prospective students from seeking higher education. Harris’ bill also seeks to alleviate workforce shortages by prioritizing students in programs with high-workforce needs, such as healthcare, education, and public service, and scholarships need not be repaid as long as the student remains in the state for the same length of time it took to complete their studies. Read more about the proposed fund, which has the backing of the state’s governor.