Proposal would make college more affordable for Pennsylvania families

HARRISBURG — A new proposal would make college more affordable for Pennsylvania families, giving every student access to community college.

Students at Community College of Allegheny County told Channel 11 that student loan debt is a big concern for them, but now, some state leaders say lawmakers need to make college accessible to students.

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"Money is something not all of us have," said student Mohummad Alawartni.  "I used to go to a four year last year. I thought that was more expensive so when I changed to community college it helped me a lot."

Students like Alawartni could get a big break from a new proposal announced Tuesday by some Democratic state senators who want to raise the state income tax by 1 percent and create a severance tax, like West Virginia.

Representatives from the Keystone Research Center announced details Tuesday on the Pennsylvania Promise higher education investment plan.

The proposal would provide:

• Two years of tuition and fees for any recent high school graduate enrolled full time at one of the Commonwealth's 14 public community colleges;
• Four years of tuition and fees for any recent high school graduate with a family income less than or equal to $110,000 per year accepted into one of the 14 universities in the state System of Higher Education;
• Four years of grants ranging from $2,000 up to $11,000, depending on family income, for students accepted into a state-related university;
• Grants to adults without a college degree, with priority given to those seeking in-demand skills and industry-recognized credentials (such as apprenticeships), as well as college credit.

According to the authors of the proposal, Pennsylvania ranks 47th out of 50 states for investment in higher education.

It's still in the early stages and it's still unclear if the proposal will have getting bipartisan support to get it through the state legislature.

Cox Media Group