Posted: | December 12, 2017 09:39 AM |
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From: | Representative Gerald J. Mullery |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Plan for PA - Expand the Pennsylvania Targeted Industry Program (PA‐TIP). |
As part of the Plan for Pennsylvania, I will soon introduce legislation that would significantly expand the Pennsylvania Targeted Industry Program (PA-TIP). Our state needs to prioritize increasing attainment of education certificates and associate degrees for our working families and their children. Working Class Adults and their Children need more state assistance to afford postsecondary certificates and associates degrees and greater access to these certificate and associate degree programs in order to obtain well paid family sustaining jobs. The Pennsylvania General Assembly created PA-TIP in 2012 to prepare students with the skills in high demand by today's employers. The program, which is funded and administered by PHEAA, provides awards to students enrolled in programs of study in Energy, Advanced Materials and Diversified Manufacturing, And Agriculture and Food Production. PA-TIP provides need-based awards up to the equivalent of the maximum State Grant award (currently $4,378)*, or 75% of the student's total direct educational costs after gift aid and employers aid whichever is less. Awards can be used to cover tuition, books, fees, supplies, and specific living expenses. PA-TIP is administered by PHEAA with $6 million in funding provided by the agency's business earnings, without any taxpayer support. This legislation would direct the legislature to provide a matching grant of the funds provided by PHEAA for this program which would double the funding for the PA-TIP program and provide additional needs based grants to students looking to work in high-demand industries. The legislation would also require PDE in conjunction with PHEAA and L&I to conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding the programs of study into other high need areas and to seek initiative to improve promotion of the program across the state. Please join me in co-sponsoring this initiative. |