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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: December 22, 2014 12:52 PM
From: Senator Anthony H. Williams
To: All Senate members
Subject: PHEAA Free Tuition Lottery
 
In the near future, I will introduce legislation authorizing the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to create a lottery that awards college scholarships and loan forgiveness while funding PHEAA’s need-based grants.

Limiting our higher education institutions and agencies from access to adequate funding forces them to stretch what dollars they have even further. Student aid expert Mark Kantrowitz recently told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that Pennsylvania “certainly is one of the most expensive states in the nation to go to college in as a state resident.” Unfortunately, PHEAA was only able to offer an average of $3,151 per full-time student during the 2013-14 school year. We need to start thinking outside the box with new ways to encourage funding for higher education.

My legislation will authorize PHEAA to create and operate a lottery fund that awards free tuition while simultaneously raising money for need-based grants that help low-income students afford a college education. This lottery will award players with either: (1) full or partial scholarships to pay for a current or prospective student’s tuition at a Pennsylvania postsecondary institution that receives PHEAA State Grants; or (2) loan forgiveness for student debt already incurred at such a postsecondary institution. Lottery award recipients may transfer winnings to other designated individuals. The profits from this lottery will go toward PHEAA’s need-based grants, decreasing the net price of college for low-income students.

We as a Commonwealth can no longer afford to ignore the fact that too many in Pennsylvania are struggling to pay for college. Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation that will help our children to pay for a college education.

Pennsylvania has some of the highest costs for public, private and community college education in the nation. Pennsylvania funds public higher education at approximately 50 percent of the national average. In Pennsylvania, an estimated 71 percent of students graduate with a debt, with the average of $32,258 per student.

This bill is part of the multi-faceted College Access Plan (CAP). CAP is a comprehensive package of legislation designed to improve student access to higher education, reduce student debt and jump-start Pennsylvania's economy.