Please consider joining me and Rep. Roebuck as we work to make a difference in the lives of some 60,000 students in 73 urban and rural high schools in the commonwealth. These students are under- served in the areas of college access and academic services provided now by a team of dedicated education professionals working under the PA College Access Challenge Grant Program.
In the near future I will be introducing legislation to provide bridge funding to the PA Department of Education (PDE) to continue the essential work being done by the Challenge Grant team, which includes Project GRAD USA, Penn State Advising Corps, Franklin & Marshall Advising Corps and the PHEAA Caps program. The program has been in place since 2009.
These groups work together to help kids graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education (college or training programs) that will make them productive members of society.
As of September 1, 2012, the Commonwealth was ineligible to receive this grant due to the inability to meet the maintenance of effort requirements for funding Higher Education in our state under the federal law. However, my legislation would seek to appropriate $4.2 million dollars to the PDE to use to continue the programs that have been assisting our most at risk students with the opportunity to access post-secondary education. We will pay for this by utilizing unexpended funds from PDE.
Consider the work of Project GRAD, which works in 11 of the state’s most distressed schools in Philadelphia, Chester, York, Lancaster and Pittsburgh. GRAD serves 12,000 students each year providing college access, and career and academic supports. In 2012, GRAD operated on a budget of about $2 million, but was instrumental in helping graduates earn nearly $20 million in financial aid and scholarships for post-secondary education. GRAD has found unique ways to reach students and parents in these communities and has created a college-going culture within these host school districts. The number of students who have been given the opportunity to access post-secondary education has increased significantly: demonstrating a continued need for this program.
Through this legislation, the good work that has been established can continue until the 2013-2014 federal grant is available. The opportunities that will be lost far outweigh the cost of the investment that we must make in order to keep this opportunity in place for Pennsylvania’s children.
This is a companion bill to HB 975, offered for consideration by the House in February by Rep. James Roebuck. If you have any questions regarding this legislation, please contact Lisa M. Felix at lfelix@pasenate.com or at 705-5849.
Thank you in advance for your support. | |
