Posted: | February 13, 2013 02:48 PM |
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From: | Senator Michael L. Waugh |
To: | All Senate members |
Subject: | Tuition Reimbursement for Volunteer Fire Fighters and EMS Personnel |
I am reintroducing legislation that creates the Volunteer Firefighter and Emergency Personnel Postsecondary Education Tuition Reimbursement Act. This was Senate Bill 914 of the 2011-12 session. Under this act, active, certified volunteer firefighters and emergency services personnel are eligible to have 50 percent of the cost of their tuition reimbursed by the Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) shall send the reimbursement directly to the college or university. Those students attending a community college, state-owned university or state-related university shall be reimbursed at 50 percent of the student’s share of tuition for each credit course. If the student is attending an independent college or university, he or she shall be reimbursed up to 50 percent of the state-related institutions’ average tuition cost. This legislation provides a strong incentive for young people to join a volunteer fire or emergency services company at a time when these organizations are struggling to recruit and keep members. Co-sponsors of Senate Bill 914 were Senators Alloway, Baker, Brewster, Browne, Erickson, Folmer, Fontana, Kasunic, Mensch, Rafferty, Solobay, Tartiglione, Tomlinson, Yaw, Yudichak, White, Wozniak and Washington. If you have any questions regarding this legislation, please contact Greg Beckenbaugh in my office at 787-3817 or gbeckenbaugh@pasen.gov |
Introduced as SB641