Lehigh Times

Gov. Tom Wolf is proposing a $200 million scholarship plan that could help thousands of Pennsylvania residents get a college education each year.

According to an April 7 release, Wolf met with members of the Millersville University community to highlight the plan for students who either attend a community college or Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PSSHE) institution.

“When it comes to pursuing a higher education, skyrocketing costs over the last decade have put that dream out of reach for too many families. Pennsylvanians are being priced out of a brighter future,” Wolf said. “When our brightest and best Pennsylvanians can’t pursue a higher education because it’s unaffordable, that means we’re doing something wrong.”

The scholarship would be funded through the American Rescue Plan Act as well as the Race Horse Development Trust Fund. It will support tuition and other costs with a focus on people pursuing programs in health care, education and public service, all industries with high workforce needs. Students that are in the program will need to stay in Pennsylvania to live and work for the same amount of time they receive the scholarship.

Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia) introduced legislation last week that creates the Nellie Bly Scholarship program. He said that too many students are coming out of college “saddled with a millstone around their neck in the form of crippling debt.”

“When students leave college in a strong financial situation they can start a family, buy a home and save for retirement,” Harris said. “The Nellie Bly Scholarship program will strengthen Pennsylvania’s students, our workforce, and our economy as a whole.”

Millersville University President Daniel Wubah praised the proposal.

“The past few years have financially challenged our students and their families, and we have responded by taking actions to control costs,” Wubah said. “At Millersville we have decreased the total cost of attendance over the past three years, which is bucking the trend in higher education. The Nellie Bly proposal will help meet our commitment to providing students an exceptional and affordable education.”

As the state continues to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nellie Bly proposal is designed to remove any barriers for affordable education and also stabilize the state’s workforce.

“Pennsylvania’s state-owned universities provide life-changing opportunities for middle- and low-income students with a quality education for in-depend jobs,” said PASSHE Chancellor Daniel Greenstein. “This proposal to provide direct aid to students, combined with PASSHE’s efforts to freeze tuition and transform the system, will help more students afford to pursue their dream of a higher education. That will further the State System's commitment to providing a pipeline of graduates to close Pennsylvania’s talent gap, so employers have the well-educated people they need to succeed in the commonwealth.”

Nellie Bly was a pioneer female journalist, best known for her 72-day trip around the world in 1889-90.