What Is the Pennsylvania Tuition Relief Plan?
A grant program, proposed by Governor Rendell, designed to make college affordable for working families. The Tuition Relief Plan will greatly reduce or eliminate reliance on student loans for those attending community colleges and state system universities from families making $100,000 a year or less. The economic downturn has wiped out the savings of many hard-working families, making it urgent to have tuition relief starting this fall.
How Will It Work?
- Students and their families submit the traditional financial aid forms
- Students apply for all federal and state grants for which they qualify
- Students and their families pay only what they can afford, as determined by the U.S. Department of Education, or no less than $1,000 a year
- If there is any gap between what a student is expected to pay and the existing state and federal grant aid available to that student, the Tuition Relief Act will fill the gap. Students who do not qualify for PHEAA grants and who come from families making less than $100,000 a year will receive a grant equal to 50% of the cost of tuition.
- Once in the program, students are eligible for a total of four years of full-time study (or the equivalent in part-time study) or until receipt of a bachelor’s degree - whichever comes first.
Note: Every student in the program has to pay at least $1,000 to ensure all students are investing in their education.
Who Is Eligible?
Tuition relief can start this fall, if it is approved, with first-year students at the State System of Higher Education and community colleges whose families earn up to $100,000 a year. If approved, the program will grow over the next four years to include each incoming class until all students are covered. When fully in place, tuition relief will cover an estimated 170,000+ undergraduate students at Pennsylvania’s public community colleges and universities.
Other Participation Criteria: Includes all students in degree or certificate programs, no matter how few credits they take each semester
Students who have some college but have been out of college for a significant amount of time will be eligible
Students must maintain good academic standing once enrolled in order to continue to receive grants
What Expenses Does It Cover?
State System University students: tuition, fees, room, board, books
Community College students: tuition, fees, books
|
